Duck itching and loosing skin cells

[Spop16]

Hello all! I’m new to this site. My mallard duck, Quackie, is five years old. She has been scratching and preening herself a lot. Loosing feather and skins cells all over the place. I would assume she was molting but she molted last month. She is an indoor duck with access to clean water and bedding. She also is doing a lot of sneezing.
She went to the vet last month with vomiting and then a sinus infection. The vet determined the vomiting was GI upset as a result of calcium supplements (tried oyster shells and powdered calcium…both causes the same response). I’m not sure if the stress of the vet stopped her molt and now she is starting back up again or if there is something more going on with her skin and feathers.
The vet did blood work and it was good. She eats pretty well (slightly decreased now with the seasonal changes) and her poops seem pretty normal. In the past her vet thought she might have seasonal allergies but I can’t find anything online about ducks having allergies or anyways to treat it.
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks,
Sarah

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Hello all! I’m new to this site. My mallard duck, Quackie, is five years old. She has been scratching and preening herself a lot. Loosing feather and skins cells all over the place. I would assume she was molting but she molted last month. She is an indoor duck with access to clean water and bedding. She also is doing a lot of sneezing.
She went to the vet last month with vomiting and then a sinus infection. The vet determined the vomiting was GI upset as a result of calcium supplements (tried oyster shells and powdered calcium…both causes the same response). I’m not sure if the stress of the vet stopped her molt and now she is starting back up again or if there is something more going on with her skin and feathers.
The vet did blood work and it was good. She eats pretty well (slightly decreased now with the seasonal changes) and her poops seem pretty normal. In the past her vet thought she might have seasonal allergies but I can’t find anything online about ducks having allergies or anyways to treat it.
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks,
Sarah

-Did the vet prescribe her medication at the last visit that this could be a side effect of?

-Have you checked her for lice and mites?

-Some ducks take longer to molt. Mine this year especially have been taking their time to fully molt.

 

[Spop16]

Thank you so much for your response. Yes, the vet put her on enrofloxcin for 10 days. I checked her tonight for mites and lice and after a freak out by her which resulted in her ripping a nail. So some quik stop and cuddles fixed that. She doesn’t appear to have any mites or lice.

 

[Miss Lydia]

What type of bedding are you using? And what feed including treats?

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Thank you so much for your response. Yes, the vet put her on enrofloxcin for 10 days. I checked her tonight for mites and lice and after a freak out by her which resulted in her ripping a nail. So some quik stop and cuddles fixed that. She doesn’t appear to have any mites or lice.

I think it's the antibiotics for one of two reasons (possibly even both).

1. One of the most common histamine responses to antibiotics is itchy dry skin.

2. Antibiotics also kill off the good gut bacteria along with the bad which creates unbalanced gut health. One of the simplest and first signs of an unbalanced gut is itchy dry and patchy skin.

I would put her on some probiotics and continue those for a few weeks even up to a month after you stopped the antibiotic.

 

[Spop16]

What type of bedding are you using? And what feed including treats?

 

[Spop16]

For food she is on Nutrena Naturewise feed (crumbles). Kaytee mealworms. She gets lettuce and oats and rice for treats as well.
For bedding she is only in her cage when I am not home there are puppy pads on the bottom and in her nesting box she has kaytee clean and cozy bedding which is 99% dust free.

 

[Brooke_R]

For food she is on Nutrena Naturewise feed (crumbles). Kaytee mealworms. She gets lettuce and oats and rice for treats as well.
For bedding she is only in her cage when I am not home there are puppy pads on the bottom and in her nesting box she has kaytee clean and cozy bedding which is 99% dust free.

I don’t know if that would have anything to do with the itching, but you may need to supplement her food with niacin (if you aren’t already). The all flock feed likely doesn’t have enough niacin that ducks need even though it’s supposed to be for ducks as well.