Foamy eyes + voice change

[Bad_Bobby2009]

Hello, Duck Community!

This is my lovely 2 years old boy. He's living in my flat since I found him stranded and helpless in a forest as a little baby. He has one leg injured since 1 month old and he's barely walking, but I'm doing my best to keep him happy and helthy. He loves to have a regular swims at the nearby dam. For some time now his eyes are getting foamy, especially after swimming. And he has access to water, deep enough to put his whole head in it, at least 3-4 times a day. Since last week he just don't want to do it. For that period of time, his voice changed - became very thin, almost like a baby duck voice. Should I worry about this? What should I do about it? Beside that, he looks well and eat well.

 

[Miss Lydia]

What a special relationship you two have. Can you tell what you feed Bobby, and do give him him supplements? Usually foamy eyes can mean he isn’t cleaning them out by dunking his head or he has a sinus infection. Do you have any idea how much he weighs he looks chubby in the video which can cause them to have leg issues and then to have an injury already since tiny. Loved the video!

 

[Bad_Bobby2009]

What a special relationship you two have. Can you tell what you feed Bobby, and do give him him supplements? Usually foamy eyes can mean he isn’t cleaning them out by dunking his head or he has a sinus infection. Do you have any idea how much he weighs he looks chubby in the video which can cause them to have leg issues and then to have an injury already since tiny. Loved the video!

Thanks, Miss Lydia! I've tried to give him some special foods with supplements several times, but he just don't want them. Boy is very picky. So he's taking some Introvit vitamins through his drinking water, from time to time. His main diet contains mostly sunflower seeds and a lot of fruits and veggies. Sometimes fish. He hates corn. In any shape and form.
He wights around 3,700 kg.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I’d give him head dunking water all the time, I know they are messy but they dunk their heads a lot keeps their nares an eyes clean an healthy. Can you get Apple cider vinegar? That is an excellent tonic and can even kill certain bacteria. 1 tab to a gallon of water. Also he needs a diet formulated for poultry a feed specifically. Sunflower seeds have nutrition but the SF seeds and fruit and veggies are probably not giving him all he needs and niacin deficiency can cause lameness. Oh I put ACV in the drinking buckets of my flock a couple times a week. If you could get Nutritional yeast an sprinkle some over his feed he may eat it my flock love it. 1 tablespoon per cup of feed. It would def be worth trying these things.

 

[Bad_Bobby2009]

Thanks again! We have an update. We did a microbiology test and as a result came out that he has a conjunctivitis. So the vet ordered a Hidrocortisone eye drops. 6th day, no effect so far... :/

 

[Miss Lydia]

I hope they clear it up. Be sure to let him have water deep enough to wash his head in. Use the eye drops right before bedtime too so he has them in over night. It’s about the only time we can keep the birds dry.

 

[Bad_Bobby2009]

The vet has ordered to use the eye drops 4-5 times a day. What I find really strange is that for the last 2 weeks, he's doing he's best to avoid the water, deep enough to dip his head in it. He only drinks from it.

 

[Miss Lydia]

What about when he gets a bath will he dip his head then? That’s good about the drops. Hopefully they will clear it up!

 

[Bad_Bobby2009]

The last time we were at the dam for a swim - he didn't. A few days later he took a bath at home, and he just relaxed at the bathtub. No head dip in the water.

 

[Bad_Bobby2009]

That’s good about the drops. Hopefully they will clear it up!

That's true. But as I said, we're in a 6th day, and so far no effect. The vet said to use the eye drops for a 7 days period. And while avoiding to dip his head, i'm afraid about his nose and sinuses. He's not cleaning it from feathers and stuff like that.