8 week old duckling with weak leg

[Miss Lydia]

That's just the way we react.
There is always another chance but I'd keep them out until you get it. Boy they can even drown adult ducks.

 

[cymbaline]

You can def see swelling can you try some Epsom salt wraps? or soaks? Maybe jumped one to many times. I'd give it a few days of this and keeping it from doing a lot of walking or running rest and soaks with pool time for exercise. Helping the little one in an out. Also maybe instead of Brewers yeast get the liquid b complex at TSC in the cattle dept and start giving 1 ml a day for support of those muscles. It works so much better than brewers yeast.

The bad leg is on the left in the pics (its right leg) - you see swelling? To me it looks a lot smaller than the other.
I'll pick up some of that this evening and give it a try

 

[casportpony]

It looks to me like your duck might have a niacin deficiency. Can you get some vitamin b complex for this duck?

 

[Miss Lydia]

The leg def is weak hopefully the liquid b complex will help.

 

[Knighstar679]

I would try to keep the weak legged baby off it’s feet as much as possible. Use swimming for exercise like @Miss Lydia said plus epsom salt soaks. Don’t let it drink the epsom salt water. Also try to make sure the injured one is the one getting the 1 ml a day for sure. Usually if you can get them to eat them as part of a treat once or twice a day if you need to divide it to make sure it gets all it needs.

You may have to limit his/her movement space for a few days to take the weight off.

 

[tayjamieson]

We have recommended liquid b complex which is more intensive than brewers yeasts. It has more of the vitamins needed in less amount.

I didn't know that! That is so good to know. This is why I love BYC, I learn so much from you all. I was going off of my own experience and brewers yeast worked like a charm. Do you regularly provide them with b-vitamin supplement or is that just in the event of something like this?

 

[casportpony]

Waterfowl should be on gamebird.

What is the protein content of the gamebird feed you use?

 

[room onthebroom]

Wow - how long did it take to see improvement?
Technically it's still a duckling, I guess (I still consider them babies, lol), but it's been bigger than my full grown mallards for a couple weeks now I should weigh it when I get home, I bet it's at least 4lbs... bigger than my Welshies too. Big ol' cuddly baby... View attachment 1802276

These guys are the cutest! Keep up the good work & fingers crossed she shows some improvement soon.

 

[cymbaline]

No signs of improvement yet guys
He (yeah, he... his voice finally changed - every now and then I hear some weird almost-girl-like noises but most of the time he sounds just like my other boys) keeps leaving his leg stretched out behind him, like it's just too difficult to try to get it up underneath him. And if he does get it underneath him when he tries to walk, he ends up crunching his foot up and/or walking on the top of his foot. I've been putting tons of that liquid b complex in their food (like 3 syringes twice a day). Tried sitting him in a shallow bowl of Epsom salt water and just as I figured, he managed to get his bill in the water and drink it. Swimming doesn't help because then he doesn't even have to try to use it to stay up so it just floats behind him the whole time. I don't know what else to do...do you think one of those contraptions used for spraddle leg would help force him to keep his leg where it should be and use it, or just aggravate him (and me)?
It may be about time to take him to the vet....*sigh*
This just reminds me so much of Bullwinkle, and none of the vets were able to help him, or even figure out what was wrong with him. His quality of life was basically gone in a matter of months... I don't want this poor baby to end up like that

 

[Miss Lydia]

Must be an injury and maybe an xray would show what. Keep up the Liquid B complex but he/she may need something for pain and inflammation. Sounds like maybe where the foot and ankle meet?