Does my duckling have a distended abdomen, or am I paranoid? (Pics)

[casportpony]

You should also look up ruptures air sac or Subcutaneous Emphysema and see if that's a possibiility. I'm not saying it is, and to me, it looks like the swellin is in the abdominal cavity, not just under the skin.

Here is one of mine with it:https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/828000/subcutaneous-emphysema-pictures-added

Air sac pictures:





-Kathy

 

[Orca5094]

Thanks for the read and diagrams! This is not the case with my duckling, though (not sure if that's a good or a bad thing at this point). I had a Roseate Spoonbill chick with a ruptured air sac back at my zoo (used to be an Avian Keeper). The Spoonbill's swelling was squishy and definitely felt like air under the skin (it was from an injury and the swelling happened quickly). Nutmeg's abdomen has looked like this since she hatched and does not feel like air in there. It's not hard but not super squishy, either. So strange. I suspected she had a yolk sac infection at first, but when she kept on living and thriving I got confused.

She's still doing great so far! Hoping she'll continue to do so.

 

[casportpony]

She is very cute!

-Kathy

 

[Orca5094]

Thank you! ^-^

Just thought I'd update since it's been another week. She is still acting completely normal, very active and eating well. Still has the distended abdomen though, as always. She's now 3 weeks old. I read that most ducklings that have ascites due to a heart defect die between 3 and 5 weeks old. I'm still hoping she'll somehow be ok, but if this is what she has then I guess we'll see what happens in the next couple weeks. Hoping with all I have that she'll be ok and somehow survive whatever this issue is.

 

[Amiga]

 

[Orca5094]

Weekly update for anyone who might be interested. Nutmeg is now 4 weeks old and still going strong. Still has the large abdomen (no bigger or smaller), but no signs of being ill. Slight foot issue again though (hence the shoe), but otherwise very healthy and happy. Starting to get her big girl feathers in now.

 

[casportpony]

Thanks for the update!

-Kathy

 

[Orca5094]

One more week has gone by without issue! She is now 5 weeks old, still has the large abdomen. Hoping she's just shaped this way for some reason and is otherwise fine.

She's grown alot since I started this thread!


4 days versus 5 weeks old. Still has her special butt shape.

 

[casportpony]

Happy she's still okay.

-Kathy

 

[Orca5094]

Basically just keeping this updated for myself, but maybe it'll help someone else out in the future. Who knows?

At any rate, my little special duck is so grown-up all of the sudden! She is just over 6 weeks old now and still healthy and happy. She's lost most of her baby fluff now. Her rear looks the same as my other female Cayuga, but maybe her special shape is just hidden now with all her new feathers? The important thing is, she's still alive and well.