8 week old duckling with weak leg

[casportpony]

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

 

[cymbaline]

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

I've been feeding them brewer's yeast since I brought them home, but yes, I'm going to pick up some the liquid b complex Miss Lydia suggested and try that.

 

[casportpony]

I've been feeding them brewer's yeast since I brought them home, but yes, I'm going to pick up some the liquid b complex Miss Lydia suggested and try that.

Some ducks need a lot more niacin than others, so I think supplementing some b is a good idea.

 

[Miss Lydia]

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

 

[cymbaline]

So I couldn't find any liquid b complex besides injectable (which I just now saw in another thread that you can also give orally) so I got this... hopefully it is still helpful. If I don't see any improvement in a couple days I'll go back and get the injectable.
Is there any risk of giving too much of this, I wonder? I mixed a quarter teaspoon (a full teaspoon makes 5 gallons) with a small bowl of veggies and water, and or course they didn't drink it all, but I'm sure they got a pretty good dose.

 

[Miss Lydia]

The farther down the nutrients the lower the amount so you might want to keep this for mantience and get the bottle of liquid b complex the foil comes off easy and you can use A 1 ml dropper to dose.

 

[cymbaline]

I picked up the liquid b complex yesterday...I just gave it its second dose. No improvement so far from the earlier vitamins or this - any idea how long should it take?
I was holding it up earlier, seeing how much weight the leg could bear, if it could stand up straight, and what the knee joint looked like. I had my hand under the weak leg's foot and lifted it up so that the weak leg was bearing all its weight. That only lasted a couple seconds and the leg gave out, but when it did I heard a loud deep pop, around what I would imagine is the hip joint.

 

[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.

 

[cymbaline]

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.

That's what I was kinda leaning toward. I was reading and came across a thread where someone made a sling with leg holes so the duck didn't put any weight on its legs. I hate to do that for long but maybe overnight and during the day while I'm at work for a few days, with a break in the evening to swim and what-not.
I tried giving the liquid b by mouth but that wasn't going well, lol, so I've been giving a bit of food soaked with it to just that duck. The treated water is still for both though, figure it couldn't hurt.
And yeah, the Epsom salt soak has been suggested a couple times I think but I'm afraid... I have no idea how you keep a duck in water from drinking it

 

[Miss Lydia]

If you can use a plastic dish pan and let him lay in it to soak I have done that. I have also put a towel around the duck after I get him In that keeps them from drinking the water just drape it around his neck outside of the pan. . If this is an injury it’s going to take a while to heal so be patient do water therapy, soaks liquid b complex and rest. When you have a minute check out the hip that you said popped maybe it was out of socket and pooped back in? Feel both sides to compare and if legs are the same length whe you gently stretch them out?