5 week old duckling sick?

[Duck Gal]

My duckling hasn’t eaten since last night & is sneezing. Is there anything I can do for him? Anyone has this happen with baby duck?

 

[Duck Gal]

I just caught him eating his bedding- I believe this is the problem. Is there anything I can do?

 

[Isaac 0]

Hi, there. Sorry to hear your duckling is feeling unwell. Hopefully, we can be of help. Would you mind answering a few questions?

Is the duckling producing frequent poops, if yes, could you post a picture? What kind of feed is being offered? What kind of bedding are you using? Do you have a picture of what they're being kept in? Is there a water dish, that allows the duckling to flush out her nares? Is the bird drinking? How does her crop area feel (pouch on the bird's chest right-side).

Was she just nibbling on the bedding, or did she actually ingest the piece?

If she actually ingested the piece, my main concern would be that she has a blockage somewhere in her digestive tract. A blockage is serious and needs to be dealt with the upmost care. If you live near a vet, I would suggest taking her there.

If you can't take her to a vet I can suggest a very basic treatment for blockage in the GI tract, but it's not guaranteed to work.

That basic treatment would include giving her a stool softener such as Metacuil, or a laxative like Dulcolax. I would personally suggest using Metamucil. To give her the Metamucil, simply mix it in with some water, or Gatorade until it slightly thick consistency, and suck some up into a syringe or eyedropper, and drip a few drops alongside her bill, being careful not aspirate her. Do this a couple of times a day.

In addition, to the above, I would start weighing her on a food scale so we can track her weight, and start adding electrolytes into her water to keep her hydrated. As with adding anything into a bird's water, always provide a clean water source in case they don't like the medicated stuff.

 

[Duck Gal]

I took the pine shavings out of his bed & put puppy pads with a little hay. He started eating again last night & has eaten all his food & 3 waters- duck feeding dishes. He seems to be feeling better. Thank you so much for your feedback.