Calling all people whose birds have experienced corneal scratches

[austroberta]

My runner duck Sage (about 18 months old) started acting out of sorts on Sunday, hiding under bushes and not eating. Her eye was closed and later it started weeping clear liquid very profusely. I didn't see any discharge from her nares or diarrhea. I took her to the vet and she diagnosed a scratched cornea and gave me Terramycin ointment and pain killers. Sage has had 2 doses of pain killer and 3 doses of the Terramycin so far. Her eye is no longer shut close, although the milky membrane is still covering it. I'm concerned as she is still not eating and drinking properly and has thus far seemed to have lost lots of weight. Could she have an underlying issue the vet did not see? How have anyone else's ducks acted when they had a scratched cornea. Sage is really sick looking, weak and shaky, and eating very little. I'm not sure a scratched cornea would do that to her, but I wanted to ask other BYC folks to see their own experience.

I forgot to mention that she is still laying eggs and eating her oyster shell calcium Just not a lot of food.

 

[Jpat]

How long since the eye got hurt?

 

[austroberta]

We noticed the eye last Sunday, around noon. The vet saw her yesterday.

 

[austroberta]

I guess what I am asking is whether or not corneal abrasions cause loss of appetite. Posts that I am seeing seem so to show the eye is bad, but the appetite, behavior, foraging ,etc remains the same. If Sage has loss of appetite, I am wondering is it's caused by something else other than the corneal abrasion.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I’d call the vet in the morning and about your worries (which by the way are valid) it’s hard for us to say one way or the other if this is normal when one has a corneal scratch. Hopefully if anyone has had a duck with this will reply but in the mean time talk with the vet. If she has something else going on having it taken care of quickly is important.

 

[casportpony]

How much weight has she lost? Before yesterday, had you weighed her?

 

[austroberta]

How much weight has she lost? Before yesterday, had you weighed her?

I will be quite honest and tell you that I have not weighed her, but at the last visit she was 1.1 kilos. She has never felt terribly skinny, but she does now. She is eating a few mouthfuls of kibble and will eat worms, but she has no interest in peas or tomatoes. I do notice that she does forage a bit and eats lettuce when the sun goes down. I am wondering if the pain meds might make her either tired during the day or if the sun is bothering her eye, so she does tries to lay low.
I am syringing a bit of nutri drench in her after I give her her pain med. She does sporadically drink.

 

[austroberta]

I’d call the vet in the morning and about your worries (which by the way are valid) it’s hard for us to say one way or the other if this is normal when one has a corneal scratch. Hopefully if anyone has had a duck with this will reply but in the mean time talk with the vet. If she has something else going on having it taken care of quickly is important.

Unfortunately, my vet is off the rest of the week and the other 'exotic pet vet' is on vacation. There is no one there o answer any questions. So frustrating.
Sage is still weak and her appetite is spotty.

Unfortunately, no one who has experienced a corneal scratch before has replied.

Sage is still hanging in there. I am just really concerned about her low weight, her lack of appetite and the possibility of a secondary illness cropping up because her immune system is low (due to not eating well.)

I was hoping someone might chime in, so I can get a perspective about whether to take her to another vet or not. It's always stressful for animals to go to the vet and I'd rather not go if the vet I see tells me, 'just give it time.'

 

[Miss Lydia]

Have you tried her on some dry cat food? It’s not something you want to feed a lot of but for now it is calories and maybe it will help her. Also some poultry Nutri drench by mouth and in her water. How’s her eye looking?

 

[austroberta]

Have you tried her on some dry cat food? It’s not something you want to feed a lot of but for now it is calories and maybe it will help her. Also some poultry Nutri drench by mouth and in her water. How’s her eye looking?

I have and she turns up her bill at it. I tried putting it in water to, for her to fish out, and she didn't eat it.

I have noticed that she is shoveling the oyster shell calcium down, and that when she does, she follows it up with her duck food and water. I am putting nutri drench in everything I give her. I also notice that when eats something, like worms for example, she has a limit. She'll eat about 10 and then turn her bill up if I try to offer more. Maybe, small frequent meals are the way to go.

Part of me is saying that she is still laying eggs, so she is not staring into the abyss. Another part of me worries to death.

Her eye isn't closed all the time and it's not weeping copious amounts of fluid, but it satill looks scary. It looks cloudy still, like a cataract. I really want to clean it, but I'm concerned that any washing I might do might exacerbate the corneal scratch.