Mallard Duck With Bill Injury Has Difficulty Eating

mallard duck standingThe following story was shared with us by the Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation in Alberta, Canada.

This female mallard duck was admitted to the Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation on September 23, 2019, at a weight of 710 grams (about 1.6 pounds). She was believed to have been hit by a car, as she was found on the side of the road in a nearby town.

Upon examination, the bird was found to have a lean to reasonable body condition, severe head trauma, swelling to the eyes, and was unsteady while ambulating. Most notably, she had a crushing injury to the rostral rhinotheca (part of the upper bill) that was painful and bleeding.

The mallard was administered fluids, pain medication, eye drops and oral antibiotics. The injury to her bill was flushed with saline and treated with topical medication. Because the injury to her bill made it painful to eat, she was tube-fed EmerAid Intensive Care Omnivore three to four times a day until her bill had healed to the point where she was able to eat on her own.

Once she had healed from all presenting injuries, she was released back to a large body of water far from any roadways. At release, she weighed an appropriate 802 grams (about 1.8 pound) with an excellent body condition.