Could someone please help—worried for my ducks.

[AzDuck]

Hi,

I have 5 ducks that are between 3-4 months old. Today, two of them (my female fawn and white runner, and my female khaki campbell) started shaking their heads and throwing up a clear, sticky looking fluid. One (the runner) was shivering as well. I rushed them to the vet because I was freaking out, and while at the vet, they never threw up or anything. She tubed them and didn’t find much, but thinks they could have gotten into something that irritated their throats. She gave them a cortisone shot and some antibiotics. Now that they are home, my khaki has only thrown up once after drinking a lot...but my runner female is very shaky on her feet and when she goes to stretch her wings, she falls backwards, but gets back up. She’s still shaking just a bit too. She’s very off balance. Is this from being in the car? And scared at the vet? Should I take her inside away from the others, or will that traumatize her more??
Thank you so much. These babies are my life.

 

[sourland]

Is there any possibility that they have become overheated and suffered heat prostration? I would be tempted to move the two affected birds indoors where it is cooler until they appear to be better.

 

[Stoney Meadow Maple]

I'm no help but good luck, sounds scary as heck
@Isaac 0 @Miss Lydia

 

[AzDuck]

P

Is there any possibility that they have become overheated and suffered heat prostration? I would be tempted to move the two affected birds indoors where it is cooler until they appear to be better.

I guess it’s a possibility. It was around 85F here, but the nights are in the high 60s and they were playing in the water all day. I have them in their house together now since the temp is dropping so hopefully she can sleep it off. It looks very much like an equilibrium thing

 

[HalfWayUpAMountain]

Perhaps add some ACV to their drinking water to supress any icky stuff growing with the heat ?

 

[Isaac 0]

Hi,

I have 5 ducks that are between 3-4 months old. Today, two of them (my female fawn and white runner, and my female khaki campbell) started shaking their heads and throwing up a clear, sticky looking fluid. One (the runner) was shivering as well. I rushed them to the vet because I was freaking out, and while at the vet, they never threw up or anything. She tubed them and didn’t find much, but thinks they could have gotten into something that irritated their throats. She gave them a cortisone shot and some antibiotics. Now that they are home, my khaki has only thrown up once after drinking a lot...but my runner female is very shaky on her feet and when she goes to stretch her wings, she falls backwards, but gets back up. She’s still shaking just a bit too. She’s very off balance. Is this from being in the car? And scared at the vet? Should I take her inside away from the others, or will that traumatize her more??
Thank you so much. These babies are my life.

P

I guess it’s a possibility. It was around 85F here, but the nights are in the high 60s and they were playing in the water all day. I have them in their house together now since the temp is dropping so hopefully she can sleep it off. It looks very much like an equilibrium thing

Sorry to hear about your ducks. How are they doing today?

Since we have a couple of birds that are affected it sounds like it *probably* is an environmental factor. Basing a diagnosis just off clinical symptoms is very hard, and unreliable, but if I were to take my best-educated guess, I'd say either heat stress, or poison consumption. If she's better this morning, it may have been stress.

Regurgitation, shivering, unsteadiness, sudden lethargy, all serious signs that need to be addressed.

Is this vet you're seeing an avian vet, I ask, because she tubed a bird that had a recent past history of vomiting, to my knowledge, that's a big no-no among practitioners due to the highly increased risk of vomiting thereafter, which may lead to aspiration, then maybe pneumonia.

Could you post a video of her?

How do her poops look?

 

[AzDuck]

Sorry to hear about your ducks. How are they doing today?

Since we have a couple of birds that are affected it sounds like it *probably* is an environmental factor. Basing a diagnosis just off clinical symptoms is very hard, and unreliable, but if I were to take my best-educated guess, I'd say either heat stress, or poison consumption. If she's better this morning, it may have been stress.

Regurgitation, shivering, unsteadiness, sudden lethargy, all serious signs that need to be addressed.

Is this vet you're seeing an avian vet, I ask, because she tubed a bird that had a recent past history of vomiting, to my knowledge, that's a big no-no among practitioners due to the highly increased risk of vomiting thereafter, which may lead to aspiration, then maybe pneumonia.

Could you post a video of her?

How do her poops look?

It was not an avian specialty vet, and that’s what I’m so worried about. I was just so scared, I took her anywhere that would see her. I knew something was off when the vet said to feed soft bread or something that wouldn’t irritate her esophagus (because she thinks that what is was). We do have a lot of pine needles around the area they were hanging out yesterday, and lots of bugs that maybe they got into. They always free range while we are home though, so I’m not sure what was different about yesterday. And I don’t understand why it was only two of them. I will check on them this morning and update. I didn’t isolate her for trauma reasons, since was already so freaked out from being away from her flock, and as far as I know, her poops look good. The vet gave me antibiotics for them as well. Maybe to start just to be safe against the possible pneumonia?

 

[Finnie]

Maybe to start just to be safe against the possible pneumonia?

Oh, I wondered why the vet would just throw antibiotics at an unknown problem, but this makes sense. Good luck, I hope they are better this morning.

 

[AzDuck]

Oh, I wondered why the vet would just throw antibiotics at an unknown problem, but this makes sense. Good luck, I hope they are better this morning.

I was wondering too. Especially since they seem to be back to normal this morning. Not sure if I should start them on them or not. Mostly due to how much ruckus/anxiety it is going to cause to separate the two that need to be on it

 

[AzDuck]

Sorry to hear about your ducks. How are they doing today?

Since we have a couple of birds that are affected it sounds like it *probably* is an environmental factor. Basing a diagnosis just off clinical symptoms is very hard, and unreliable, but if I were to take my best-educated guess, I'd say either heat stress, or poison consumption. If she's better this morning, it may have been stress.

Regurgitation, shivering, unsteadiness, sudden lethargy, all serious signs that need to be addressed.

Is this vet you're seeing an avian vet, I ask, because she tubed a bird that had a recent past history of vomiting, to my knowledge, that's a big no-no among practitioners due to the highly increased risk of vomiting thereafter, which may lead to aspiration, then maybe pneumonia.

Could you post a video of her?

How do her poops look?

I just went and check and let them out for the morning. It seems as though the two that were at the vet look fine/are acting normal. They had a watermelon snack and gobbled up their Mazuri food in their water. Making lots of noise, and still pooping (their poop may look a little whiter than normal—but this could totally be me just looking for something to assess).
Should I start them on antibiotics anyways? I’m worried about trying to separate them and dose them correctly. Plus, I’m not comfortable putting it directly in their mouths due to possible aspiration. Do I try and dribble it on food then?
I’m sorry for so many questions, I just don’t want to start them on something unnecessary or give it to them in a harmful way.