2nd duckling not right

[farrier!]

Our first to hatch duckling seems fine and happy. We had one hatch today and the poor thing is not doing well at all. It keeps falling onto its back. After a lot of struggling it falls over the other way and ends up again on its back. Seems alert and does complain when it is upside down. Just seems like everytime it trys to move it rolls over....

I have added vitamins to the water and I just now held it lightly to hod it stable and it did drink. I was really hoping it would be getting better but it has not...

 

[rainplace]

is it like this duckling here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=245906

 

[farrier!]

Quote:
Yes but even a bit worse. What looked like shivering we have now decided is some type of seizures.....

The one good duck gets upset when the poor one is on it's back. I don't think it will be here long. It seems to be getting weaker and on it's back more and more.

 

[nettie]

i had this happen to a duckling before... it was explained to me as a genetic birth defect. I don't think there is much more you can do other than helping it drink and get vitamins... maybe helping it eat some food with brewers yeast might help too. just keep him warm and comforted.

 

[rainplace]

farrier! :

Quote:
Yes but even a bit worse. What looked like shivering we have now decided is some type of seizures.....

The one good duck gets upset when the poor one is on it's back. I don't think it will be here long. It seems to be getting weaker and on it's back more and more.

Did you read the last post in that thread? There's a link too.​

 

[farrier!]

Quote:
Yes but even a bit worse. What looked like shivering we have now decided is some type of seizures.....

The one good duck gets upset when the poor one is on it's back. I don't think it will be here long. It seems to be getting weaker and on it's back more and more.

Did you read the last post in that thread? There's a link too.

I made it to the last page to where they put the ducklng down but not did not read past that....so I will now.

 

[farrier!]

TOXOPLASMOSIS from the egg sounds correct.
Fits everything the duck is doing.

These were eggs from a BYC'er......

 

[L0rraine]

It's always soooo hard when something like this happens - I hope there is a faint chance of a happy ending.

 

[rainplace]

If you follow the link it says more. Here is what is said about treatment:
found: http://www.shagbarkbantams.com/page13.htm

"There’s also a little known treatment process you can undertake if the duck is valuable and you think you’ve caught it immediately. You won’t find this under poultry health texts. Through research, I discovered this information through a combination of information found in general avian medicine texts, along with a veterinary drug handbook. (The treatment for cats would be the same as it would be for any poultry.)

The treatment calls for a drug called pyrimethamine at the rate of 0.5mg/kg PO (oral) per day given in two equal doses every 12 hours for 7 – 10 days, with sulfadiazine at the rate of 30 mg/kg also given orally with the daily dose split in two equal doses every 12 hours, for the same time period. I had my pharmacist combine the two in proper proportion in one liquid oral suspension that I was able to drench twice a day.

This treatment can be highly toxic to the bird and must not be given for a period longer than 2 weeks. To alleviate some of the toxicity, the Veterinary Drug Handbook recommends that you administer folic (or folinic) acid, at the rate of 1 mg/kg/day for the duration of the treatment. I also had this put into an oral suspension – but separately.

You will need the help of a qualified pharmacist to blend this medication for you and he will require a written, faxed, or phoned-in prescription from your vet, along with the bird’s precise weight for proper dosage. He’ll need the above drug dosage rates in order to calculate the proper strength of the oral suspension he’ll produce for your particular bird. If you don’t have a vet that’s willing to write the prescription for you, perhaps an agricultural college’s poultry lab would be willing to help.

The above treatment is the only known drug therapy for Toxoplasmosis, and is not always effective. Catching it early is the key."

 

[rainplace]

I know I wouldn't be able to get the medication made, but I thought I'd put it out there. However, the article also states that the neurological damage can be permanent. It might be best to cull the little guy, and for sure get him/her away from the others. It's caused from a parasite.