Duckling Diaries: the Life and Times of a Welshie Trio

[casportpony]

Kathy had put up a great set of pictures on giving medicine with the syringe. This helped me a bit since I am currently medicating one of my ducks. But while I was looking for more info on tube feeding / medicating, I stumbled across this article: http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/12/the-physiology-of-foie-why-foie-gras-is-not-u.html. I have never eaten foie gras and I realize that it is a sore spot with many BYC members, but I did find this article interesting and the birds getting their gavage by a competent person don't seem as stressed as my duck was getting her meds from me. If you watch the video of the gavage (and read the article), it really emphasizes how different the bird anatomy is from ours. Then I think about Entie swallowing a grape tomato whole that is 50% bigger than her neck since it is past her trachea, she doesn't choke on it, even if it takes her a couple seconds to move it through her neck. This really gave me perspective to get the syringe way past the tongue down into the esophagus way past the trachea opening and shoot the meds in full speed with no chance of her aspirating any of the meds. Seems crazy to us with our gag reflexes, but Casey is much less stressed getting her meds now and I know that 1" of syringe down her throat can't even compare to 8" of feeding tube like the video.

Some will look forward to tube feeding.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Everyone really should watch this video:
http://lafeber.com/vet/tube-feeding-birds/

-Kathy

 

[BantyChooks]

Kathy had put up a great set of pictures on giving medicine with the syringe.  This helped me a bit since I am currently medicating one of my ducks.  But while I was looking for more info on tube feeding / medicating, I stumbled across this article: http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/12/the-physiology-of-foie-why-foie-gras-is-not-u.html.  I have never eaten foie gras and I realize that it is a sore spot with many BYC members, but I did find this article interesting and the birds getting their gavage by a competent person don't seem as stressed as my duck was getting her meds from me.  If you watch the video of the gavage (and read the article), it really emphasizes how different the bird anatomy is from ours.  Then I think about Entie swallowing a grape tomato whole that is 50% bigger than her neck since it is past her trachea, she doesn't choke on it, even if it takes her a couple seconds to move it through her neck.  This really gave me perspective to get the syringe way past the tongue down into the esophagus way past the trachea opening and shoot the meds in full speed with no chance of her aspirating any of the meds.  Seems crazy to us with our gag reflexes, but Casey is much less stressed getting her meds now and I know that 1" of syringe down her throat can't even compare to 8" of feeding tube like the video.

Thank you

Oh Banty, I'm so sorry...good thing you killed that awful marten!

All you can do is be there for Chrissy. How bad is her neck? Tube feeding is pretty simple, but if you're that worried, maybe a vet could help? When Bean wouldn't eat, I gave her Critical Care formula in her water.

Pics below.... Thank you amy. I am terribly nervous about tube feeding. I don't want to if at all possible.... Everyone says it's simple, but simple is the last thing I'm thinking. I've already killed a quail by trying to force fluids and I could never ever forgive myself if I killed Chrissy. :ht

Let me know if you need my help.

-Kathy

PM sent

Pics from today:

 

[casportpony]

Quote:
Forcing fluids with just a syringe is very dangerous because you cannot get the fluids past the opening to the trachea. I know many people that have killed their birds or given them aspiration pneumonia while trying to syringe fluids and/or food.

Did you watch the laferbervet video?

And how about these?

Crop feeding videos

These are using a crop needle, not a plastic tube.




This one uses a tube like I use​

 

[Miss Lydia]

What are you cleaning her wounds with @BantyChooks you might need to clip her feathers back some so you can make sure to get these areas good and cleaned and treated.

Bless her heart.

 

[casportpony]

I have found that gently plucking the feathers works best. That way you can see all of the wound and tell pretty quickly if it's getting infected. It's also important to check every square inch for wounds.

-Kathy

 

[BantyChooks]

Miss Lydia, I am treating with Betadine and Triple antibiotic ointment.

Kathy, I will try again to get feathers out of the way and take pics....

 

[WVduckchick]

 

[BantyChooks]

Kathy suggested giving Chrissy a bath.... I put her in the sink, and she perked up 500%.

Splashing, preening, starting to move her thigh on the injured side.... The web still won't move, but eh, that was HUGE progress.

So maybe she really is depressed??

 

[casportpony]

You should post the video.

-Kathy