Sick rouen female

[Ky-Girl]

Ya know I will say that I was a little upset because I know she looks swollen and him not being a waterfowl vet couldnt tell if she has something going on.I know shes not eating much but keeping steady wight. I forgot to tell you she passed 4 of those little pea sized lash eggs last night. They dont smell look gross though.

 

[casportpony]

Just because he hasn't treated that many ducks doesn't mean he isn't qualified to treat her. I say this because my vets never treated peafowl before treating mine, and I find them to be quite capable with any issue. What we forget is that they have access to amazing online resources and literature, and I'm not talking about forums, I'm talking about proper veterinary resources.

Give him the benefit of the doubt and trust that he's doing the right thing, then research what he has you doing, and if it doesn't make sense, call and talk about it.

-Kathy

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Hey there Ronin. Sorry to hear about your duck!

I agree that it does sound a lot like salpingitis. Hard yolk material like that is pretty common and they tend to back up in the oviduct. This can cause chronic weight loss and just general discomfort.

E. coli is often a culprit in a lot of these repro tract infections, but viruses and Protozoa in ducks can also cause problems. If it is bacterial in origin, then it sounds like your vet is pretty on top of things. The minocycline is a pretty strong antibiotic and recommended (well, tetracyclines which are easier for people to get on their own) for cases of salpingitis in pet birds. The anti-inflammatory will help with any inflammation going on.

Taking her out of lay will also help. I would try decreasing the amount of light she gets if possible to about 8-10 hours a day. Basically, you want to mimic the light of a winter day. This will give her repro tract some time to heal. I've heard about using hormone implants and that is a good idea as well. I know of some local pet flicks that use them but I have read conflicting information about the legality in "food" type animals (unfortunately ducks fall under that category). This would be something best discussed with your vet once they have more info.

Baytril was (and still is) a great drug. It was considered a miracle drug in commercial flocks not long ago. However, due to gross overuse in commercial birds, it was banned altogether in poultry. Therefore, a vet will not be able to legally prescribe it for poultry or other food animals. It was great for treating things like egg yolk peritonitis and salpingitis though.

There's not a great way to truly diagnose salpingitis other than necropsy. You could probably have an ultrasound done and some yolk material might show up on an x Ray, but for the most part it may be a waiting game to see if she clears up. I have heard of "spays" done to remove the repro tract and affected yolks, but there are definitely risks to that as well. Surgery is similar to that of other pet birds though.

It's pretty late now, but I will think more on this issue and see if I can research more. In the meantime though, I think your vet has given you some good treatment plans to start out with. I will say that this will take a long time to heal, so just keep on giving the meds even if you don't see results right away.

I truly hope you begin to see some improvement

 

[Ky-Girl]

Oh Kathy I wouldnt trade him for anything I just didnt want anyone to wonder why I was asking all these questions on the forum instead of asking him. Hes great

And chickerdoodle I cant thank you enough for helping me out. Goodness you got it going on with the info., Im not sure I can process all this at one time. I can tell you I agree with you not fully knowing whats going on in her little body. I think we dubbed it down to: EYP, Salpingitis,,& Internal laying.. I am going to take the little things she keeps passing to a lab Tue and see if they can help me figure it out. Then maybe I can better understand whats happening inside her

Thanks Again to all of you for being there and for the all advise This is her now just resting.

 

[Ky-Girl]

Well ladies end of day 3 on meds. I havent seen 1 of those inssipated yolk things passed yet today. Which worries me. She has perked up a little more today though. she is still pulling her feathers out from molting.

Does anyone know anything about maybe flushing her out. Is that even safe or possible?

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Hey there, sorry for not getting back to you sooner. Today was the first day I've had off in six weeks! I was catching up on cooking and cleaning.

There's not really a good way to flush her out, but I would say it is a good sign you have seen some. That basically means she is not totally blocked and is able to pass some of the material causing issues. The only way to really remove that material is through surgery. It's an option if you can find a vet willing to do it, but of course is not without risks. I do think she seems to be doing ok at the moment from what you describe and I would try to give her more time on the antibiotics. If she continues to lose weight or starts to look worse, then I would consider something more drastic like surgery. I definitely think daily weights on her is a good thing to do. Tube feeding was also brought up and is an option if she begins losing weight or won't eat.

 

[Ky-Girl]

Oh Im so sorry to have bothered you. Six weeks. I feel so bad for you. Well I didn't know what to do about those things. She hasn't passed any today. So now Im worried. I can tell you shes sleeping a lot and preening those feathers out. I think from molting. She is eating a little better.
Okay chickerdoodle I just weighed her and now im really confused she weighs 5lbs. What does that mean. Is it because she didnt pass any of those things or is it because shes gaining fluids?
I can tell you I dont think its because she eaten a lot

What do I do now?

 

[Ky-Girl]

New day new situation. Woke up this monring to this in Ronins bed.




egg yolk in her poop. what does this mean?

Oh and can someone tell me how antibiotics like RIMADYL will affect her. something is causing her to lose her balance and stumble and im thinking that it might be the meds.

 

[casportpony]

New day new situation. Woke up this monring to this in Ronins bed.




egg yolk in her poop. what does this mean?

Oh and can someone tell me how antibiotics like RIMADYL will affect her. something is causing her to lose her balance and stumble and im thinking that it might be the meds.

To me a yolk is a good sign, as in stuff is passing through, but would be best I think to reduce her daylight like Chickerdoodle13 suggested.

Probably best to call your vet and let him know what's going on.

-Kathy

 

[Amiga]

I agree, keeping the vet updated is good (you may already be doing this, I think). And seeing yolk rather than solids may not be such a bad thing.

If I recall correctly, Rimadyl is anti-inflammatory, not an antibiotic. And any of us can have side effects. I think Metacam is an alternative to Rimadyl.