Duckling cannot balance or walk

[calsynite]

Hi everyone. I was purchasing some ducklings from TSC two weeks ago. The employee offered me a free crested duckling who wasn’t able to walk, so I decided to take him. I will list bullet points to make this a little less jumbled.

His symptoms:
- consistent trembling even when dry/warm/calm
- tries to go on his “tippy toes”, causing him to fall
- cannot walk without getting off balance and falling on his back and kicking
- legs appear to be normal
- when swimming, does the “tippy toes” thing and goes backwards or swims in circles
- eats/drinks normally
- no signs of infection or cold

Since I took him home, I have:
- added brewer’s yeast on top of chick starter every day
- used up a bottle of Nutridrench (lasted about a week and saw no improvement but willing to try it again)
- tried splinting his legs for a few days but spraddle leg doesn’t seem to be the problem

For the past few days I have been keeping him (in the brooder) loosely wrapped in a hand towel, inside of a small basket so that he isn’t stuck kicking around on his back while I am not there to hold him steady. I take him out every few hours to eat and drink. I have tried swim therapy a few times but I am going to start doing it daily.

Is there anything else I can try for him?
Again he is a crested so is this a likely a neurological issue or something else? The other ducklings are doing well.

Thank you all so much!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Probably is neurological. But just to rule out possibly niacin deficiency try liquid B Complex Durvet is a good one and it will say injectable but we use it orally for our birds. Is the crest large or small? Can you post a picture?
This will give you info on dose for the age of your duckling
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/niacin-deficiency-in-waterfowl.1367557/. I’d try at least a week before giving up. Many have crested here hopefully someone will see your thread. Is the duckling a crested Pekin.

 

[calsynite]

Probably is neurological. But just to rule out possibly niacin deficiency try liquid B Complex Durvet is a good one and it will say injectable but we use it orally for our birds. Is the crest large or small? Can you post a picture?
This will give you info on dose for the age of your duckling
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/niacin-deficiency-in-waterfowl.1367557/. I’d try at least a week before giving up. Many have crested here hopefully someone will see your thread. Is the duckling a crested Pekin.

Thank you! I will try the vitamins. Yes he is a crested Pekin. His crest is pretty small, but here is a photo:

 

[ruthhope]

Thank you! I will try the vitamins. Yes he is a crested Pekin. His crest is pretty small, but here is a photo: View attachment 3447337

That crest is actually large in terms of area. It wont become a poof until the duckling feathers. This was my son's crested at about 9 days old.

The crest on a duckling overlies a lipoma or fatty tumor in a defect in the skull of the duckling. There can be neurological problems associated and yours does seem to have them.

My son's duck is just fine -- smaller than his other pekins, but full of life, energy and herself. She is a character and a very loud duck!! My crested duck was a rescue and I didn't get him until he was nearly 6 months old. His crest is smaller than my son's crested duck, he is also smaller than other pekin drakes, but he too is full of life, energy and himself.

However, we are lucky. Yours may be a special needs duckling that becomes a special needs adult duck if it makes it. You are doing right to keep it safe and to give it supervised swimming. Do continue with Nutridrench but as @Miss Lydia advised, add Niacin in the form of Durvet high level vit B complex from Tractor Supply. Although it says injection, we give it 1ml daily soaked into a few crumbles so we can see the sick duckling eat the dose. Continue for a week and longer if there is improvement. If there is improvement, continue until the duckling is behaving normally.

Also, add brewer's yeast or nutritional yeast -- 1 tablespoon per cup of crumbles to all your the little fluffies' diet -- the nutritional yeast will be good for the other pekins too as they have greater needs for niacin than other ducks, because they grow faster and bigger than other ducks

Good luck with the little one -- please keep us updated. Also, be prepared as it might have convulsions -- spasms throwing itself backwards -- if it does have neurological problems. Your loving care and treatment is all you can offer. Hopefully it will grow into a little character like my son's. She is 2 years old now. the photo was when she came on a sleepover at my house to meet my ducks

 

[Miss Lydia]

What a sweet baby. It was so nice of you to take the lil one more than likely it wouldn’t have made it at the feed store. The dose for a 2 week old isn’t 1 ml that is why I gave you that link so you give the right dose. I’d start out with half ml and work up to 1 ml, Also you can use the liquid b complex for support for your other duckling too. I use Nutritional yeast over mines feed and put the liquid b in their water. For your crested you want to make sure it gets the full dose for its age so best to treat separately. Your doing great at caring for it. I have never heard the fatty Area under the crest as a tumor that’s a new one for me.
It’s always so reassuring to have someone like @ruthhope who has experience with crested to reply. We’re pulling for your little one!

 

[Miss Lydia]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/the-truth-behind-crested-ducks.707110/

 

[Khartlaub]

Hi everyone. I was purchasing some ducklings from TSC two weeks ago. The employee offered me a free crested duckling who wasn’t able to walk, so I decided to take him. I will list bullet points to make this a little less jumbled.

His symptoms:
- consistent trembling even when dry/warm/calm
- tries to go on his “tippy toes”, causing him to fall
- cannot walk without getting off balance and falling on his back and kicking
- legs appear to be normal
- when swimming, does the “tippy toes” thing and goes backwards or swims in circles
- eats/drinks normally
- no signs of infection or cold

Since I took him home, I have:
- added brewer’s yeast on top of chick starter every day
- used up a bottle of Nutridrench (lasted about a week and saw no improvement but willing to try it again)
- tried splinting his legs for a few days but spraddle leg doesn’t seem to be the problem

For the past few days I have been keeping him (in the brooder) loosely wrapped in a hand towel, inside of a small basket so that he isn’t stuck kicking around on his back while I am not there to hold him steady. I take him out every few hours to eat and drink. I have tried swim therapy a few times but I am going to start doing it daily.

Is there anything else I can try for him?
Again he is a crested so is this a likely a neurological issue or something else? The other ducklings are doing well.

Thank you all so much!

Add a scoop to gallon of water to keep in fridge, give this vitamin water everyday refreshing daily or it will spoil. Can give until it clears up.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Better yet is liquid B complex with niacin
This will give you doses for the age of the duckling.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/niacin-deficiency-in-waterfowl.1367557/

 

[Miss Lydia]

@calsynite hows your lil crested duckling doing?

 

[Pewarner]

I have a crested duckling. Same thing, it's like she has cerebral palsy. She stopped growing at about 2 weeks of age. She's 5 weeks tomorrow. My heart breaks for her. I don't know if she will ever get better. She rolls everywhere and because of this has no feathers on her wings. It's so sad.