Duck acting lethargic and hardly eating

[Quatie]

Ok, that’s good at least! So just resting and waiting would be good?

Rest, water therapy and keep an eye on her weight. I would weigh her daily to see how much her weight drops. I would get tube feeding supplies to have on hand, but not use them yet. I would give her time to eat on her own. Here a couple links on tube feeding to give you an idea. These are great supplies to have on hand when you need them, especially since they are not always easy to find.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ng-guide-pictures-under-construction.1064392/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/go-team-tube-feeding-updated-12-29-2019.805728/

You can also feel her leg for a slipped tendon. You should feel it off to one of the slides of the hook joint. You should also kind of feel it pop when you move the joint. I don't think that is what is going on, but you can take a look.

Blue Seal Grow and Show pellets. I’ve mixed in some peas, mealworms, and hard boiled egg yolk to make it more appetizing for her but she’s still not interested. I’m going to leave them alone for about an hour then come check back

If she is not eating the treats I would stick to the pellet feed for a more balanced feed. You can also try chick crumble. Often I find my ducks will eat the crumble when they are not feeling well. The higher protein also helps them put weight back on.

 

[Quatie]

Just also thought of another thing. You can soak a small towel or rag in warm epsom salt water and rap that around the swollen leg. It will help with inflammation. Do it for about 10-15 minutes.

 

[ruthhope]

As Quatie says, you can use warm epsom salt wraps.

I think it best to use food grade epsom salt for our ducks. I found it cheapest at Tractor Supply -- I had to order it for pick up from the store. But Ace hardware will also order it for only a couple of dollars more

 

[Aunt Angus]

These folks are giving you excellent advice! Here's some encouragement:

I came home to find my duck Marmalade dragging herself along using her wings. I panicked (naturally - lol) and took her to a vet. The vet found nothing wrong with her, but she was favoring one leg and would NOT walk.

I kept her in a crate in the coop for a day to restrict her movement. I let her out to swim, and she was limping a little but walking. Vet, BYC folks thought it was just a sprain.

Now if one of my ducks start limping, I look for injury and bumblefoot. If none, I do the crate routine. It's happened one other time (klutzy Marmalade again). It's terrifying, but I realize now that sprains happen since ducks are clunky on land.

I hope that's all that's going on with Daffy!

 

[firenkyo]

I came back and checked on them and I think Daffy’s been throwing up - she has some greenish stains on her chest ahd it might explain her lack of appetite. I also found these weird things on her chest and by her..I don’t know what they are.

 

[Quatie]

I came back and checked on them and I think Daffy’s been throwing up - she has some greenish stains on her chest ahd it might explain her lack of appetite. I also found these weird things on her chest and by her..I don’t know what they are.

If she is vomiting, then more could be going on here. Botulism and toxins can cause lameness and weakness like your are describing along with vomiting. It is possible that something else caused her to injure herself. Depending on how long she has been this way, it could be something like an impacted crop. Does her crop feel full or squishy? If you can, get her to a vet if possible to find out more about what is going on. They will be best as diagnosing it.

@Miss Lydia @HollowOfWisps @Isaac 0 any other thoughts?

 

[firenkyo]

I

If she is vomiting, then more could be going on here. Botulism and toxins can cause lameness and weakness like your are describing along with vomiting. It is possible that something else caused her to injure herself. Depending on how long she has been this way, it could be something like an impacted crop. Does her crop feel full or squishy? If you can, get her to a vet if possible to find out more about what is going on. They will be best as diagnosing it.

@Miss Lydia @HollowOfWisps @Isaac 0 any other thoughts?

I don’t think that her crop feels full, and I don’t know how long she’s been doing this because I haven’t been home. Just as I was typing this she threw up again - it was very mucusy and slimey and slightly brown/green. My mom says that she seemed fine yesterday morning.
I really want to take her to the vet but I’m not sure if my parents do

 

[Quatie]

I

I don’t think that her crop feels full, and I don’t know how long she’s been doing this because I haven’t been home. Just as I was typing this she threw up again - it was very mucusy and slimey and slightly brown/green. My mom says that she seemed fine yesterday morning.
I really want to take her to the vet but I’m not sure if my parents do

Only one way to find out and ask. The worse thing that happens is they say no. Give it a shot, as it a possibility the duck could die from this issue.

 

[firenkyo]

Only one way to find out and ask. The worse thing that happens is they say no. Give it a shot, as it a possibility the duck could die from this issue.

My dad wants to wait and see how she does before taking her to the vet.
I noticed her like this when I got home yesterday at about 2pm, and at about 10am that morning she was said to be fine. I really don't know what she could have gotten into that would give her botulism, but I think she does meet a lot of the symptoms. None of the other ducks are acting like this, thankfully.
I'm not sure what to do in the meantime besides keeping her warm and dry and offering her food and water.

 

[ruthhope]

My dad wants to wait and see how she does before taking her to the vet.
I noticed her like this when I got home yesterday at about 2pm, and at about 10am that morning she was said to be fine. I really don't know what she could have gotten into that would give her botulism, but I think she does meet a lot of the symptoms. None of the other ducks are acting like this, thankfully.
I'm not sure what to do in the meantime besides keeping her warm and dry and offering her food and water.

You are doing the right thing. Keep her quiet, warm and dry. Let her bathe if she will so that she can exercise without stressing her body. Keep her with plenty of deep drinking water so she can drink and keep her nose free of mucus.

if she continues to vomit or eats little, she will need to be weighed daily and tube feeding started if she loses weight. Ducks can fade very quickly if not eating and drinking. giving her electrolyte solution -- from your supermarket pharmacy or one of the chain pharmacies -- is a good idea to stop her getting dehydrated and stop her blood sugar dropping. You can use a plastic syringe to get the solution into her crop, not her larynx and lungs but it may be easier to tube feed her electrolyte solution.

Others have advised above on tube feeding. You can get small bore plastic tubes from the aquarium section in pet stores. You can use a match or lighter to round off any sharp edges where the tube has been cut. It is likely you will need a second pair of hands to safely tube feed her -- one person to hold Daffy wrapped in a towel and the other to open the bill, view the throat and put down the tube to the side so that it goes into the crop