Duckie Down

[Isaac 0]

Baby is a 13 1/2 week old peking just one out of my 15. This is my first time with ducks. My flock (all living together) consists of 18 chicks & 15 ducks. I feed them all flock starter switching to grower/ finisher gradually plus duck pellets and fresh produce alongside cutting from the yard such as weedy type plant.
For about a week now Baby has been breathing with his beak open and yesterday was having difficulty with walking.
By time their before dinner snack time came around I noticed baby was not able to walk at all now. I picked him up and put him in a kiddie wading pool on top of a pillow, water and food.
I ordered some niacin and brewer's yeast about five days ago and still has an estimated delivery time of another five days. I had a friend of mine (just by luck) that was in town yesterday so I asked her if she could pick me up some niacin to give Baby as well as the rest of my flock.
I am presuming that Baby is not getting enough niacin in his diet. He seems to be fine and is not acting any different other then the not being able to walk.
Any advise and pointers would be greatly appreciated.

To assume this is niacin deficiency is possibly a gross error. Niacin does not explain the panting. You cant just ignore a major symptom and claim niacin deficiency because the duck is not walking. In addition the duck is 3 months old, niacin defficiency usually happens about 3 weeks. Dose b complex if it makes you feel better but i think you need to continue to search for a better diagnosis.

@Miss Lydia Has been around these forums for a long time, she doesn't just shout out a diagnosis. Pekins are prone to leg problems which can occur of any age, yes, more likely to be seen when they are growing the fastest. Pekins are also prone to being overheated, scroll through the forums for a short while, and you'll see tons of pekins that are panting in fairly cold temperatures (70-75), If this were a respiratory disease I would think we'd be seeing some more symptoms like sneezing or discharge from the eyes.

Genetics and microflora in the bird can affect whether it will develop a deficiency in niacin or not, it's not uncommon to see one bird affected out of a whole flock.

 

[Miss Lydia]

You know we can only give our respectful help. And like @Isaac 0 said we see so many Pekins not able to walk and alot panting we just automatically say treat for niacin deficiency. Its an inexpensive treatment and if it doesn't work then we go to trying to find out what else it maybe. None of us are saying we are vets. Many on here can't take their ducks to a vet for various reasons so we do the best we can. What would you suggest she do with her Pekin @Ratchnick.
Supportive care can go along way in getting ones ducks through a crisis. Not all of them make it, but we care very much about those that put the trust in us to help them.

 

[Miss Lydia]

@DesertRoseAZT How is Baby doing this morning?

 

[Ratchnick]

All I'm saying is a misdiagnosis is potentialy deadly because the root cause gets ignored while trying to treat a problem that does not exist. Even in the midst of the corona crisis a vet wont give a diagnose on a pucture and description. Sure its ok to give your opinion but just know that if you state it as if its iron clad fact people may take it as such, and if your online vet powers fail you then your possibly responsible for peoples ducks dying!

 

[Ratchnick]

As far as the patient, it could be niacin, but then the panting needs an exolanation. If the bird is to hot then its an easy fix. I would check the feet for injury/bumble. Also i would be on the look out for other respiratory stmptoms like eye bubbles and voice changes. I would offer supportive care as mentioned, put it in a hispital area, ideally where it can see its friends.

 

[DesertRoseAZT]

@DesertRoseAZT How is Baby doing this morning?

Not is so good he can't lift his wings now and he's not eating his throat looks a little swollen he's got green mucousy poop and he's got heavy breathing but his bill open

 

[DesertRoseAZT]

@Miss Lydia Has been around these forums for a long time, she doesn't just shout out a diagnosis. Pekins are prone to leg problems which can occur of any age, yes, more likely to be seen when they are growing the fastest. Pekins are also prone to being overheated, scroll through the forums for a short while, and you'll see tons of pekins that are panting in fairly cold temperatures (70-75), If this were a respiratory disease I would think we'd be seeing some more symptoms like sneezing or discharge from the eyes.

Genetics and microflora in the bird can affect whether it will develop a deficiency in niacin or not, it's not uncommon to see one bird affected out of a whole flock.

I'm not ruling out anything at this point niacin was just a guess it's not a diagnosis this is my first time with ducks so I'm basically asking for advice from all of you that have more experience than I do I'm very concerned about baby I love this little guy and I want him to be better makes me sad to see him this way his throat is swollen he doesn't have any kind of leakage coming from his eyes however he's got a green mucousy poop has of tonight he's not wanting to eat as of yesterday and is panting is getting heavier could it be something like a yeast infection or I don't know I mean I'm doing all the research I can

 

[DesertRoseAZT]

 

[Miss Lydia]

Baby may have an infection going on any way a vet is an option? Getting an vet to examine him may he needs an antibiotic. His throat is swollen? Could he have been bitten by something?

 

[DesertRoseAZT]

did you read that link about niacin deficiency? If you could get Durvet liquid BComolex you can give it to him with a syringe

I did not see a link? I am not going to rule out the possibilityanyting anything is possible and I'm not a vet and I can't afford to take him to the vet because our shop has been closed for over a month now due to covid19. I have been doing much reading on water fowl to see if I can figure it out. However I have noticed that with a lot of the elements that ducks can get I've seen that a lot of them have quite similar characteristics or symptoms so I can't really diagnosed baby I'm not a vet so I'm just guessing at this point that's all I can do I won't know for sure what is wrong with him unless I take him to the vet to get a proper diagnosis and since I can't do that, that just leaves my heart very heavy and sad very troubled