Duckling With Overlapping Legs!

[Cristian_01]

Hi everyone, I have a mallard duckling with protruding hips which causes him to keep his paws on top of each other when standing still.

He struggles to move and trips because of this malformation.

I hatched two broods inside a homemade incubator and three ducklings had crooked necks which I was able to correct both by applying a sponge around them and waiting for the muscles to get stronger. I have been giving everyone a powdered vitamin complex in water almost daily. However, the duckling in question was given to me and I don't know how much it worked to get out of its egg. He should have been born in the second week of last May. I know that it was born inside an incubator too. A couple of times I found it completely soaked inside the bowl, so I decided to isolate it together with a little brother by putting it in a narrow box. He drinks, squawks and eats quietly, but the crossed legs worry me and I'm not sure they will fix as he grows. I was advised to have him swim in the bath tub to strengthen his muscles so I did. He swims fast but he tend to move his legs inwards. Should I increase the dose of vitamins or immobilize his legs so they stay straight? Should I buy a new niacin-only supplement? How can I cure it?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I'd try him on Liquid B complex. it will say injectable but we use it orally 1 ml over a small amount of treat that he will eat up. do this daily. Hopefully it will help. If it's a birrth defect it may still help some but if a niacin deficiency hopefully it will really help get him walking better. . We have seen some miracles with it. I'd get him on it asap , niacin def get progressively worse to where the duckling is fully lame. The video doesn't work. I wonder if after getting him on the liquid B Complex you could do reverse hobble where you put him into hobble and place something in between his legs to hold his legs in normal position instead of how they are sitting now? TSC usually has this B Complex or you can order online.

 

[Cristian_01]

I'd try him on Liquid B complex. it will say injectable but we use it orally 1 ml over a small amount of treat that he will eat up. do this daily. Hopefully it will help. If it's a birrth defect it may still help some but if a niacin deficiency hopefully it will really help get him walking better. . We have seen some miracles with it. I'd get him on it asap , niacin def get progressively worse to where the duckling is fully lame.

The video doesn't work.

Did you try to click on the link? It's a private video playble only through that link.

I wonder if after getting him on the liquid B Complex you could do reverse hobble where you put him into hobble and place something in between his legs to hold his legs in normal position instead of how they are sitting now? TSC usually has this B Complex or you can order online. View attachment 3532226

Hi, thanks for your answer. After I posted this thread I made a research in this forum and I found precious informations about niacin defiency. Unfortunately, I can't afford to buy US products because they're going to be delivered to me too late. I live in Europe. So I bought this one instead https://www.mypetworld.shop/en/vitamine-b-116892496.html; it contains almost the same ingredients, vitamin B3 included.

In the description of the product there's a chart where you can read the right dosage for birds:

• less than 0.045kg | 2 drops
• 0.045 - 0.08kg | 3 drops
• 0.08 - 0.15kg | 5 drops
• 0.15 - 0.3kg | 7 drops
• 0.3 -0.6kg | 12 drops
• 0.6 - 1.2kg | 18 drops

Hovewer you suggest to use 1 ml over a small amount of treat. What about if I'll give it in his mouth with a syringe?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Sounds good to me. Main thing is getting the Vit B's into him. You can do it via syringe I've done it many times. Just do it slow so he swallows after every small amt. You don't want him to aspirate. Here is the best way to give liquids

please keep us updated on how he is doing.
and

 

[Cristian_01]

Sounds good to me. Main thing is getting the Vit B's into him. You can do it via syringe I've done it many times. Just do it slow so he swallows after every small amt. You don't want him to aspirate. Here is the best way to give liquids

please keep us updated on how he is doing.
and

Thank you. I will post further updates. I hope he will heal. Do I have to do hobble in the same period of time?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I was just thinking out loud that if you had a way to hobble with keeping his legs in normal position while on the b complex maybe a straw cut or a pop cycle stick wrapped in vet wrap. So he gets use to having his legs in the normal position? @CoriM what do you think this one does have splay but would say reverse hobbles work?

 

[CoriM]

I would definitely try to do a hobble as soon as possible, because it might work and won't hurt to try. The video was unavailable, so didn't see how he's walking. Agree with everything Miss Lydia said about the vitamin B complex. You can't overdose on this - excess will flush from his system - just make sure he's getting enough every day. Here is someone selling a leg-spacer on etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/879744...f=sr_gallery-1-5&bes=1&organic_search_click=1
If you can't get this you can try to come up with something on your own using vet wrap and maybe a piece of thick foam or something to hold the legs in proper position. I had the opposite issue - legs were splaying out. I was able to just wrap a little loop around each leg then a bigger loop to pull the legs into proper position. Ideally if you could find a hobble that worked for your bird you would want to leave it on until he can walk normally.

 

[CoriM]

https://www.etsy.com/listing/862883...ck&ref=sr_gallery-1-11&organic_search_click=1

 

[Miss Lydia]

That is such a good idea I’ve never seen them,since the OP is in Europe she may just have to make something to work but I think it is def worth a try.

 

[Cristian_01]

I've just changed the youtube video settings from Private to Unlisted. Can you watch it now?