Duck having seizures or nightmares?

[Muse]

This is our 3 week old Cayuga duck, Dupont:



I apologize for the blue tint, the room does not have good lighting.

We keep our ducks in an enclosed space inside the house at night and sometimes during the day although we frequently take them outside to walk around and swim. Last night when they were indoors I heard this high pitched screech, and when I ran over to see what was wrong Dupont was laying on his back with his neck bent all the way back towards his bottom and he was flapping his wings and flailing his legs violently. I initially thought that he had somehow just fallen over on his neck and couldn't get back up. When I lifted him, however, he was very stiff. After a few moments of flapping around he relaxed and shook his head a little like he was dazed. I was scared, but not too worried.

About 4 or so hours later, my boyfriend came home from work and he did it again. This time my boyfriend ran over there, picked him up and inspected him. He said that Dupont was having a seizure. My boyfriend said Dupont's eyes were empty, like nobody was there. So I began researching why ducks would be having seizures and 2 things came up, a Niacin (vitamin B3) deficiency or Pasturella. They have not had shots since we have gotten them. None of our other 2 ducks have had fits like that. We also noticed that it happens when he falls asleep or wakes up (which is why we are wondering if its nightmares) it has only happened 3 times, once within 4 hours of each other and then the third 24 hours after the second. All at around 11:30pm. We have no idea why this is happening. I am scared that my duck will die, please help.

 

[Vyctoria]

It could be a deficiency, but it's hard to say. I supplemented with brewers yeast for all of my duckings and my male Cayuga still had two random seizures that to this day still make no sense. I had read somewhere that it was somewhat common in Cayuga ducklings around that age, but I'm hesitant to believe it's compeltely normal. All I know is that any time my boy got startled he would have one and I'd just get him right-side-up and pet him until he came to, which was usually within half a minute. He only had to two though and not in succession like that. He's almost a year old now and hasn't had problems since.

If they continue I'd suspect something else is going on, in which case the first step of action would most likely be supplementation. Hopefully someone else can chime in on this though.

 

[Ducks4us]

sorry to hear your duckling is having seizures.
what are you feeding? and are you supplementing with brewers or nutritional yeast?

 

[chickens really]

It could be as simple as providing niacin.......I hope it gets well..

Brewers yeast works ....

Best wishes...

 

[Muse]

It could be as simple as providing niacin..

.....I hope it gets well..

Brewers yeast works ....

Best wishes...

Hi! thanks so much for that information

How much niacin can I put in their food/water? I heard 100mg of niacin per 1 gallon, but I am not sure if I should put that in there? I heard putting niacin in their food was much more effective! If so, how much would you recommend? Also, where can I find Brewers yeast and how do I use that supplement? They are on Purina Premium flock raiser crumbles right now. In my opinion, it doesn't give very much nutritional value and is very high in sodium.

 

[Muse]

It could be a deficiency, but it's hard to say. I supplemented with brewers yeast for all of my duckings and my male Cayuga still had two random seizures that to this day still make no sense. I had read somewhere that it was somewhat common in Cayuga ducklings around that age, but I'm hesitant to believe it's compeltely normal. All I know is that any time my boy got startled he would have one and I'd just get him right-side-up and pet him until he came to, which was usually within half a minute. He only had to two though and not in succession like that. He's almost a year old now and hasn't had problems since.

If they continue I'd suspect something else is going on, in which case the first step of action would most likely be supplementation. Hopefully someone else can chime in on this though.

That sounds exactly like what happened to Dupont! I am wondering if he's just getting really startled. He actually cries clear fluid when he does that, I don't know if they're tears or discharge. Thanks so much for your help!!

 

[Muse]

sorry to hear your duckling is having seizures.
what are you feeding? and are you supplementing with brewers or nutritional yeast?

I am feeding them purina premium flock raiser crumbles right now! No I am not supplementing :/ this is our first time raising ducks so we are still learning! Thanks for your help!

 

[chickens really]

It could be as simple as providing niacin.. .....I hope it gets well..


Brewers yeast works ....


Best wishes...

Hi! thanks so much for that information   How much niacin can I put in their food/water? I heard 100mg of niacin per 1 gallon, but I am not sure if I should put that in there? I heard putting niacin in their food was much more effective! If so, how much would you recommend? Also, where can I find Brewers yeast and how do I use that supplement? They are on Purina Premium flock raiser crumbles right now. In my opinion, it doesn't give very much nutritional value and is very high in sodium.

@Miss Lydia

 

[Miss Lydia]

@Miss Lydia

When this happens at around 11:30pm is it dark and then a light gets turned on all of a sudden? Just trying to figure out what would trigger the seizure. Dupont looks healthy and of good size so I am wondering if something is happening that is startling him and causing the seizures.

I'd get Nutritional yeast [health food store] and use it on their feed 1 Tab per cup till 10 weeks of age.

If you decide to use niacin it has to be plain not time released or flush free and it needs to be 150mgs per gallon of water.

 

[Muse]

When this happens at around 11:30pm is it dark and then a light gets turned on all of a sudden? Just trying to figure out what would trigger the seizure. Dupont looks healthy and of good size so I am wondering if something is happening that is startling him and causing the seizures.

I'd get Nutritional yeast [health food store] and use it on their feed 1 Tab per cup till 10 weeks of age.

If you decide to use niacin it has to be plain not time released or flush free and it needs to be 150mgs per gallon of water.

Thank you so much @Miss Lydia ! We do not turn the lights off at night, and its funny you say that because they don't really have a wake and sleep schedule because they are inside most of the time at this hour, and we keep the lights on all the time! We need to put them on a sleep schedule before we move them outside, ducks that are active at night attract predators. Its so weird because he hasn't done it today at all so far (knock on wood) it definitely happens when he's sleeping. I am opposed to them being grand mal seizures like that because unless your a human, the electrical impulses in the brain die down while you're asleep to the point (and especially in a duck) where rapid neuron firing revolves around heartbeat and blood pressure and other 'keep the body alive' functions. Ducks do not fire nearly the amount of neurons we do, so I assumed it had to be him being startled. Thank you again for your help, we will go find some nutritional yeast and niacin tomorrow and I will keep you updated!