Help With Young Duck-He's Sick

[suki'smom]

I have a 3 month old Ancona duckling that has been sick for the past few days. I went out to find him being knocked over by the other ducklings. When I picked him up he was very light. When I brought him inside he ate a bunch and drank a bunch so that made me think he was being bullied away from the food. He pooped and it was runny (I assumed from all the fluids).

The last few days he has been eating less and less but drinking well. I haven't notice much for poop in his pen. Today he seemed to be straining so I picked him up and checked his bottom to find that his penis had prolapsed (and possibly his lining as well just a bit). I'm not sure if this has been the problem all along or happened because he is trying to pass small amounts of poop from not eating.

I put lubricant on it and tried to gently put it back in but it didn't work. The area almost seemed hard behind the cloaca. He acts like it is painful. I have never done this before so I don't know what it's supposed to feel like. I can really get a finger in there to check for anything as he is a very small duck. He hatched out of a cracked egg and has always been a good one third smaller that his siblings.

The penis and surrounding tissue are pink but the tissue seems a bit swollen. I may tube feed him tonight to get some nutrients in him. He has vitamins and electrolytes added to his water.

Any help and/or input would be greatly appreciated

ps I can't post pics with my phone so if someone wants pics I can send them via text and perhaps someone can post them for me.

 

[Amiga]

I would keep him inside by himself or with one buddy, let him swim in lukewarm water deep enough to float in for a while, give him something like Nutri-Drench for poultry (has calories and some vitamins), and be careful if you tube feed him so as not to fill his little lungs with food. That's my nightmare about that kind of feeding, but some do it successfully.

He may have an infection, or he may have been excluded from eating. Hard to say. The everted phallus is worrisome.

 

[suki'smom]

He's been alone inside for two days. He gets a warm bath twice a day. I have been adding a vitamin, electrolyte, probiotic supplement to his water. He eats a little, but not much. He passed a milky colored foamy poop. Would a hemerroid cream help with anything? I managed to get his penis back inside with a well lubricated q-tip, I guess we'll see if it stays.

 

[Amiga]

Hemorrhoid cream might be something to consider, let's see if anyone else has used that. I have heard of it being used on feet, for some reason. . .
do I recall correctly?

Anyway, he might take some gruel (water that oats have been soaked in), or even watery soaked oats.

Sounds like you are taking good care of the little guy.

Update: apparently some Duck Forum members have used Preparation H on phallus prolapses as well as duck (female) prolapses. Some have written about using honey.

 

[suki'smom]

I've been mixing water with his pellets, tried mushy cornmeal, and peas, and mushy cat food. He takes a bit of one then seems to get bored with it so I have to try something else... I went ahead and blended some food up real well and tubed him. It went really well (I've had plenty of experience tubing birds and poultry). I think I'll tube him once per day if he doesn't begin to pick up on his food intake. Out of my ducklings he is my favorite. I can't help but think that he has a prolapse and that is causing his penis to poke out, not just that the penis is prolapsed. He's not even breeding age. I also didn't know he was a boy until today.. Really hoping he pulls through, he's very skinny though..

 

[suki'smom]

This morning he is straining but only a drop or two of watery poo comes out. I gave him a bit of oil to help him pass his poo. Is this from the prolapse? Or is the prolapse from straining?

 

[suki'smom]

I went ahead and smeared some honey on the prolapse and tucked it back in. It popped out again as soon as he strained. I'm thinking maybe he has a blockage of sorts. Ate some pine shavings maybe? It's hard to say. Hopefully the oil will help if that's the case.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I'm late seeing this and I sure hope your lil duckling makes a full recovery, giving him some molasses in his water or in his mash may help to get things moving too, it works as a laxative, some use it for botulism because it helps clear the system out so well. Not sure how much you'd give a tiny duckling though, but at the top of the duck thread is a sticky with directions on how to use the molasses and also epsom salts for botulism and you may be able to figure out how much to try for him. Sometimes duckjlings do eat shavings and i could see where this would cause a blockage. Will be praying your lil ones make it and hope to hear a good report..

 

[suki'smom]

I am very sad to report that my little guy did not make it. He passed just moments before I got home from work. My DH watched after him all day, said he seemed to be doing well (he even pooped) but then he checked on him and the little duck just layed down and died. I am just heartbroke. He was my little miracle duck.

Thank you so much to those who were kind enough to offer me advice.

 

[Amiga]