Duckling with possible encephalitis. HELP

[ericsgirlie]

Ok some of you will remember Aflac and her illness. She got better and then relapsed and something went wrong whether it was this all along or not we are unsure. She has some kind of bran infection, maybe avian encephalitis. She has no balanceand her head goes to onside. If left alone she flips to her back . We have had to vet tape her so she will not flip and so she can eat.

Does anyone have an experience with this. She has been like this for over a week. Can she recover and how long will it take?

The vet is unsure and has her on antibiotics.

Any help would be appreciated.

Laura

 

[ericsgirlie]

No one knows anything

 

[m.kitchengirl]

I have no advice with avian encephalitis.
I would imagine the symptoms, treatment, etc. are similar with chickens. Have you tried posting in the general emergencies section?
Some people may have had more experience there, since it seems more old timers haunt those pages than the duck thread.

 

[ericsgirlie]

Update:

Aflac is slowly and I mean slowly getting better. Apparently, it takes the brain a long time to recover and she has to learn many thing all over again and learn how to compensate. She can now stand and walk a little but if she loses her balance will fall and go on her back. Lots of physical therapy. She pretty much stays in a very small space so she cannot hurt her self and stay upright. That has been her life for 2 weeks. Now we can take her out and let her walk around and try to acclimate so long as she is supervised, because if she falls she has not learned how to get her head right so she can get up.

Many said to put her down. She started to do a bit better and so we help off. We took her to the vet yesterday, and they said brains take months to heal. So as long as she improves, we will keep trying. I wish we took more videos, because 9 days ago, she could not stand at all. If you put her on on the floor she could not sit and would do death rolls. a week ago, she started standing for seconds at a time and could stand in her bed. Today, she can stand and walk a little. It is slow, but we are making slow and steady progress to recovery. She does not like to fall now, so she is figuring out how not to.

Because she live in the house, she thinks she is a person now

 

[m.kitchengirl]

Wow.
What an amazing story.
I am glad you are working with Aflac. What a lucky duck!
Please keep us updated, and informed on her progress.
I think this thread could prove valuable to people who face the same issue.

Sending healing thoughts to Aflac.

 

[ericsgirlie]

We just took her outside, and she was actually walking and only fell once. She is far from ready to be let out, but she is going so good She has trouble drinking without being in her traction bed. She loses balance when she drinks, so she still needs some practice there.

Hoping no one else has to go through this, but it is good to know time and tender care can heal this.

 

[Miss Lydia]

We just took her outside, and she was actually walking and only fell once. She is far from ready to be let out, but she is going so good She has trouble drinking without being in her traction bed. She loses balance when she drinks, so she still needs some practice there.

Hoping no one else has to go through this, but it is good to know time and tender care can heal this.

What a story so glad to hear you have stuck in there with her and to see her coming through it is wonderful. keep us udated on her progress.

 

[Amiga]

Bravo for you!!!

Hugs to Aflac!

 

[ericsgirlie]

New Update: Aflac is continues to learn how to be a duck and compensate for the damage done to her brain. While she is not completely able to to fend for herself, she now can usually get up after she has fallen. She also can swim without flipping ofter, which days ago, she could not She is such a sweetheart and part of me would love for her to be an inside duck

 

[m.kitchengirl]

Aflac, and

for you.

I am sure this is not easy, and I admire you for sticking with it.
Thank you for keeping us updated.

Any little tips for people who have these symptoms, or things to avoid? If there is anything that you can impart to the forum from all this experience you've gotten I am sure it would come in handy for many down the road.
Unfortunately tough times often teach us a lot.
I can think of one lesson I learned from your story - don't give up on a sick duck!