🧐 Wondering about the correct doses of vitamins for treating a duckling with wry neck. 🐥

[AmyA248]

Good morning,

We are currently doing everything possible in regards to treating our week old duckling with wry neck.
I purchased:
Niacin
Vitamin E
Nutra Drench
Electrolytes
Selenium
And I’m giving him scrambled eggs and fresh leafy greens with warm, moist compresses (which he loves! )
Fresh air and sunshine and very gentle massage.
As you can see in the photos, he is not “stuck” in the left position. His neck is very flexible and will go straight and to the right.
I know that I’ve been told not to use a brace, but could it help in any way?
We are so dedicated to giving him the best life possible and will do everything to correct his neck.
I’ve seen videos of ducklings that have completely recovered by the user of a brace, but our little “Franklin” hated the one we made for him at 2 days old. He seemed depressed, so we removed it.
I saw one that a woman used a sponge, cut it to size and slipped it right on, and her duckling recovered perfectly.
Will this do more harm than good?
I’m just at a loss..

* Anyway, the reason for this post is that I REALLY need to know what the correct dosage of the:
Niacin
Vitamin E
Selenium
And Nutra Drench per day.
I can’t seem to find the right information anywhere.
And if there is ANYTHING else I should be giving him like protein?

Thank you in advance for any help you can provide regarding the correct dosage.

Blessings to all for all the help and kindness you have given me over this past year.
God bless!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Niacin dosing can be found in the article below
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/niacin-deficiency-in-waterfowl.75862/

For Wry Neck, give 400IU Vitamin E and 1/4 tablet B-Complex daily along with a little egg for the uptake of E. The egg has plenty/sufficient Selenium in it.

Save the PND for another time when you need to give a weak bird a quick pick me up.

 

[AmyA248]

Niacin dosing can be found in the article below
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/niacin-deficiency-in-waterfowl.75862/

For Wry Neck, give 400IU Vitamin E and 1/4 tablet B-Complex daily along with a little egg for the uptake of E. The egg has plenty/sufficient Selenium in it.

Save the PND for another time when you need to give a weak bird a quick pick me up.

Thank you SO MUCH!
Do I give all at once or space everything out throughout the day?
I just went to RiteAid and bought:
Vitamin B1 300 mg
Selenium 200 mcg
Niacin 500 mg
Vitamin E 400 IU

I’m afraid of giving him too much, as he’s only a week old.
Hopefully the correct dosage will be in the attachment you sent, because I can’t find the correct dosage yet anywhere..

Very kindly,
Amy

 

[fluffycrow]

@Miss Lydia

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you SO MUCH!
Do I give all at once or space everything out throughout the day?
I just went to RiteAid and bought:
Vitamin B1 300 mg
Selenium 200 mcg
Niacin 500 mg
Vitamin E 400 IU

I’m afraid of giving him too much, as he’s only a week old.
Hopefully the correct dosage will be in the attachment you sent, because I can’t find the correct dosage yet anywhere..

Very kindly,
Amy

You can give the vitamins all at once.

As stated in my previous post:

• Niacin dosing is in the article, you'll have to read it.
• 400IU Vitamin E Daily.
• 1/4 tablet B-Complex Daily.
• Give a little egg for the uptake of E, it is sufficient for Selenium.

In your photo, you have B1 which is Thiamine, that's o.k., but it only contains 1 or 8 B Vitamins, this is the reason why B-Complex is suggested. B Complex contains all 8 BVitmains.

The Selenium, I'd take that back. Giving too much can be toxic - again - egg has enough Selenium to be "extra". If you are giving a nutritionally balanced feed, it already has Selenium in it as well.

Niacin dosing can be found in the article below
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/niacin-deficiency-in-waterfowl.75862/

For Wry Neck, give 400IU Vitamin E and 1/4 tablet B-Complex daily along with a little egg for the uptake of E. The egg has plenty/sufficient Selenium in it.

 

[AmyA248]

You can give the vitamins all at once.

As stated in my previous post:

• Niacin dosing is in the article, you'll have to read it.
• 400IU Vitamin E Daily.
• 1/4 tablet B-Complex Daily.
• Give a little egg for the uptake of E, it is sufficient for Selenium.

In your photo, you have B1 which is Thiamine, that's o.k., but it only contains 1 or 8 B Vitamins, this is the reason why B-Complex is suggested. B Complex contains all 8 BVitmains.

The Selenium, I'd take that back. Giving too much can be toxic - again - egg has enough Selenium to be "extra". If you are giving a nutritionally balanced feed, it already has Selenium in it as well.

Omg! Thank you!!
I did exactly as you advised.
He’s not liking his eggs anymore sadly. He’s very picky and doesn’t like anything but his feed and clovers. I’ve tried tomatoes, bananas, kale, apples, and none of the 3 like any of them like my other ducks.

My brother in law is a chiropractor and he made an hour trip over yesterday just to check out Franklin. He said it’s a curvature of his spine and it’s just above his wings and shaped like a backwards S. It’s not fused because he can easily straighten his neck out.
He made a few VERY gentle adjustments and did a moist heat wrap.
I was so hopeful when I came down this morning, but no change! I just cried..
I wish I knew if he was in pain, because he’s so relaxed when he lays straight on our chest. But he just goes right back into an S when I put him back.

He is so special. He knows he has to take his vitamins and he just drinks them right out of the syringe, I don’t even have to open his beak anymore.
He loves to be held and rubbed and talked too, he look up at me as if he knows I’m trying to help him.

I’ve been told (not by anyone here) to simply cull him, as he’s not going to get better because of where his curve is, and he’ll be picked on by the rest of the flock.
I know chickens pick on lame ones, but I don’t know if ducks do.

Please, I need honest advice whether it hurts or not. Should I consider culling him? God, I felt sick even having to type that..

Thank you so much!
God bless,
Amy

I attached 4 photos of him, 2 at 2 and 4 days old and 2 from this morning. No change can be seen..

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Poor little guy!

I do not know if he's in pain or not.

If he's keen on eating/drinking and will take the vitamins, I'd give him more time to see if he improves.

 

[AmyA248]

Poor little guy!

I do not know if he's in pain or not.

If he's keen on eating/drinking and will take the vitamins, I'd give him more time to see if he improves.

Thank you so much!
I can’t put him down. I’ll buy duck diapers and let him live indoors. I love him and he’s imprinted with me because I spend so much time with him.

 

[AmyA248]

Poor little guy!

I do not know if he's in pain or not.

If he's keen on eating/drinking and will take the vitamins, I'd give him more time to see if he improves.

Hi!

Well, I think he has scoliosis, as his spine, between his wings is shaped like a backwards “S” His neck is fine, but it certainly doesn’t see to be wry neck because we have been treating him with everything I’ve been told to give him since day 1, and he’s 14 days old and ZERO improvement.
We give him.
Niacin
B complex
2 400 IU capsules of vitamin E daily
Brewers Yeast
Molasses and electrolytes
Leafy greens
Sunflower seeds
Scrambled eggs

I’d love to be able to keep him from going to the LEFT and build up his muscles so he could hold his neck up, as his head is always hanging down!
I called an Avian vet in my area and for JUST for an office visit it’s $290.00!!!! And that doesn’t include x-rays or anything else!
That is absolutely OUTRAGEOUS and personally I think it’s cruel because who can afford that, so animals are suffering and dying because these vets are just interested in filling their pockets, and not helping innocent animals!

I saw a post you replied to in 2020 about a duckling with the EXACT SAME condition, you had some good advice but but the woman never responded in regards to updates on her ducklings progress.

Do you have any ideas on how I could make a soft brace to keep his neck from always going to the left? And we would like to do something like physical therapy to strengthen his muscles as well, but are not sure exactly what to do..

Thank you in advance for any assistance you can give.

Kindly,
Amy

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Sweet lil' guy!

I'm sorry he's not getting better and you may be right that he's got some type of spinal deformity.
I don't really know of a good way to make a brace for the neck, it would be difficult to do because of the way birds eat/drink.

As for giving him therapy, ask your BIL if he has some suggestions about how to go about it. Perhaps gentle massage of the neck, but then you don't want to do more harm than good either.

I'd continue with the vitamins and offer support.