Duck suddenly lethargic and slow walking Saturday morning

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks for updating. I sure hope the antibiotics will get him through this. You can use VetRX too if he seems to be having any difficulity breathing it is similar to vicks rub for us humans. but it's liquid so I swipe it across their nares with a cotton ball so it doesn't actually run down into their nares. Hopefully, by the end of the weekend you'll see a change for the better.

 

[Moments]

Oh yes! I have VetRX, I'd been putting a few drops in the flocks water daily and mixing with the hose but wasn't sure if it would effect the antibiotics if I continued use. I tried to reach the vet earlier to ask but she's not in today. Have you used with antibiotics before?

 

[Miss Lydia]

No I haven’t but I think if you used it just swiping it across the nares it wouldn’t be the same as ingesting it.

 

[Moments]

I duck consult I have who has written books on ducks and chickens said to put a few drops in their water when breathing seems off back when they were little and I had concerns. It also says on the bottle to add to water. I took a q-tip as you suggested and also added around his nares. I have him his 2 antibiotic pills about 40mins ago and it seemed to really stress him out. It took several tries for me to to get it unlike the last two times. He has to have them twice a day. The vet said I could add to his recovery formula if needed but they may not be as effective crushed up. I thought I was gonna lose him after I got the second pill done. He was so weak, he fought hard not to take it, moving his head and trying to close his mouth. I'm nervous about trying to give him his recovery formula in an hour.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Maybe this will help. do you wrap him in a towel like a burrito to keep him calm?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-to-give-pills-to-ducks.1246505/

 

[Moments]

Maybe this will help. do you wrap him in a towel like a burrito to keep him calm?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-to-give-pills-to-ducks.1246505/

Yup I'd been wrapping him He knew what was coming though and would fight to keep his mouth closed when I'd open it. I felt bad cause it exhausted him and he looked so weak after. He ended up passing away this morning :-(

 

[Miss Lydia]

I am so sorry you lost him.
I doubt very much if it's your fault you were doing everything you could to help him. He just had too much going on for his body to get over it.
Please don't blame yourself. I am so sorry we couldn't do more to help.

 

[Moments]

I am so sorry you lost him.
I doubt very much if it's your fault you were doing everything you could to help him. He just had too much going on for his body to get over it.
Please don't blame yourself. I am so sorry we couldn't do more to help.

Thank you. It's so sad how quickly it was (7 days from the start of symptoms) but at the same time glad he's not suffering. I'm thankful for your suggestions as to what I could try. I'm always looking for natural remedies, etc and the vet is only available within certain hours and even then you have to be able to get them there and they most often don't like to offer advice as to what you can do in the meantime over the phone but only after they've seen the animal. We have an emergency vet (about 45 mins away, same as our exotics vet) but of course a visit costs way more and then they had to have an exotics vet there which is only within a certain timeframe. After hours they say they can try to get ahold of one to come in but can't guarantee it.
I also have a senior dog that isn't seeming right and may need to see her vet soon.

 

[Miss Lydia]

It’s very hard to lose any of our precious pets.
I have a senior dog too14.5 yrs now. I hope we can keep him healthy for quite sometime still. Yours too, they are family