3wk old duckling suddenly having trouble walking/falling over

[MS_pond]

I noticed Cheerio the Welsh Harlequin duckling having issues when I took the crew outside this afternoon:

She had zero issues this morning. Now she keeps falling on her back and walking weirdly. Not favoring one of her feet, seems to affect both sides.

Ever since yesterday I noticed the appleyard (named Pete the Cat...) walking oddly so I have been supplementing niacin for her. 0.25ml duvets B complex a few times a day. No change there for her since yesterday, still walking a little stiffly, and she's not falling over like Cheerio.

No issues in any of the other ducks. They're almost 3 weeks old. If it's an injury I have no clue how it may have happened. I tried to get Cheerio to eat some mealworms soaked in 0.25ml duvets B complex but she wouldn't have it. (Her broodermates have no problem eating it.) She normally eats the heck out of hand-fed mealworms but seems too stressed/in pain to be interested in eating anything offered in my scary hand or a scary bowl.

I tried to syringe feed her the B complex instead but all I accomplished was stressing her out. Even the 1mL syringe was too big for me to confidently get it where it's supposed to go without risking aspirating.

How I've been supplementing niacin:

They're fed duckling food with supplemental nutritional yeast, 1 to 1.5 tbsp per cup feed. They were on manna pro 22% duck starter. Over the past couple days slowly switched them to purina 19% duck pellets. Also switching from the yeast to supplementing their water instead with duvets B complex, at 125mg niacinamide per gallon of water, since I feel they aren't eating enough yeast with the pellets now and it's just clogging up their feeder.

Thanks for reading... Any clue whats going on? Injury? Niacin deficiency? Toxic exposure? Does this look like it could be sway back?

Anything else I can do for her? Thanks again. Any insight is appreciated.

 

[Jenbirdee]

i wonder if that water has anything to do with it. i would keep them away from it and get it tested , if you haven’t already.​

 

[Jenbirdee]

@Miss Lydia

 

[Jenbirdee]

http://www.majesticwaterfowl.org/diagnostic chart.htm

 

[Miss Lydia]

Have you watched them eat the pellets okay? I usually don't start my ducklings on pellets that young.This add on is a perfect way to administer liquid meds I bought it from Chris Squirrels which is closed now but there should be other places that sell them. She definitely needs the liquid B complex but how to get it into her putting it in their water is fine if none have a deficiency to help keep one away but once they have one they need it orally to really work.
While she is struggling like she is I would keep her out of water I'd be worried she could drown if she couldn't right herself. To me and this is just my opinion they are a might young to be at a pond anyway.

 

[CoriM]

Also watermelon seems to soak up the vitamin B complex pretty well - you might see if she will eat little bits of that.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Any clue whats going on?

So, I don't see why there should be a deficiency according to your description.. and the duck looks drunk, and wobbly.. I can't help but wonder about the crop condition since you mentioned not eating. I wonder if there could be an E deficiency or selenium with early wry neck symptoms being seen?

http://www.majesticwaterfowl.org/mmissue165.htm#:~:text=The term "wry neck" (,avain flu or poison consumption.



ETA: sorry for the contradictory statement and suggestion re deficiency.

 

[MS_pond]

i wonder if that water has anything to do with it. i would keep them away from it and get it tested , if you haven’t already.​

I was wondering that myself. I hope it's not a pondwater issue! It's a healthy fishpond. Lead levels are good, I'm not sure what else I'd test for.

Have you watched them eat the pellets okay? I usually don't start my ducklings on pellets that young.This add on is a perfect way to administer liquid meds I bought it from Chris Squirrels which is closed now but there should be other places that sell them. She definitely needs the liquid B complex but how to get it into her putting it in their water is fine if none have a deficiency to help keep one away but once they have one they need it orally to really work.
View attachment 3788236While she is struggling like she is I would keep her out of water I'd be worried she could drown if she couldn't right herself. To me and this is just my opinion they are a might young to be at a pond anyway.

They're all eating the pellets, crops are full.

Thankfully both Pete and Cheerio ate their doses this morning. But I'll get that duckling tubefeeding apparatus for next time. Does 0.30mL duvets three times daily sound good for them? In addition to the supplemented water.

I hear you about the pond. The fence on their temporary run only lets them go out to their ankles, I figured that was okay? Supervised outings only at the moment. No more outings for Cheerio and Pete though, until they feel better.

Thank you so much.

 

[MS_pond]

So, I don't see why there should be a deficiency according to your description.. and the duck looks drunk, and wobbly.. I can't help but wonder about the crop condition since you mentioned not eating. I wonder if there could be an E deficiency or selenium with early wry neck symptoms being seen?

http://www.majesticwaterfowl.org/mmissue165.htm#:~:text=The term "wry neck" (,avain flu or poison consumption.

Noted! I did see both of them eating their pellets though, and their crops feel full. Let me read up on that and see if it fits.

 

[Miss Lydia]

This will give you proper dose for their age of the liquid BComplex
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/niacin-deficiency-in-waterfowl.1367557/