Cayuga Duck Emergency

[Kitkat1992]

Symptoms:
》small but noticeable loss of appetite
》hint of lethargic (still follows flock. around. to swim & rummage through. the garden for bugs)
》begining to not want to stand & use one leg​

》weak
First time I noticed was last night. Im a newbie when it comes to ducks. I recently had the pekin die not to long ago from what I think was Botulism disease. The leg paralysis that's starting is making me worry that it's the same thing. I need help with determining what's wrong with my 7 week old caygua duck before it's to late. Any advice and/or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I do have a video link I'll post on here as soon as it's finished uploading on YouTube.

 

[Oob Child]

Wish I could help, but I’m m not experienced with Ducks or Fowl diseases, sorry. I would tag duck people on here but I only know quail and chicken people.
Hope your duck is ok

 

[Miss Lydia]

Symptoms:
》small but noticeable loss of appetite
》hint of lethargic (still follows flock. around. to swim & rummage through. the garden for bugs)
》begining to not want to stand & use one leg​

》weak
First time I noticed was last night. Im a newbie when it comes to ducks. I recently had the pekin die not to long ago from what I think was Botulism disease. The leg paralysis that's starting is making me worry that it's the same thing. I need help with determining what's wrong with my 7 week old caygua duck before it's to late. Any advice and/or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I do have a video link I'll post on here as soon as it's finished uploading on YouTube.

Can you describe their set up the food your feeding and have they been on niacin supplements if so which ones?

 

[EuroChook]

Could be a deficiency or disease. I'm very sorry about this. If it is botulism, and there is a possibility for sure, then treatment can be started with charcoal. Please see attached image:

 

[EuroChook]

I wish you all the best---

Control of botulism is here: https://www.msdvetmanual.com/poultry/botulism/botulism-in-poultry?autoredirectid=11896#v3343625

and a similar case to yours is here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/sick-weak-duck-what-is-wrong-what-treatment.444164/

 

[Miss Lydia]

In case it’s nuturtional and since your seeing lameness you might want to start your duckling on liquid BComplex 1 ml over a small amount of treat (meal worms, chopped tomato) we see niacin deficiency quite often and it’s best to cover all bases.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/niacin-deficiency-in-waterfowl.1367557/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/flushes-for-aiding-in-toxin-removal.700526/

 

[Kitkat1992]

@Miss Lydia

 

[Kitkat1992]

Can you describe their set up the food your feeding and have they been on niacin supplements if so which ones?

No they haven't been on niacian supplements. I feed them peas, kale sweet potatoes, lettuce here & there, spaghetti few times. Also rummage through the garden for bugs. Free range all day. Got a swimming hole in the ground they get in.
The feed i have for them is Kalmbach Feeds All Natural


Ingredients

Corn, Soybean Meal, Corn Distillers Grains with Solubles, Wheat Middlings, Vegetable Oil, Calcium Carbonate, Defluorinated Phosphate, Salt, DL-Methionine Hydroxy Analogue, L-Lysine, Choline Chloride, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Niacin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K activity), Biotin, Folic Acid, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Cobalt Glucoheptonate, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Cobalt Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Propionic Acid (a preservative), Yeast Culture, Inulin, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Pediococcus acidilacticii Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium animalis Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus reuteri Fermentation Product, Diatomaceous Earth, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Dried Trichoderma reesei Fermentation Extract.

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein18.0% min
Lysine1.0% min
Methionine0.45% max
Crude Fat3.0% min
Crude Fiber5.0% max
Calcium0.8% min
Calcium1.3% max
Phosphorus0.65% min
Salt0.2% min
Salt0.7% max
Niacin45 mg/lb

 

[Kitkat1992]

Droppings are clear watery with a little Hershey kiss. Not sure if that matters.

 

[ruthhope]

Hi @Kitkat1992

Thanks for posting the video. That gait is strange and hopefully someone here will have seen it before and will know its significance. If not, it might be worth seeing a vet or consulting an online duck vet. The online option is much cheaper but I dont know how reliable it is.

In general, I have found that stopping walking is a common but non-specific response in ducks. Speaking as a person who had a duck stop walking over 3 days in May, that has still not recovered, this is what I have found from research -- on line and from talking to duck keepers, and wildlife rehabbers.

1. A duck may stop walking as a result of trauma, infection, toxins, or nutritional deficiency.

2. The most common reasons are i. bumblefoot, or infected cut on a foot, and ii. niacin deficiency. Hence the advice that you give niacin to your duck. It's important to give a trial of niacin therapy and not assume your duck is getting enough from her feed.

Individual ducks vary in their niacin requirements and while commercial duck food contains adequate niacin for most ducks, there are outliers who need more than provided in duck food. Most commonly rapidly growing pekin ducklings and laying jumbo pekins need a niacin supplement to their diet.

Have you had a good look at your duck's feet -- particularly the underneath of her right foot? Is there any sign of a cut or early bumble?

3. If there is no foot problem or niacin deficiency, the remaining causes of stopping walking -- ingestion of toxins and systemic infections, such as West Nile Virus -- are difficult to diagnose without the benefit of a vet or blood tests.

Many duck keepers try treating with activated charcoal to remove toxins (from botulism or metals etc) 'in case' the duck has ingested a toxin. Apart from this, one can only provide TLC to a duck that has stopped walking. Tender loving care includes putting the duck in deep water to swim (a kiddie pool is not deep enough, but a bath or a plastic tote can be filled deeper so the duck needs to move its legs and cannot just sit on the bottom); keeping the duck clean as it will sit in its poop (I find sitting on puppy pads the easiest way to manage that) and keeping the duck safe, generally in or close to the house. But that depends on individual set ups. Ducks do not like to be isolated, so keeping a non-walking duck in close proximity to its flock or a buddy from the flock is important.

4. I just learnt, from a wildlife rehabber, of another nutritional deficiency that can cause a duck to stop walking. She recently had a female duck that was brought in because it had stopped walking. She was out of wild duck food and fed the duck layer crumbles. That duck started walking again in 5 days. The wildlife rehabber thinks the duck was developing calcium deficiency, that was remedied by the calcium in layer crumbles.

In sum, I don't know why your duck has that particular gait. Nor do I know why your other duck stopped walking and died. But as summarized above it is quite common and we can't always know why