5 week old Indian Runner lacking enough niacin? Also one year old Pekin male injured foot, not bumbl

[Lucy Duck]

hi out there folks. I have a 4 week old Indian runner duckling. yesterday morning my husband called me into the bathroom where the ducklings are kept and he noticed something wrong with our 4 week old Indian runner duck. she looked at him and then fell over, stiff, and didn't move. I quickly grabbed her and took her to the bathtub where I proceeded to splash some warm water on her. she was a little wobbly but only for a few seconds and begin drinking and acting normal in under a minute. She was perfectly healthy all the rest of the day eating drinking preening playing. Then at 2 o'clock in the morning I went to the bathroom and I found her laying like she normally would to sleep but her head was arched back to where it was touching her wings. she seemed to be stuck and stiff in that position. Again I rushed her to the bathtub and held on to her while I again splashed her with water. She came around after a minute, wobbly but quickly perked up. Today again she has been in great health eating drinking playing screening. ihave separated her from the other ducklings that she was unfortunately with because I know that hepatitis is contagious to them and although they have already been together I figured I should take her out just in case. what confuses me is most articles that I have read said most times ducklings 4 weeks of age and older do not typically become infected with the hepatitis virus. she is not acting ill except for those two concerning episodes. I wonder if she is possibly lacking something in her diet. Any
input would be greatly appreciated. thank you all so much! Also one year old Pekin male who presented with a small cut on the top of his foot. On Sunday his injured foot looked blood red no swelling but looked as if it was beginning to dry out? Contacted and sent pictures to three different veterinarian friends who suggested foot soaks and aggressive antibiotics. Been giving penicillin injections BID for four days and began oral antibiotics this morning. His foot seems very dry but not getting any worse. No one in my area specializes in Avian and Im sure you folks know way more about duck illnesses and injuries. I've tried to post a picture of his foot from my mobile phone. No wifi here. If any of you are okay with this I could try to send an email picture or a text message. You may email meor send a private message and i will attempt to download the picture for you. Thank you.

 

[Miss Lydia]

hi out there folks. I have a 4 week old Indian runner duckling. yesterday morning my husband called me into the bathroom where the ducklings are kept and he noticed something wrong with our 4 week old Indian runner duck. she looked at him and then fell over, stiff, and didn't move. I quickly grabbed her and took her to the bathtub where I proceeded to splash some warm water on her. she was a little wobbly but only for a few seconds and begin drinking and acting normal in under a minute. She was perfectly healthy all the rest of the day eating drinking preening playing. Then at 2 o'clock in the morning I went to the bathroom and I found her laying like she normally would to sleep but her head was arched back to where it was touching her wings. she seemed to be stuck and stiff in that position. Again I rushed her to the bathtub and held on to her while I again splashed her with water. She came around after a minute, wobbly but quickly perked up. Today again she has been in great health eating drinking playing screening. ihave separated her from the other ducklings that she was unfortunately with because I know that hepatitis is contagious to them and although they have already been together I figured I should take her out just in case. what confuses me is most articles that I have read said most times ducklings 4 weeks of age and older do not typically become infected with the hepatitis virus. she is not acting ill except for those two concerning episodes. I wonder if she is possibly lacking something in her diet. Any
input would be greatly appreciated. thank you all so much!

I think before you decide this is hepatitis try some Brewers yeast sprinkled over their feed, Niacin dif can cause neurological problems and this maybe what you are seeing. Or if you have some super B complex you can sprinkle this into their water. If this is the problem you should know in a few days. less than a week. If she is stressed being away from the rest of the ducklings I'd put her back as long as they are tramping on her or picking on her. Brewers yeast at 1 tab per cup of feed. If at all possible a Vet visit would be a good idea too but understand it isn't always possible.

 

[Amiga]

Welcome, Lucy Duck, I strongly suspect nutrient deficiency - niacin and perhaps other B vitamins.

People often get confused about what to use, so please stick with me here

You have some options.

I would go with brewer's yeast. Forgive me for using capital letters, but for anyone else who may casually look over this thread, NOT baking yeast, NOT winemaking yeast. Brewer's yeast is a nutritional supplement and it provides niacin and a few other vitamins.

Ducklings need about three times the niacin chicks do. And some ducklings get leg problems or seizures if they don't have enough niacin. I think you are seeing seizures, sometimes called star-gazing.

If you cannot find the brewer's yeast, or if you happen to have (here come the capital letters again, please forgive me) PLAIN niacin - NOT no-flush, NOT timed release, then dissolve 150 mg niacin per gallon of water for her drinking water.

Keep her on the supplements for about 8 weeks.

Sometimes it only takes a few days to see improvement.

You can also see how it went for Qwackers and Bentley from these threads.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/857143/treating-wry-neck-in-crested-duckling-edited-title

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/761308/peking-duckling-with-crooked-neck-help

 

[Lucy Duck]

Thank you folks for your reply and insight. I did go to the feed store and purchased some powder vitamin supplements that has niacin in it. This was before I read your replies so hopefully I got the right stuff. If not, another trip to the feed store. I will pick up some brewers yeast as you suggested as well. She has not had an episode since yesterday at two am which was by far the scariest as her eyes looked very fearful and I was so worried I was losing her. Since you both have Bern so helpful perhaps you may assist me with another concern. My male duck survived a weasel attack about a month ago and is now as resident safe in my mothers barn. She has no knowledge of ducks and she informed me he had a cut on the top of his foot. I told her she should wash it and apply a topical antibiotic. She informed me yesterday that his foot looked discolored and when I went to see it I was/am quite concerned. The foot is blood red/orange and black. I thought perhaps bumblefoot but he has no abscesses underneath. Today I returned with oral antibiotics and more topical. His foot looks as if it's rotting off. I gave him penicillin 0.5 cc IM in the chest but left the orals for my mother to administer tomorrow as giving injections frighten her. Has anyone experienced this type of foot problem?

 

[Amiga]

Could be gangrene - in any case he needs a vet now.

 

[Lucy Duck]

Thank you for your help Amiga! I did contact my vet (I work as a vet tech and close friends with two of the vets.) Unfortunately one is a small animal vet, mainly dogs and cats and the other is a large animal vet. Neither have any experience of avianhands on, only what they have read so I figured my best chances were with you guys. They did tell me to begin aggressive antibiotics and foot soaks, wrap the injured foot. I will try to post a picture but I only have my mobile phone and honestly I don't know how to use it on here except for typing a thread. Thank you again!

 

[Lucy Duck]

So I was able to witness the episode my five week old Indian Runner "Smalls" had. I have been supplementing with vitamins for abt five days now. Last night I went into the bathroom, the temp approximately 70degrees for them currently. When I turned on the light it startled her and the others and they jumped up. Her body stiffened after rising quickly and fell backwards with her neck arched backwards against her wings, feet sprawled outward behind her. She couldn't move. Again I placed her in the tub where she recovered quickly but still wobbly for abt one minute. It almost seemed like when we stretch and get a catch in our muscles. Do you folks still think it is a niacin deficiency? Or should I be concerned that it's something more?

 

[Amiga]

Most of the seizures we see on the forum resolve with niacin treatment, but ataxia and seizures can be caused by other things. We don't have the advantage of seeing the little, or having diagnostic resources. Wish we did, truly do. Wouldn't a community clinic be a blessing? Well, I can dream.

There could be an injury, an infection, toxicity . . . congenital defect . . .

 

[Lucy Duck]

Thank you for your help. It's a shame that the vets in my area only do beak trims and wing clips on parrots. The others specialize in cows and horses or cats and dogs. It's sad really because many people own chickens and ducks. I do know that ducks are very resilient. My male with the foot injury survived a fox attack with neck wounds but his female my Lucy was taken and just recently a weasel left him with neck wounds but he bounced back both times. Just praying he's got it in him again to pull thru this. I will keep up with the niacin on my Runner. The more I've read the more I understand. For example when we first got her she was wobbly and I assumed the journey took a bit out of her but I understand now that she was/is lacking . I suppose I just never knew because my Pekins did fine without having to supplement. I though I knew a great deal with working with ducks and reading what I could about basic husbandry but I over looked illnesses and symptoms because to be honest who thinks of it until it happens . Lesson learned for sure. I still have much more reading to do. Thank you again!

 

[Amiga]

You know, if it's gangrene, you don't want to wrap the foot - gangrene is an anaerobic organism - you want that tissue to get air!