Duck isn’t eating or pooping much, the vet can’t find anything wrong

[Chantillylace]

My indoor 8 month old Muskovy duck, Petunia, has not been eating or drinking much over the past three days. She laid her 15th egg on February 11 and after that she really wasn’t eating or drinking much and her poop has been very sporadic and small, sometimes only pea sized and very yellowish white. I rushed her to a very reputable exotic and avian vet today and did every test under the sun, including x-rays, bloodwork, fecal test, and even Aspergillus fungus test. That’s the only test I’m still waiting on. Everything is normal besides low calcium so they gave her a calcium supplement. She definitely doesn’t have an egg stuck or a blockage. There is no gas in her belly to make the doctor think it’s an impaction. Her blood panel that was done in office, was fine. So they charged $675 to tell me to give her more calcium!

She will pick at her food but she’s not eating anything substantial. She seems to be drinking normally. She still wants to cuddle, and truly is her normal happy self. She’s acting 100% normal, being very vigorous with her baths, still following me around the house, and flying like normal. Does anyone have any ideas at all what could be wrong with her?

 

[chickens really]

I think she has gone Broody?..

 

[Runnerducks1]

Probably nothing wrong besides the calcium. If you do the calcium for a while, and she doesen't improve then. I don't know, but I hope the calcium works and your hen gets better. Good luck!

 

[Chantillylace]

Ok, thank you! its very unsettling seeing a duck not poop!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Try enticing her to eat by giving her some thawed peas mixed into a small amount of feed. If peas is a fav of hers. Also mealworms added my help get her eating. Once she is eating then start cutting back on the treats so she is eating more feed than treats. Mine like their feed moist too. I just put out what they will eat for the day.

What are you feeding her?

Calcium is good especially if a heavy egg layer they can deplete their calcium pretty easy. Hopefully that is all it is since you have had so much done and it all has checked out good.

 

[Chantillylace]

Ok, we brought her to ANOTHER vet, this one is a pure Avian vet, instead of just an exotic vet. Petunia's CBC was 22 and it should be around 11. So she thinks she acquired some sort of infection from laying her eggs. She prescribed Baytril and Flagyl, and she did tube feed her in the office, as well as give her an antibiotic shot. She showed my husband how to do the force feeding, but I am very scared, and so is he. I hand fed my parrots, but this seems much scarier. I really hope she starts eating on her own.

She is a weird duck, and doesn't like many foods. She hates peas, green leafy veggies, and all fruit. She will tolerate eggs, sweet peppers, and she loves cheese, but anything else we have tried has not been successful. Even if we put food in her water, or bath, she doesn't eat it. She is a weird duck who doesn't know she is a duck!

 

[Miss Lydia]

She sure is a doll I love their lil girl faces.

So glad you found out and have meds now to treat her.

@casportpony is expert on tube feeding maybe she can help with her experience.

 

[casportpony]

I would be more than happy to teach anyone how to tube feed. Truth be told, it's actually much safer than syringe feeding.

 

[Miss Lydia]

@Chantillylace