Quickly Deteriorating Indian Runner Duck

[graypes]

Omg I just wrote a really long post and then deleted it UGH

Okay so with my drake, after antibiotics, he still wasn't eating and was doing the same stuff your duck is doing like pushing food around etc.
since his main symptoms cleared up, his antibiotics and wormers were finished and it had been more than 2ish weeks since he started showing symptoms (duck viral enteritis was a possibility, and because he lived longer than 14 days, my vet said it prob wasn't DVE), I decided to allow him to hang with his sister wives. But because they eat a lot and his appetite still isn't 100%, I decided to keep them together but separate so I could monitor his intake without getting fooled by the girls' voracious appetite. I got two 50-55gal clear plastic tubs and put them side by side. Filled them with bedding and gave them each food and water. I put the skinny drake in one tub and his mates in the other to boost his moral. This way, he could still kiss and physically be close to his pals, which helped curb his depression (ducks get it too!) and helped his appetite. Also, the sound of his mates eating and drinking encouraged him to eat and drink too!

Appetites are slow to come back after severe illness. Just like with humans, when we get really bad stomach flu or gut infections that make us feel bad for a week, even after the illness goes away, our stomachs have "shrank" and food isn't that appetizing. I imagine its similar for sick ducks!

Have you been watching her weight? With my drake, that was the #1 way I tracked his progress. That also let me know when he lost too much weight which helped me know if I needed to keep tube feeding him or increase the tube feed mixture. After he got fatter and his energy was 100% I stopped tube feeding, but he still isn't very hungry EXCEPT for treats (he'll only eat those and ignore the pellets). I am decreasing his treat amount in the feed and that is helping. The main thing that helps is that he is near his mates and he can hang with them in the day!

I think I missed a lot of your questions, but I hope that helps!!!

 

[graypes]

Also @auce99 I see ur in florida, is it really hot there? If she's still not hungry, heat could also be affecting her! I counter hot days with the sick ducks by only allowing them out for short periods in the shade and providing a lot of electrolytes. Also, with all the treats she got, did she have any grit too? What are her poops looking like?

 

[auce99]

Also @auce99 I see ur in florida, is it really hot there? If she's still not hungry, heat could also be affecting her! I counter hot days with the sick ducks by only allowing them out for short periods in the shade and providing a lot of electrolytes. Also, with all the treats she got, did she have any grit too? What are her poops looking like?

So… one reply to both your posts…

She’s perked up some more. I think it was a combination of things. Part of it being me over-analyzing and being TOO attentive to her (can you blame me, after being so close to losing her… at least that’s the way I felt), change in weather, her getting ready to molt (I started seeing a bunch of feathers float as she preened, last night), and just her coming off meds/being sick. But last night, she was back to her sassy self, and she was eating in front of me, again, including her pellets. So I will continue ie to monitor her. But I felt much better about things last night.

We have had concerns about the heat situation with our ducks. They handle it pretty well, for the most part. We have good bits of shade in our yard, have access to a pool when out of their enclosure (which we change at least twice a day to keep the water cool, in the summer), and a fan in their enclosure (my husband is even considering a camp a/c for the really hot days). BUT, sometimes they get ahead of themselves, and overexert themselves on a warmer day, and we put them in a cooler than usual bath or pool (ie - dump ice into it), or ‘force them’ into the shade by putting them into their enclosure earlier than usual. But we do watch for that… that was a big concern for us when we moved from Indiana to Florida with them. But to be honest, much like me, they handle the heat better than they did the cold!

 

[graypes]

So… one reply to both your posts…

She’s perked up some more. I think it was a combination of things. Part of it being me over-analyzing and being TOO attentive to her (can you blame me, after being so close to losing her… at least that’s the way I felt), change in weather, her getting ready to molt (I started seeing a bunch of feathers float as she preened, last night), and just her coming off meds/being sick. But last night, she was back to her sassy self, and she was eating in front of me, again, including her pellets. So I will continue ie to monitor her. But I felt much better about things last night.

We have had concerns about the heat situation with our ducks. They handle it pretty well, for the most part. We have good bits of shade in our yard, have access to a pool when out of their enclosure (which we change at least twice a day to keep the water cool, in the summer), and a fan in their enclosure (my husband is even considering a camp a/c for the really hot days). BUT, sometimes they get ahead of themselves, and overexert themselves on a warmer day, and we put them in a cooler than usual bath or pool (ie - dump ice into it), or ‘force them’ into the shade by putting them into their enclosure earlier than usual. But we do watch for that… that was a big concern for us when we moved from Indiana to Florida with them. But to be honest, much like me, they handle the heat better than they did the cold!

Yay!!!! Love a happy ending!!!!! So happy she's getting better!