Emergency - duckling bit a bee/wasp

[PotatoWaffles]

Anyone have any ideas about what I can do for a duckling that has bit a bee? She's two weeks old. I had her outside right next to me and I saw her bite at something on the ground. I didn't see what it was but it flew away. She started shaking her head and peeping nonstop. I brought her inside and now she is having trouble standing. She won't drink and is breathing really hard. Any ideas?

EDIT: there is no vet around that will treat her

 

[JadeComputerGal]

I can ask my fiancé to pick some up from town. He's in town right now but I'm not sure when he will be back. She seems to be improving. She's peeping more normal, drinking plenty now, pecking at the ground. Still a little wobbly. Man that was scary tho. I will ask my fiancé to pick up the children's Benadryl on his way home. And I will keep a constant eye on her but she seems to be on the mend.i think she might have been in shock from pain. Thank you all for your suggestions and if you have any more advice I would love to hear it.

A duckling stung by a bee? Have you ever heard of such a crazy thing??

Yes, I've heard of it with ducks because they snap at stinging an biting insects, so they can have injuries inside the mouth. I keep certain children's meds around for just this sort of thing with my ducks and mammals. I'm thinking she probably weighs around 8 oz right now, so I think the dosage would be .5 ml. (That's point 5, not 5.) If she just had a temporary reaction, I wouldn't give it to her, but I'd still make sure the stinger isn't stuck in her tongue or palate. Even dogs will sometimes act weird for a while after a bee sting then just shake it off and go back to normal.

 

[JadeComputerGal]

Food or postal scale is a must have for me for those time I need to medicate the little ones. It also helps to weigh them weekly to keep an eye on their gain.

-Kathy

I agree, Kathy. You really need some sort of scale that will give you weights down to at least the ounce. We used to use a kitchen scale but had trouble with the ducks kicking around on it too much and not being able to lock the settings. Instead of getting another kitchen scale, we got a little pet scale that will weigh every animal we have since none of them weigh more than 7 pounds. We got this one--> http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0040HLCCO?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage and it's really neat. It has functions you wouldn't normally see on a kitchen scale (since food doesn't move around), and it's easy to put a little plastic bin on it and set your duck down in the bin so it's not trying to scurry around everywhere.

 

[JadeComputerGal]

It's definitely on my list of things to get now! I've raised three batches of ducklings before and never had the need for one. I never really even thought of it. We have a bunch more eggs in the incubator now, so more ducklings on the way, hopefully. It would be very good to have on hand. And I'm gonna keep Benadryl stocked now too! Lol

There's a list here somewhere of things you want to keep on hand, but I'd have to look for that unless one of the others knows right off where it is. I don't think it's a sticky. I can tell you though...it's a very intimidating list if you're sort of just starting. You can pick and choose from it for the more commonly needed items, then add on. Much of the stuff is really good to have on hand, especially if you don't have a feed store nearby or have one like ours that doesn't carry a good selection of things. You should pick up some basic things that can be bought anywhere like the children's Benedryl. Poultry vitamin & electrolyte mix is another you should always have on hand. Also, don't forget to pick up some syringes that will measure down to .1 ml since oral meds don't do you any good if you have no way to dispense them. You can buy those at any drug store, and most vets will give you a few for free if you're a client.

So glad your baby is okay!

 

[Amiga]

Actually, I think it is a sticky - https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/356725/duckie-first-aid-kit-supplies-and-ideas

 

[JadeComputerGal]

Thank you everyone! Sorry for the overreaction, lol. She is sleeping soundly with her brother now. False alarm, I guess haha. You guys are all awesome

You didn't overreact. Coming here right away shows you're a good mom, and she was acting abnormal.

You can take a look at the thing @Amiga posted and pick up what you need. Generics are fine for everything. Also, just as a tip, you probably look for the best price per ounce/pound for many things if you shop like I do. You don't want to do that here because more is a waste of money if you don't have children or other people in your household who will use it. For things like children's Benedryl, baby aspirin, infant vitamins, etc., you don't want to buy the largest bottles because chances are they will expire before you use the whole bottle. Buy the smallest bottle you can buy, and still check the expiration dates on those to see if you can find some that have expiration dates further in the future than the others.

 

[JadeComputerGal]

Anyone have any ideas about what I can do for a duckling that has bit a bee? She's two weeks old. I had her outside right next to me and I saw her bite at something on the ground. I didn't see what it was but it flew away. She started shaking her head and peeping nonstop. I brought her inside and now she is having trouble standing. She won't drink and is breathing really hard. Any ideas?

EDIT: there is no vet around that will treat her

Check her mouth right away to see if she has a stinger still stuck in her mouth, usually the tongue or palate. If she does, very gently scrape it off immediately. You can dab some hydrogen peroxide on the sting and even swab her whole mouth with a qtip with hydrogen peroxide.

You can use infant Benadryl for things like this, but it's of course not recommended or covered by the manufacturer. I want to see if @casportpony has any other ideas. You can go ahead and do the things in the first paragraph, but hold off on the Benadryl until we hear back from her in case it's quick. In the meantime, post her weight so we know what dose you'll need.

GOOD LUCK!

 

[JadeComputerGal]

I'm really sorry, but none of the people I'd otherwise ask are signed into BYC right now. Do you by any chance have any children's Benadry liquid in the house, or can you send someone out to get some very quickly?

In the meantime, if you can get some ice chips on it, that will help with swelling. That's after the stinger is removed.

 

[JadeComputerGal]

@casportpony , @Amiga , @Miss Lydia , @WVduckchick , @jtn42248

 

[PotatoWaffles]

I will try to check her mouth now. She's standing but constantly peeping softly. I have no Benadryl, just Claritin. Closest store is half an hour away, and I have no ice in the house, no ice maker :/