Botulism

[austroberta]

I have a duck who was exhibiting botulism symptoms (started with lameness in one leg), who I took to the vet and after the vet gave me a protocol for a different malady, she ended up dying. Another one of my ducks is exhibiting the same symptoms and I do not want to take her to the vet, because my experience has been that they won't treat my duck until they do a battery of very expensive tests. I have read that I can do flushes, but I need some advice.

Do I do all 3 flushes, one after the other (epsom, charcoal, molasses) or do I just pick one.

I've given my duck the epsom salt, but she is not drinking it. Do I use a syringe? How much do I give her?

Should I keep my duck inside tonight? My other duck was absolutely stressed and despondent when I did this and she got a renewed energy when I brought her outside in the cat carrier, so she could at least be with her sisters?

Any advice would be appreciated. I was heartbroken when my other duck suffered with the paralysis and of course her death.

Help!

 

[casportpony]

who I took to the vet and after the vet gave me a protocol for a different malady, she ended up dying.

Can you give us more details about the duck you took to the vet and what the vet prescribed?

Any chance you could take your duck to a different vet?

• http://www.medicalcenterforbirds.com/
• https://www.bayareabirdhospital.com/
  
• https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/hospital/small-animal

 

[Amiga]

I have not had to treat for botulism, just so you know.

I think I would just do either the epsom salt or molasses flushes, and I think you would need to tube that in..,@casportpony is one person I know has experience, I am sure there are others. Be careful syringing or tube feeding. If you push it down the airway, it could be fatal.

 

[Amiga]

There is a thread, Go Team Tube Feeding, I think...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/updated-go-team-tube-feeding.805728/

 

[austroberta]

I'm really terrified at the speed with which botulism killed my last duck.

 

[casportpony]

I'm really terrified at the speed with which botulism killed my last duck.

How do you think your duck got botulism? Treatment for it is an antitoxin and lots of fluids.

 

[austroberta]

The last duck had breathing issues. I brought her to a vet and the vet did absolutely nothing for her except tell me her egg was pushing against her lungs and causing the breathing issues (even though I didn't see any egg issues). I brought her to a different vet recently and she told me the lameness probably was an Aspergillosis issue (spores had gotten in to her joints to cause the lameness) and gave me several medicines to give her. She was dead less than 48 hours later. She died with the classic limberneck symptoms.

 

[austroberta]

I'm really terrified at the speed with which botulism killed my last duck.

I'm so sorry, but how do I find that?

 

[Amiga]

Good question...@casportpony can you tell us more about antitoxin? Meanwhile, I would try to get the duck to drink as much fresh water as possible, and would put charcoal in the water.

 

[casportpony]

For your duck to get botulism I think they would have to have access to stagnant water, compost pile, or a rotting carcass.