1 duckling down. Please help!

[ancona_crazy]

About five days ago I fed and watered my ducklings as usual, took a few pics and started cleaning house. I peak at them frequently as I just can't help myself When I peaked at them again one duckling was down. It seemed to be affecting one leg, so I upped the niacin through syringes and gave it vitamin d and calcium. I thought that maybe thier feed was lacking although I check my percentages when going over thier feed recipe every year. However, None of my other ducks or ducklings are effected five days later.Does anybody have any ideas? I feel so badly for this duckling, I'm sure that it won't make it through the night but maybe I can prevent this from happening to any other ducklings. These are the symptoms as they have progressed-

Loss of the use of one leg , then both. They now turn inwards and don't fold in properly

Soft beak (the reason I was giving theraputic amounts of calium and vitamin D

Down loss

It is still eating and drinking, it's almost like it's wasting away in front of me....

 

[Miss Lydia]

About five days ago I fed and watered my ducklings as usual, took a few pics and started cleaning house. I peak at them frequently as I just can't help myself When I peaked at them again one duckling was down. It seemed to be affecting one leg, so I upped the niacin through syringes and gave it vitamin d and calcium. I thought that maybe thier feed was lacking although I check my percentages when going over thier feed recipe every year. However, None of my other ducks or ducklings are effected five days later.Does anybody have any ideas? I feel so badly for this duckling, I'm sure that it won't make it through the night but maybe I can prevent this from happening to any other ducklings. These are the symptoms as they have progressed-

Loss of the use of one leg , then both. They now turn inwards and don't fold in properly

Soft beak (the reason I was giving theraputic amounts of calium and vitamin D

Down loss

It is still eating and drinking, it's almost like it's wasting away in front of me....

I'm so sorry to hear about you duckling, and what your describing sounds very much like wasting away disease, thank goodness it doesn't happen often but when it does it's heart breaking, the only thing I'm not sure of is giving the D and calcium, but If this is wasting away then really theres not alot that can be done. It just seems they hatch and don't thrive no matter what we do for them. again very sorry.

 

[Amiga]

So tough.

All I can think of, is trying to get a vet's help, giving full-spectrum vitamins, electrolytes and probiotics, maybe pop up the protein a tad temporarily (bills need protein). You could try adding a little sprinkle of oregano to the food (mild antibiotic-antifungal), and some activated charcoal supplement powder to the water to absorb toxins.

And cuddle or talk-to time, just to assure it that you care.

 

[ancona_crazy]

Thank you, both of you! It's still alivetoday so I'll look into wasting disease and try the vitamins and such..

 

[Haunted55]

For giggles, do you have any Super B Complex vitamins? If you do, I would crush one and add 1/2 cup of water to it and give it with a dropper, 3-4 drops at a time. Go back and give some more later. If the duck is drinking on it's own you could take the crushed pill and add it to a bowl of water and just leave it with him. I've never heard of wasting disease, but if Miss Lydia says that's what it sounds like I would have to agree. She is much more knowledgable than I. I still think trying the B Complex is a viable option though. Good luck and I'm sorry you are seeing this in your duckling.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I tried to find some info on "wasting away" but couldn't find anything on ducklings mostly chickens, parrots etc. but I read about this some years ago on BYC, it mainly means the duckling hatches but doesn't thrive, it eats but doesn't grow, I'm thinking it must be either genetic or something went wrong in the egg before hatch, The word I was looking for and my apologies is "Failure to thrive"
I had a duckling hatch looked healthy as all get out and was acting like any normal ducklings do, but wasn't long before I noticed she was having difficulty staying up with mamas and was being left behind alot. wasn't growing very much either, she lived to be close to 3 months old. but she mostly laid around watching life go by instead of enjoying it. Didn't seem to be in pain either. Most ducklings with failure to thrive don't live long. There is just something wrong which keeps them from gaining weight and thriving. I don't know if iexplained it any better but forgive me for getting my words and thoughts jumbled. I hope you can help your duckling and find something that will help it through to a healthy life.

 

[Haunted55]

Ah.... just had a chick hatch that way. Peeping extremely loud from the time of hatch until it died about 9 hours later. I get you. Had one other do this in all of my hatches. It's rare.