Duck acting strange - panting, tired? (I hope)

[Miss Lydia]

Thats awesome!! thanks for updating.

 

[Launchpad]

Thats awesome!! thanks for updating.

Thank you for all the help
This message board is invaluable

 

[Maui_Muscovy]

My 6-year-old Muscovy drake has been acting similarly. He’s not his usual, active and energetic self. Yesterday morning he just sat around all morning in the shade, occasionally panting, but not making his usual chatty hissing sounds. When he finally got up to waddle to the food bowl, his gait was slow and solemn and very pigeon-toed. He slurped three mouthfuls of mealworms that I put in a bowl of water, and that was all he ate. He has no visible injuries, and his eyes aren’t foamy. He lets me gently pet his chest & the middle of his back. He’s never acted strangely like this before and I am concerned. Any ideas, thoughts or suggestions?

 

[Launchpad]

My 6-year-old Muscovy drake has been acting similarly. He’s not his usual, active and energetic self. Yesterday morning he just sat around all morning in the shade, occasionally panting, but not making his usual chatty hissing sounds. When he finally got up to waddle to the food bowl, his gait was slow and solemn and very pigeon-toed. He slurped three mouthfuls of mealworms that I put in a bowl of water, and that was all he ate. He has no visible injuries, and his eyes aren’t foamy. He lets me gently pet his chest & the middle of his back. He’s never acted strangely like this before and I am concerned. Any ideas, thoughts or suggestions?

Similar to what my silver female was doing yesterday
I brought her inside and put her in the bathtub with cool water and a bowl of water+peas.
She didn't eat much for a while but drank a ton of water. Today she is back to normal, after sleeping inside in a kennel. I've been giving her, and all the other ducks, a bunch of rooster booster (electrolytes) in their water since yesterday.
So i don't know what it was but im hoping it was a nothing but a little dehydration. I would start there but thats just based on my experience yesterday.

 

[Maui_Muscovy]

Similar to what my silver female was doing yesterday
I brought her inside and put her in the bathtub with cool water and a bowl of water+peas.
She didn't eat much for a while but drank a ton of water. Today she is back to normal, after sleeping inside in a kennel. I've been giving her, and all the other ducks, a bunch of rooster booster (electrolytes) in their water since yesterday.
So i don't know what it was but im hoping it was a nothing but a little dehydration. I would start there but thats just based on my experience yesterday.

Glad your duckie is feeling better! Yesterday morning I bought some nutritional yeast flakes + Rooster Booster to see if that would help. He has been resting close to door to my house where it’s nice and shady. It’s still quite warm outside and no cooling trade winds so it feels even warmer. He ate some mealworms- which I usually serve them in one of the watering bowls-along with a few drops of Booster. He perked up slightly but as of today, he is not perky at all and he’s still panting. I have a small fan on him to help keep him cool. I’m thinking about taking him with me to run errands. He likes to travel and he’s super curious about new surroundings. And he’d be nice and cool in the A/C in my truck. If he’s not better by Monday I will try to locate a vet on island that has knowledge of poultry. None of my other duckies are unusually acting, just Bullie

 

[Launchpad]

Glad your duckie is feeling better! Yesterday morning I bought some nutritional yeast flakes + Rooster Booster to see if that would help. He has been resting close to door to my house where it’s nice and shady. It’s still quite warm outside and no cooling trade winds so it feels even warmer. He ate some mealworms- which I usually serve them in one of the watering bowls-along with a few drops of Booster. He perked up slightly but as of today, he is not perky at all and he’s still panting. I have a small fan on him to help keep him cool. I’m thinking about taking him with me to run errands. He likes to travel and he’s super curious about new surroundings. And he’d be nice and cool in the A/C in my truck. If he’s not better by Monday I will try to locate a vet on island that has knowledge of poultry. None of my other duckies are unusually acting, just Bullie

I hope it works
This is beyond my knowledge but i know if he's eating that's a good sign
Id say do whatever you can to keep him cool and calm. Of course, a vet is the best thing possible
Hopefully some others can chime in with thoughts and suggestions
Wishing him luck

 

[Maui_Muscovy]

Well, he seemed to perk up a little, but by Monday evening he took a turn for the worse, I’m sad to say. He was breathing quickly with the tip of his tongue out. He just looked exhausted, poor thing. I squirted some colloidal silver into his mouth with an eyedropper but it was too late. He fought to keep his head up the next several hours. Around midnight I knew it would be a miracle if he lasted thru the night. All I could do was offer him fresh water and tell him how much I loved him. At 4:08 am Bullie breathed his last breath.
I can’t determine how he got sick, because none of the females got sick. He was not his usual self for six days, until he succumbed. I feel like I failed somehow, but I didn’t know what else to do. He was 6 years old & he lived a good life. He was my lil doodle duckie & I miss him so much. It’s just not the same without him here.

 

[Launchpad]

Well, he seemed to perk up a little, but by Monday evening he took a turn for the worse, I’m sad to say. He was breathing quickly with the tip of his tongue out. He just looked exhausted, poor thing. I squirted some colloidal silver into his mouth with an eyedropper but it was too late. He fought to keep his head up the next several hours. Around midnight I knew it would be a miracle if he lasted thru the night. All I could do was offer him fresh water and tell him how much I loved him. At 4:08 am Bullie breathed his last breath.
I can’t determine how he got sick, because none of the females got sick. He was not his usual self for six days, until he succumbed. I feel like I failed somehow, but I didn’t know what else to do. He was 6 years old & he lived a good life. He was my lil doodle duckie & I miss him so much. It’s just not the same without him here.

Oh dear sorry to hear that
From what i know, not just about ducks but animals in general, you did all you could. I don't think what was happening was going to change. But you gave him a comfortable end and were there the whole time.
And yall had good years. Seems like it was his time.
Keep doing what you're doing with all your ducks. No one could have done anything differently

 

[Duckmumma]

Blanche the 9 month old silver appleyard has been acting strange the last hour. That's just when i noticed. She had been normal up until at least least two - 3 hours ago latest- hunting bugs, eating peas, etc
She was under the deck acting strange, almost like a breathing issue lots of panting and head in the air. She didn't come to peas just stayed under porch. She doesn't have access to a pool because recovering from bumblefoot either about two weeks ago. Had access to water for drinking.
After a little bit she waddled out to the water bowl. I snagged her and brought her inside.
She is in the bathtub.
She is drinking a lot of water and ate just a few peas. No longer eating any peas but she did drink some of that water it has rooster booster for electrolytes. Now it looks like she is trying to sleep, i hope she isn't trying to die. I hope its just dehydration or stress
Her sister from the same Metzer order of silver appleyards was found dead last week, cause unknown.
Here is a video of her under the porch where i found her

Here is a video of her from just now

As of posting, there have been bits where she seems alert and ok
Other moments just looks very tired
Still drinking a lot of water
Id say she is looking and acting better. Don't want to be wrong and miss something though

Any and all help is appreciated

Hi so I have 5 ducks around the same age as yours and 2 of the females do this same thing and I found it really weird at first however they started mating not long after so I’ve put it down to hormones … they still do it sometimes. But just look happy as and both are laying well. So I think you can be sure that this is normal duck behaviour mine don’t come to food either when in this kind of mood

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hi so I have 5 ducks around the same age as yours and 2 of the females do this same thing and I found it really weird at first however they started mating not long after so I’ve put it down to hormones … they still do it sometimes. But just look happy as and both are laying well. So I think you can be sure that this is normal duck behaviour mine don’t come to food either when in this kind of mood