bloated duck

[decomposed]

I hope its nothing bad like that =( I love my Margaret and i don't want her to suffer. Around her vent feels soft but i'm not sure if it is normal or not. I might go have a feel of one of my other females to compare them. She seems alright today just a bit tired she hasn't gotten any worse though. I will try the magnet as well just to be safe.

 

[decomposed]

Sometimes a bloated belly could be due to being egg bound or a hernia. You need to feel around the stomach. Is it hard or mushy?

If it's hard chances are they may be egg bound. Many times you can feel the shape of an egg. My duck was egg bound and had to have surgery. Many times egg bound ducks will pass bound eggs with a high calcium treatment on their own. It would be best to get an x-ray at the vet to determine it's position.

If there area is mushy, your duck could have a hernia which most of the time is caused by being egg bound. If this is the case, you will have to schedule surgery to push the guts back in and close it up. In my case, no one would operate on my duck. I kept trying for a long time and finally found a vet that said they could operate. It was to my disappointment that they ran tests and told me she had a heart murmur and wouldn't survive past the surgery. As of now, my baby is on daily pain medication, liver function pills, and heart support supplements. I also give her daily baths and gently squeeze the belly to help move waste and to keep the belly it's current size. I also made her a suit that holds in her hernia and holds a diaper pad so she can move around comfortably and freely.

Good luck and hope your baby recovers soon.

Did your duck get any other symptoms when she first got the hernia? or just bloating?

 

[ilovebirds2010]

I could definitely tell she was struggling to push an egg out shortly before the hernia was discovered. I could feel the shape of the egg in her gut too (although it was pretty hard to find with the hernia in the way). When I went to the vet for x-rays, that is when I was told she had the hernia (when I was getting the egg removed). However, I have heard female ducks will get hernias after being egg bound and passing the egg on their own. There are no other symptoms other than an enlarged gut. Many vets choose not to operate on hernias because of a lower success rate. They say that many ducks redevelop their hernias post surgery. If my baby didn't have high metal content and a heart murmur, I would have had the surgery done despite the risk. Ducks can live with hernias, however. My baby is living proof. I just take extra precautious steps to ensure it doesn't get any worse so that her life may be extended.

 

[decomposed]

I haven't seen her trying to push an egg out and she hasn't laid any. She usually starts screaming at me when she starts laying. She doesn't seem to be falling over anymore either like she was a few days ago. I will see how she goes the next few days and if she gets worse i will take her to a vet.

 

[ilovebirds2010]

Sounds like good news. Watch her belly though. If it doesn't go back down, something is probably going on. Please keep us posted on her progress.

 

[decomposed]

Margarets belly is still hanging down around her vent area.

If it's the same tomorrow ill book an appointment with an avian vet and most likely spend a fortune. She is worth it though.

 

[desertdarlene]

I would check with your vet. I knew of one duck with a swollen abdomen like that who had reproductive problems. She had something like 30 eggs in her oviducts.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Please let us know what the vet says about Margaret.

 

[decomposed]

The vet said it could be "egg yolk peritonitis" or something like that. He gave her some antibiotics and pain relief and said if its still the same on monday i will have to get an x ray done =( She also had an infected feather follicle that i didn't know about.

 

[Miss Lydia]

The vet said it could be "egg yolk peritonitis" or something like that. He gave her some antibiotics and pain relief and said if its still the same on monday i will have to get an x ray done =( She also had an infected feather follicle that i didn't know about.

oh I hate to hear this, hopefully the antibiotics will kick in and she'll get over it. And an infected hair follicle what did he do for that?