Adult ducks suddenly unable to walk, one dead

[SometimesCraftr]

Time for the daily update. My male Pekin, Coconut, is now back outside. He was standing every time I went to check on them yesterday and even sleeping standing up, so I knew he was doing better. When I took them out of the "hospital" bin to clean it out this morning I noticed he was walking fine, so we put him out with the flock and watch for awhile and he seems to be back to his old self. Thankfully it's not spring so he wont be chasing after the girls.

My fawn Runner, Gertrude, is still doing well, but not walking. She is standing for short bursts, but pretty much belly bound still. Still, that's an improvement from yesterday. She's such a tiny thing, always has been, that I think whatever this is just hit her harder and she's going to take longer to recover. They were in the garage (due to the smell and a power outage and lack of fan...the laundry is right by our bedroom) but i've moved her back inside, into a smaller "hospital" bin because of how wet she is. She wont stop trying to bathe herself in her water and is soaked. I'm guessing because she isn't feeling well she hasn't been able to get the oil distributed on her feathers. I don't want her to get even sicker, so I thought inside was the way to go for now. I'm not sure if I should continue the flushes, or just let her recover at this point. I was feeling like 24 hours was probably long enough, so unless anyone else has some words of wisdom, i'll just continue to keep an eye on her and let her rest.

As I said, other than not being able to stand/walk, she's doing just fine from what I can tell. She's talking to me, her eyes are clear, she's eating and drinking and just generally the Gertie attitude i'm use to. She was the first set of ducks I had, so as you can imagine, i'm pretty attached to her.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Did you read the article on flushes I gave you? Sounds to me like they are getting back to normal now. Hopefully Gertie will be standing and walking tomorrow. Hopefully the flushes cleaned out what ever it was. I don’t think I would keep them up.Thanks so much for the update appreciate it.

 

[SometimesCraftr]

Well, I spoke too soon. I checked on the male Pekin and he was back on his belly having trouble, so in he came again. Hopefully it as just too much too soon and a few more days of rest will help.

Yes, I did read the flush article. Having never done a flush on an animal before, and doing research today, was this suppose to be administered as syringe? The post didn't specify how to administer, so I just assumed water dish. Thinking about it now, and after watching some videos, it makes sense, but my brain just wasn't processing that the other day. (My mom-brain is fried from the holidays. Seriously fried.) I just provided it in a dish for them to drink, and they are drinking it all right up. I know in the past from watching them drink the epsom salt water when treating them for foot troubles, it goes right through them, so it's having a flush effect. I only have a sheep drench, so the tubing on that is too thick. Since we're on day 3, i'm going to say we're past the point of a flush helping, and now it's just on to recovery. I'm thinking more and more it's botulism and i'm wondering where the heck the trouble spot was.

 

[casportpony]

I only have a sheep drench, so the tubing on that is too thick.

How thick is it?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Aww poor guy hopefully your right and it was just a bit too much too soon. And yes the flushes are added to their drinking bucket or bowl their sole drinking water for the length of time it’s rec for the individual flushes.

 

[Miss Lydia]

@SometimesCraftr

 

[SometimesCraftr]

How thick is it?

It's a pretty wide circumference, i'll have to locate it and pull it out to measure, but I would really hesitate to use it on the ducks. They are good about drinking their water, so I know the flushes got in to do their work. What should I be watching for with their poops? That seems silly to ask. After 5 years you'd think i'd know a healthy duck poop when I saw one.

 

[casportpony]

FWIW, I've used 0.4" tube on a duck.

What their poop looks like depends a lot on what they have been eating, but those poop pictures you posted earlier were not normal.

 

[SometimesCraftr]

FWIW, I've used 0.4" tube on a duck.

What their poop looks like depends a lot on what they have been eating, but those poop pictures you posted earlier were not normal.

Other than it was more solid than usual, the color wasn't off from what I've seen from them in the past. They are in the mud digging around all day and eat a lot of green from around the yard - grass, weeds, plants, veggie and herb garden stuff...bugs. Lots of bugs. I'm going to see if I can get some more photos in the morning when I clean out their bins. Neither of them pooped on the floor for me today when I was cleaning. Usually their poop is so watery that I can't spot it around the property. It just absorbs right back into the grass/mud. The goose however is another story. That s*!t is everywhere.

 

[SometimesCraftr]

Another daily update - what is this, day 4 now? Coconut is up and walking again, but not as steady as I felt he was yesterday morning before I had to move him back in. But he's not dropping to his belly either. His back end still droops a tiny bit, but he's doing really well. Gertrude is the surprise of the day - she was standing on her own and walking like nothing was even wrong with her. She is a very tall, upright Runner when she stands. Still, despite being upright and walking I didn't want to put them back with the gang too early so I cleaned out the unused dog kennel for them to be in today. I think i'll keep them in here for a few more days just to make sure they are doing well enough to be back out with everyone else. I leave on Sunday for 4 weeks, so I was getting a bit anxious about leaving them home sick. My mother lives with us, so she and my husband will be here taking care of everyone, but nobody takes care of the babies like a mom does.

Last night I was laying in bed thinking too much, as i'm want to do, and remembered a day or two before everyone got sick, or maybe it was the same day, a few of the ducks got out of the yard into the field. A gate was open just enough for them to squeeze through. I remember it was my runner that died, the khaki that is doing well now, and one of the fawn runners...I think it was Gertrude (the one that is currently sick). I did not see the Pekin out there, but i'm wondering if he went out and ate with them and came back to the yard. If that's the case, then I wouldn't doubt they found something they shouldn't have in the field. We try to keep everyone out of the field because the coyotes like to dart out and grab a quick bite. We have a few idiot chickens that just wont stay out of the field, and they always end up as dinner for the coytoes, owls or red tails. If they would just learn to stay near the goose, they would be just fine. No one messes with the bitchy goose.

I'm really thinking this was botulism and just wish I had gotten to the runner that died sooner. But i'm thinking it was too late for her anyway. For now these two are doing well and just need a little TLC. They have probiotics in their water and I think that is helping tremendously. If someone else were to run across this post with ducks in a similar situation I would just say to do the flushes, keep them close at hand and make sure they can easily get to food and water. I think the close at hand is key, too. Knowing they have someone to care for them or being with a another duck is just as important as medical care.