Duckling has dry skin peeling and walking backwards while dragging bill on ground in a squiggle pattern

[wannabefarm girl]

Have you seen any improvement since changing their brooder set up? Whatever is going on looks very progressed. Sorry you're dealing with this issue. I would suggest using pine shavings instead of paper towels for bedding. And some way to contain the water from getting splashed on the bedding is really helpful with ducks. Like a flat/low tray with a screen over it under the waterer really helps. Hope you see some improvement soon

Yes, there's been some improvement. I don't know if I mentioned it in another post, but they were having some wheezing and some times looked like they were breathing heavily. I've not seen it at all in the one now, and only a little in the one with the neurological looking issue (walking backwards dragging head in an S pattern unintentionally).

I like your idea for the set up. Unfortunately I haven't been able to find safe pine shavings. I was thinking about trying to order some hemp bedding. Have you any experience with it?

If I regularly change the paper towels out and keep it dry what would be the down side to that, can you think of anything?

During the day when it's nice and warm we've been taking them outside, because they seem to do the best in the fresh air and sun ( the backwards walking of the one almost vanishes, but not quite, just sooo much better).

Thank you for the kind words, I've been in tears daily...

 

[wannabefarm girl]

It looks like something is eating the skin off of them, I’m not saying it’s staphylococcus necessarily but bacterial infections of the skin can do that and though staph is essentially everywhere if you have a history of staph in the family that makes it more suspect. Staph presents differently depending on how it infects a host and by the species of staph in question, in birds when it infects the skin it’s called gangreno.
There’s also something called erysipelas, in humans it’s usually caused by strep but in birds it’s caused by another bacteria (Erysipelothrix) which can also infect humans amd other mammals and it will eat the skin off the flesh too among other problems.
Without a culture of the skin done it’s impossible to say what species or type it is but fungal skin infections don’t usually do this, there’s always the possibility of a complex disease “where two or more diseases/infections are happening at once.” If mold is present in a brooder you’re more likely to see a respiratory illness first.
If it isn’t possible to get them seen by a vet that’s understandable but makes diagnosis and treatment difficult. You’re going to have to treat based on educated guesswork.
If these were my birds I would put them on a broad spectrum antibiotic like erythromycin or enrofloxacin (Baytril) and doxycycline and I would be rubbing them down with neosporin. A safe dose of colloidal silver isn’t going to permeate the tissue enough to root out the infection.
Of you don’t have any antibiotics on hand you can find them as fish or pigeon antibiotics.
Stuff like this
https://birdpalproducts.com/products/enrofloxacin-10-liquid-for-birds?_pos=1&_sid=0479427fd&_ss=r


https://birdpalproducts.com/products/doxycycline-20-powder-for-birds?_pos=1&_sid=eed0e74cd&_ss=r

Thank you for your thoughts and ideas.

I read about gangrenous dermatitis here: https://www.msdvetmanual.com/poultry/gangrenous-dermatitis/gangrenous-dermatitis-in-poultry

From what it looks like the symptoms don't fit. There isn't any redness or swelling and there is no bleeding at this point. I hope none of that develops.

In reference to the mold usually presenting with some respiratory symptoms, I perhaps failed to mention it, because the other symptoms were what was hard to find anything out about, but two of the ducks have had some wheezing and seemed to be having a little harder of a time breathing at times. One hasn't had anymore signs of that now and the other has had it very little for the last couple days.

 

[Goosebaby]

Thank you for your thoughts and ideas.

I read about gangrenous dermatitis here: https://www.msdvetmanual.com/poultry/gangrenous-dermatitis/gangrenous-dermatitis-in-poultry

From what it looks like the symptoms don't fit. There isn't any redness or swelling and there is no bleeding at this point. I hope none of that develops.

In reference to the mold usually presenting with some respiratory symptoms, I perhaps failed to mention it, because the other symptoms were what was hard to find anything out about, but two of the ducks have had some wheezing and seemed to be having a little harder of a time breathing at times. One hasn't had anymore signs of that now and the other has had it very little for the last couple days.

I’m sorry, I know this is going to be hard to hear but it’s better to be prepared.
If there is a fungal infection of the airways unfortunately that is not something that just goes away. Aspergillosis is an insidious and deadly infection that requires lengthy and costly treatment with oral anti-fungal medications and often nebulization for the best outcome. Terbinafine is very effective and the safest anti-fungal that I know of currently on the market and usually more affordable than other drugs but safer doesn’t equal safe. Anti-fungal meds can have lasting and severe side effects, strict adherence to proper dosing is key to a better outcome.
This is one of the reasons anti-fungals are hard to find in the “fish meds” market and I would highly recommend not trying to find them and use them without a vets supervision, ampho B for example being the most effective against asper is nicknamed “shake n bake” because that’s basically what it does to the brain and organs……

Keep in mind though not every lung infection is fungal. The problem with infections is that the body mirrors many different kinds of infections with the same symptoms, and even with a single disease not every bird had the same symptoms. Aspergillosis is just one in many other possibilities of what could be going on.

 

[GodofPecking]

haven't seen it before. honey is a trifecta, anti fungal, anti bacterial and antiseptic, dip your finger in some, dab dab dab it on. it's honey, it helps many things and cant hurt, though save the eyes till duckie can go into the water.

 

[GodofPecking]

you might try contacting universities and so on, see if any are willing for free to autopsy should the worst happen, so you know the threat to yourself and your duckies.