MY Ducks have Gape worm! HELP!

Hi Everyone,

Does anyone out there know what to give ducks that will kill gape worms and all the other worms they get too? Also where can I get the medicine...? How much to use? What about my babies? Also can this wormer be given to chickens? All of my critters get to free roam during the day. So I figure everyone is infected and if they aren't I still want to treat them all!

Thanks for all the help I'm hoping to get. Because I haven't had any real luck on my own trying to find something!

What does gape worm look like, I mean, how can you tell if a duck has that?

If you can find some apple cider vinegar that has the 'mother' in it (cloudy stuff), add some of that to everyone's water. You can find ACV with mother in the organic section of most grocery stores. It's a good de-wormer, and a smaller amount in the water containers keeps algae from growing on them.

I cannot sugest a particular brand of wormer to use for gape worm as we have different products here in Australia- however I strongly suggest that if your birds are currently carrying worms that you buy a poultry wormer.
Apple cider vinegar- amoungst other things will help to acidify the gut and digestive tract. Being that it is already acidic naturally in a well bird- worms are tollerant of a certain level of acidity to survive in the digestive and intestinal tract. Apple cide Vinegar will not rid your birds of worms they have already contracted.
It is used as a general tonic at times and has very minute traces of some vitamins and minerals and can help to increase water quality by stopping the growth of algae in water containers.


Chris09 has provided some very good information in this thread on gape worm and three treatments are listed in his post about half way down the first page.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=328429&p=1

First I don't know positively know that my runners have gape worm. But I had one and now several that are coughing, and stretching there necks. I looked up symptoms and this is what they said it probably was. Also recommended Flubenvet. But evidently it's not a wormer that's available here in the US. Also I saw where there are quite a few types of worms that ducks/geese can get. I've called my vet. The OKla Agr. and hatcheries! No one really has any help when it comes to waterfowl! I even called the zoo! Never got throurgh to a real person Sometimes computers can be annoying . My husband found the # of a Agriculure man in Tx. that helped when I had a chicken problem. I'm going to call him and see if he can help me again. If he has a suggestion I'll post it!

Now in reply to the apple cider vinegar I recieved a email telling me that it doesn't work. But hey it can't hurt to give them some. What I really wantneed is a medicine.....that is specifically made for waterfowl worms. Thanks though, and I'll look for some when I get to town again. Like I said it can't hurt.

Apple cider vinegar is great for acidifying the gut and can be helpful as a prophylaxis in some bacterial disturbances, but it is not an effective wormer. Go to the thread Ducky from oz provided and read the information that Chris09 provided. Ivermectin is a broad spectrum wormer (will not clear tapeworms) and is a relatively non toxic material. Quite hard to overdose with this stuff. I've used it on puppies as young as ten days old.

To check for gapeworm in chickens (I'm unsure whether this works for ducks, but it seems likely?) - per my avian vet - take a Q-tip, and GENTLY swirl it, pushing it down the throat an inch or so, then swirl coming back up; if they've got gapeworms, they will be on the q-tip. I believe they are red, and I feel like someone has told me in the past they actually have two heads. (?)

Chris09's post mentions that when the worms are seen, they are paired.

First and foremost I'd like to say THANKS TO ALL FOR YOUR HELP! I called the Texas Dr. that works for the agriculture and science labs. (I'm so glad my husband still had his #) He is so SMART and NICE! This is what he had to say:

You can use Ivermectin (the kind for cows and goats in a 1% strength) but keep the dose low. 1/4th of a .1ml mark per 2 & 1/2#'s of duck. (Or approx. 200 micrograms per 2#'s.) There is no need to not eat the eggs if you want. There is not enough wormer used to affect humans and that it is basically what is used in human worming medicine anyway only in higher doses! The only thing is you cannot do is sell eggs/birds commercially for consumption if they have been treated with wormer, anibiotics, ect.... The government has a no tolerance on drugs! He also stated that at this low of a dose that it shouldn't hurt fertility and if it stopped egg production it would only be for a day or two!

He also said that for chickens use .1ml for approx. 4#s of body weight.

You can use this also as a heartworm preventive in dogs. (1 very small drop once a month for a 40+# dog, about the amount you'd use on the ducks.) HE STRESSED DO NOT USE ON BORDER COLLIES! It will kill them. He explained why but it's too technical for me. He said you can find information on dosages online if you look. Who knew? OF COURSE HE COULD NOT RECOMMEND USING THIS FOR HEARTWORMS AS IT IS AGAINST THE RULES. He also said a larger dose is believed to sterilize heartworms if they already have them. But as far as dosage went to do my research online!

Oh yes I also found out that a pharmisist (your local drug store) can make you a bottle of 1% Ivermectin!

Once again.... THANKS TO ALL!

May this link come in handy for future reference for all who need help!

Sorry I forgot to say the medicine does have to be given orally! As drops in the mouth or on bread..... I plan to use a 25ml syringe.