Duck force feed help

Hi, our beloved 19 month old Peking duck is sick.

We took her to the vet yesterday and was told she is suffering heart and lung problems. We wanted to give her a chance so the vet injected two meds: an antibiotic and another med to drain fluid. He also gave us one week of pills.

After three doses, the duck showed improvement this morning. However, the new challenge is to feed her because she is not eating. She is only 5 lbs now and has not eaten for 4 days.

This is a wonderful duck. In her short life so far, she has laid 450 eggs.

My question is to find a high energy food to feed her with syringe. We gave her some baby food (using syringe). Plus, we mixed her pills (grounded first) with baby apple source.

I went to the local Tractor Supply and they did not have anything. I grounded the feed but there seem to be some gravel mixed in there so it stuffs the syringe.

Thank you so much in advance.

I give mine ensure plus but I will use tube called lamb saver to make it easier on them. I got mine through KV VET supply online for few dollars. I like to take ensure plus and break raw egg in it and whip it little bit it helps thicken it and increase protien.
Good Luck

Here is a great article.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...ds-chickens-including-tube-feeding-techniques

Thank you all so much.

She is improving a bit under antibiotics and Lasix but she is not eating much. She took some peas (her favorite food) from me.

I have some syringes and silicon airlines (use for fish air pumps) to feed the medications and also a mixture of baby food with egg yolk. However, I am afraid that is not enough calories and protein.

I will look for "ensure plus" but if you could tell me where to get it, I'd appreciate. I do not know what it is but will search.

It is so sad to see her being sick and weak.

OK, I found what Ensure Plus is.

They have some flavors in it like chocolate, milk shake, etc. Which one is safe for ducks?

Thanks. I am going to get some and add raw egg for tonight.

loubapache said:

OK, I found what Ensure Plus is.

They have some flavors in it like chocolate, milk shake, etc. Which one is safe for ducks?

Thanks. I am going to get some and add raw egg for tonight.

Click to expand...

I don't know if I'd give chocolate since most animals have serious reactions to chocolate, maybe strawberry or vanilla but then again i have seen where people use baby bird food that you would find in a pet store for feeding sick ducks/etc. I think I'd go for baby bird food before ensure, but just my feeling on what I'd do for one of mine. also electrolytes in drinking water, can find them at most feed stores. I sure hope she pulls through, sounds like she is getting very good care.

Thanks. We love our ducks. The lady at the vet could not believe what we decided to do at the Vet's office. We want to give her a chance just in case what the Vet said might be wrong.

The vet said she has heart problem and that caused her lung problem with infection and fluids. We hope it is the other way around, i.e., she got infection and the fluids in her lung caused the not good sounding of her heart.

She was hatched weaker than the rest. She limps a bit and was never fast walking/running so she might have some heart problem since day one.

Unfortunately, there is no pet shop in town anymore. I have checked Wal-Mart and Meijer and neither has the baby bird formular.

PS: I found some baby bird formula and it should be here tomorrow. This is what I am getting:

http://www.amazon.com/Kaytee-Handfeeding-Formula-18-oz/dp/B0002AQQ2O/ref=pd_sim_sbs_petsupplies_7

loubapache said:

Thanks. We love our ducks. The lady at the vet could not believe what we decided to do at the Vet's office. We want to give her a chance just in case what the Vet said might be wrong.

The vet said she has heart problem and that caused her lung problem with infection and fluids. We hope it is the other way around, i.e., she got infection and the fluids in her lung caused the not good sounding of her heart.

She was hatched weaker than the rest. She limps a bit and was never fast walking/running so she might have some heart problem since day one.

Unfortunately, there is no pet shop in town anymore. I have checked Wal-Mart and Meijer and neither has the baby bird formular.

PS: I found some baby bird formula and it should be here tomorrow. This is what I am getting:

http://www.amazon.com/Kaytee-Handfeeding-Formula-18-oz/dp/B0002AQQ2O/ref=pd_sim_sbs_petsupplies_7

Click to expand...

Looks good, sure hope it helps.

Cool I am glad you did. I always just used ensure plus vanilla flavor. I was afraid to give any flavors. Good luck. Tell us how she does.

Sometimes I believe in miracles. I have not seen her eating food for about 6 days now. Today after I came home, tried to give her peas, but she showed little interrest so the other ducks ate all. I was sad and ready to come back to get some fresh water for them (it is freezing cold here). To my surprise, she went to the food bowel and took a couple scoops. I cannot say for sure she ate some but that was a thing I have not seen for many days. God Bless.

Tonight when I give her medications, I will still mix some baby food with some raw egg (maybe 1/4 of an egg?). Just to make sure she she has the energy to fight the condition and let the medications do their things.

I have two 100-W ceramic bulbs in their duck house so the house is above freezing point. I also have a 125W heating lamp above one of their water buckets in the pen. Normally I do not use the heating bulbs until it is much colder here but I just want to have a piece of mind so she can fight through this.

Progress is being made and I sure hope it will continue.

Thank you all, kind people.

BTW, here is their living quarter.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/duck-house

The duck mentioned in this thread (Her mame is "A Rong") is in one of the pictures that has three ducks in it. We have two Pekings and one Cayuga. They are all females. (What probability)