Why is my Pekin duck "sneezing"?

[Chickenkeepr]

This started a couple of weeks ago. She seems to have these "sneezing" fits a few time a day. She'll be 2 years old in the spring, free range during the day and in the coop at night with my other Pekin hen that is the same age, and 11 hens/pullets. She has no discharge, her eyes are clear and she is very active. She has access to clean water 24/7 and is being fed layer crumbles and continues to lay daily. She did just go through a molt and wasn't doing it before. It doesn't seem to be getting any worse, nor does it seem to bother her. It's kind of a very high pitched whistle/sneeze sound and when heard from a distance she almost sounds like a guinea hen actually lol. Had anyone experienced this before? I've tried to get video but every time the phone comes out, she waddles off lol.

 

[casportpony]

Thank You for your help, just raked the pine straw and pine shavings along with other parts of the runs and it's been very dusty! No discharge or any signs of problems. The corid was recommended by someone because my Barnevelders are on their last dosing and I was told it couldn't hurt, not knowing the new pullets background. You've saved me a lot of confusion since the newcomer has no symptoms. She only does it when we come around, I started her off in a small enclosed area, covered, and it started then. Now she has free run in a larger uncovered area and she only does it randomly. Thanks again for taking the time to help me!


David

@casportpony
is my go to lady for info though she might want to address this. Hopefully it is just dust and she'll be able to join your residents soon. As for corid isn't that to treat cocci only? I maybe wrong there again hopefully Kathy will say. 

Corid only treats coccidiosis, and it's very safe, so no reason not to give it. Interestingly, a friend of mine gets routine fecals done and has noticed a correlation between respiratory infections and coccidiosis. The last time it happen, he treated with just Corid and the bird recovered without antibiotics.

I tend to treat a little more aggressively than most, so I always de-worm if they look off for more than a day or two. Safeguard is one of the safer wormers, so that's what I use.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Quote: I mean this in the nicest way possible, but I had no training the first time I did it, and I didn't google how to do it, I just opened his mouth and identified the entrance to the trachea, then gently inserted the tube until I felt it in his crop.

@ChickenKeeper can give *IV* shots to horses, so I think this is something that's *well* within their ability, and I am available by phone to guide them or anyone else through the process. With the right tube (long enough and wide enough), and a little coaching, anyone that can restrain safely restrain a bird can do it. It is much safer than trying to syringe more than a few cc's of fluid into them.

Much over due update. So much has happened since my last post. I gave him all of his SMZ. During treatment he seemed to be getting better but the day after his last dose he took a nose dive. The very next morning he had extremely labored breathing was kind of making a squeaking sound and basically sounded like he was drowning from the inside. So off to the vet. A different vet than the one I had been using.

This new vet really seemed to know his duck stuff. ( He has been asked by the state of Wisconsin to conduct lectures on poultry disease). Yay! Finaly found a vet that is very knowledgeable about chickens and ducks!!

We did x-rays and he said that the x-rays looked better than he sounded but that the air sac that feeds the lungs directly had a lot of fluid in it as well as the lungs themselves. The air sac was feeding infection into the lungs. His other air sacs were pretty clear. Forgive me but I can't remember the names of the air sacs. So anyways, he put him on 7 days of 2xs/day of Bayril IM injections. He showed me how and they are pretty easy.

He also looked at his poop and found that he now had Coccidiosis! Ugh!!!! But the good news is that the capillaria worms were gone. The Safeguard that I had him on for the Capillaria worms is not effective against Coccidiosis. He was put on Corid (Amprolium) for that. It's a drug for cattle but can be used on ducks by putting it in their water. If anyone has experience with Coccidiosis in ducks please give me any info you have. I don't know if he is drinking enough of his corid water to get rid of the coccidiosis.

The vet showed me how to tube feed after I had told him about syringe feeding him and suspecting that I had caused him to aspirate before he went on SMZ, and that I had looked into tube feeding. He said that syringe feeding is dangerous and that tube feeding is the safest way to feed a duck.

After seeing all of the info on here and with a lot of help and then seeing the vet demonstrate it in front of me.........I finally was not afraid to tube feed. It really is not hard to do. It is easier with 4 hands instead of 2 but can be done either way. Please do not be afraid of tube feeding if you are considering it. My biggest concern when I was contemplating it was that I would put the tube down the wrong hole and that I wouldn't get it in far enough or I would put it in too far. My vet told me that with the tube I had (18 French catheter) there was no way I would get it in the wrong hole. He also showed me that as you put the tube in you can feel and see where it is on the side of the neck so you know exactly where it is and all you have to do is get it into the crop. I read all of these things on here and although seeing it in person helped me get over my fears everything I have read on here is exactly how he showed me to do it.

That is where we are at right now. He is still wheezy and his eye still has some foaminess on occasion. We are on Day 2.5 of the Baytril. I'm really hoping to see an improvement over the weekend.

Hope everyone has a great Labor Day Weekend.

Just an update. Rocky is feeling much better and has a horse quack now. That is an improvement over not quacking at all. She also ran from me tonight when I tried to catch her. We are up to 55mL of food and she is handling it very well. I'll give her a full 60mL tomorrow morning and won't be able to give her another feeding till that night. She has been actively foraging.

Skye is also doing better. Not very much panting today even with the heat index of 107*. In the middle of the day they all started to pant a bit but once the sun went down they stopped. She also had one coughing fit this morning but that has been it.

Also my 4 year old wants to put the tube down her now. He is a bit young still but he knows where it does and doesn't go. It goes to the stomach on the side not down the middle to the lungs. Those were his words. Both kids are great at using the syringe and administering the food while I hold the tube in place. If anyone is reading this and is wondering if they can do it, yes you can!

Hope this helps!

Kathy

 

[casportpony]

he geek in me really like this antibiotic table:


Respiratory infections can also be from E.coli and/o pseudomonas, which can be hard to treat.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/durvet-strike-iii-poultry-dewormer-1-lb there is the de wormer they got. The thing that gets me is that she is still very active and has a good appetite. This is only my second year with birds but I have years of experience with cattle, horses etc and anything I have seen with an active respiratory infection was lethargic and generally off feed and not feeling well. Having been going on for 3 weeks now, can I be sure it is not contagious? I will start the higher dosage of Tylan this afternoon. How long should I give her to see some improvement? Thank you all sooo much for your help and input!

Can you take her to a vet? No problem if you can't., I also one that can't, so I understand. A vet could check her poop for worms and coccidia, and they could swab her mouth for bacteria, then prescribe an antibiotic if needed.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

If you do decide to do the higher dose of Tylan I would expect you to see improvement in 24-48 hours.... 72 hours max.

-Kathy

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thank You for your help, just raked the pine straw and pine shavings along with other parts of the runs and it's been very dusty! No discharge or any signs of problems. The corid was recommended by someone because my Barnevelders are on their last dosing and I was told it couldn't hurt, not knowing the new pullets background. You've saved me a lot of confusion since the newcomer has no symptoms. She only does it when we come around, I started her off in a small enclosed area, covered, and it started then. Now she has free run in a larger uncovered area and she only does it randomly. Thanks again for taking the time to help me!

David

@casportpony is my go to lady for info though she might want to address this. Hopefully it is just dust and she'll be able to join your residents soon. As for corid isn't that to treat cocci only? I maybe wrong there again hopefully Kathy will say.

 

[casportpony]

Waiting on the vet to cal back a out getting 10ml of the Safeguard. I'll dose her for 5 days just to be safe.

Quote: Lol, I try very hard to verify the math and I also try to find as many references as possible.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

If you ever decide to try it, just let me know and I'll give you some pointers. I'm too lazy and impatient, so I prefer the 30 second solution, lol.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Baytril ban info: http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/RecallsWithdrawals/ucm042004.htm


-Kathy