Duck walking in circles won’t eat or drink

[Lady507]

Hello, I have a canal in the back of my yard, and a few years back there was a mother duck with her brood that used to come and I’ll feed them house scraps, and after that she used to come every once in a while to visit. Well yesterday she appeared in my yard after not seeing her for a couple months, and she is walking in circles and doesn’t want to eat or drink. I placed her a bowl with Gatorade, Lemon, and water to keep the water acidic while making it hydrating. (I heard that acidity is really good for killing bad bacteria and promoting the good one). Has anyone ever dealt with an issue like this, I really want to help her as I known her for around 8-9 years and I’ve gotten a little attached to her. She is older (I estimate around 10-11 years) and the problem looks neurological which is what worries me. She also looks discolored as if she was turning blue, especially on beak. Thank you in advance for any of your help.

 

[HalfWayUpAMountain]

@Isaac 0

 

[Isaac 0]

Sorry to hear she's having problems.

Could you upload a video of her to a video platform like Youtube or Vimeo, and copy/paste the link here?

Older ducks that are walking in circles, would likely mean there is some neurological damage involved, and whether that be caused by an infection, a viral disease, trauma to the head or neck area, or lastly poison consumption is currently unknown as of now and will continue to be that way unless she sees a vet, who should be able to perform several diagnostic tests such as CBC, radiographs, electroencephalograms, electromyograms, auditory evoked potentials, CT scans, and MRI scans.

Ultimately these tests can be used to narrow down the underlying cause of her symptoms, so treatment can begin tailored to that specific condition.

Here is a waterfowl directory,

https://www.metzerfarms.com/Veterinarians.cfm

As far as what should be done initially, you need to take her out of the water, set her in a dimly lit, warm, stressful free, area that's soft padded to prevent possible damage when she's walking in circles. Her water dish should be shallow enough as to prevent aspiration or drowning.

How does her poop look? How long has she not been eating/drinking?

She will need to be tube fed if she doesn't start eating/drinking soon, or she will pass.

 

[Lady507]

Sorry to hear she's having problems.

Could you upload a video of her to a video platform like Youtube or Vimeo, and copy/paste the link here?

Older ducks that are walking in circles, would likely mean there is some neurological damage involved, and whether that be caused by an infection, a viral disease, trauma to the head or neck area, or lastly poison consumption is currently unknown as of now and will continue to be that way unless she sees a vet, who should be able to perform several diagnostic tests such as CBC, radiographs, electroencephalograms, electromyograms, auditory evoked potentials, CT scans, and MRI scans.

Ultimately these tests can be used to narrow down the underlying cause of her symptoms, so treatment can begin tailored to that specific condition.

Here is a waterfowl directory,

https://www.metzerfarms.com/Veterinarians.cfm

As far as what should be done initially, you need to take her out of the water, set her in a dimly lit, warm, stressful free, area that's soft padded to prevent possible damage when she's walking in circles. Her water dish should be shallow enough as to prevent aspiration or drowning.

How does her poop look? How long has she not been eating/drinking?

She will need to be tube fed if she doesn't start eating/drinking soon, or she will pass.

She’s from the canal so I don’t know how long she’s been without food. She did start drinking water after a day and seems a bit more awake after drinking, not as blue anymore. I did come to notice one thing, she is blind from one eye. I realized it when I walked up to her and she didn’t react until I switched sides and she freaked out. I thought maybe the circles is trying to see where she is? What do you think? And I will look at her poop and try to video tape her although she hasn’t been doing it as much. I did just that she’s in a very calm area where no one bothers her with food and water hoping for her to eat. I’ll keep you updated with how she is. I thought about taking her to the vet but they are extremely expensive especially that I live in the city, and financially I don’t think I can afford all those exams. Thank you for your help, and please let me know any other suggestions you might have. Thank you!!!!

 

[HalfWayUpAMountain]

I just wanted to say I think you are being very kind to this wild duck. X

 

[Miss Lydia]

Is she a Muscovy?

 

[Lady507]

I just wanted to say I think you are being very kind to this wild duck. X

Aww thank you, I just want to help her out, she is one of the best mother ducks I’ve seen at the canal (in my free time I love watching the canal, so peaceful). I’ve seen her for at least 8 years and she was around 2-3 when I first saw her. Poor thing, age forgives no one.

 

[Lady507]

Is she a Muscovy?

Yes she actually is. I contemplated taking her to a rescue but in my area they will put them to sleep because of the species. This is an old photo of her from a few years back. I have to try tmr to get a good picture of her so you guys can see how she looks now. She is currently in my yard, she is drinking plenty of liquid but I havnt seen her eat yet.