Help! Malnourished and sick duckling

[courtjn]

Okay mid October I found a 2 week duckling wandering my apartment complex. Her wings had been clipped so I knew she had been a pet before so I caught her and took her back to my place and gave her water and whatever vegetables I had at the time. She imprinted on me from the start but I couldn't keep and one of my roommates girlfriends used to have ducks so I gave her to her. However I guess in the time she has had her she has only been giving her oats. She is around 9 weeks old now and looks like she is only 4 weeks old.
The girl gave me the duck back recently and I found out how bad the poor duckling had gotten. I believe she is naicin deffecient, and malnourished. I have been crushing naicin pills and putting it in her water, and got duckling feed for her that is 20% protein. She seems to doing better but her feet will still go bowlegged if she walks for to long. However now she is starting to have labored breathing and open her mouth each time she breathes even when laying down.
I can only keep her for so long and one of my friends aunts has a farm and has ducks and will gladly take her. The thing is I do not want to give her while she is weak. I know what happens on farms when an animal is sick.
Is there anything else I can do to help her? When I first got her she could barely walk, had green diarrhea(now with the feed and naicin she doesn't anymore) and an eye infection(I sprayed them with saline solution and they got better). She does not have any secretions from her nose and no wounds on her feet.
Any ideas?

 

[Amiga]

She may have a respiratory infection, or it could be she's picked up some other kind of infection.

Glad you are trying to help her.

Ideally, a good duck vet would be the way to go. Otherwise, you'll need to make some guesses. You may want to go ahead and find some antibiotic (I have heard that over the counter antibiotics are not going to be available in the U.S. after January 1, so don't delay, if that's the case). Feed stores sell them - until the end of the year if I understand correctly.

What is the temperature where she is kept? Does she have food with water 24/7? How much niacin are you giving? Is it plain niacin? My understanding is that it needs to be plain, not no flush or timed release, 150 mg per gallon of water. You might also try some poultry vitamins. What's her poop look like?

Also, if you post over on the Duck Forum, more duck people can see this and perhaps have some more ideas.

 

[Amiga]

Okay mid October I found a 2 week duckling wandering my apartment complex. Her wings had been clipped so I knew she had been a pet before so I caught her and took her back to my place and gave her water and whatever vegetables I had at the time. She imprinted on me from the start but I couldn't keep and one of my roommates girlfriends used to have ducks so I gave her to her. However I guess in the time she has had her she has only been giving her oats. She is around 9 weeks old now and looks like she is only 4 weeks old.
The girl gave me the duck back recently and I found out how bad the poor duckling had gotten. I believe she is naicin deffecient, and malnourished. I have been crushing naicin pills and putting it in her water, and got duckling feed for her that is 20% protein. She seems to doing better but her feet will still go bowlegged if she walks for to long. However now she is starting to have labored breathing and open her mouth each time she breathes even when laying down.
I can only keep her for so long and one of my friends aunts has a farm and has ducks and will gladly take her. The thing is I do not want to give her while she is weak. I know what happens on farms when an animal is sick.
Is there anything else I can do to help her? When I first got her she could barely walk, had green diarrhea(now with the feed and naicin she doesn't anymore) and an eye infection(I sprayed them with saline solution and they got better). She does not have any secretions from her nose and no wounds on her feet.
Any ideas?

 

[courtjn]

She may have a respiratory infection, or it could be she's picked up some other kind of infection.

Glad you are trying to help her.

Ideally, a good duck vet would be the way to go.  Otherwise, you'll need to make some guesses.  You may want to go ahead and find some antibiotic (I have heard that over the counter antibiotics are not going to be available in the U.S. after January 1, so don't delay, if that's the case).  Feed stores sell them - until the end of the year if I understand correctly.

What is the temperature where she is kept?  Does she have food with water 24/7?  How much niacin are you giving?  Is it plain niacin?  My understanding is that it needs to be plain, not no flush or timed release, 150 mg per gallon of water.  You might also try some poultry vitamins.  What's her poop look like?

Also, if you post over on the Duck Forum, more duck people can see this and perhaps have some more ideas.

I made a name shift pen in my apartment we usually keep it around 65-74. I made a gallon and put a crushed niacin tablet in it. I'll have to try to go to the feed store tomorrow and try that.! Thank you