Found this spot on Pete..

[PetesMom]

He is obviously plucking his feathers or something. It's only on the one side, under his wing, and under the "longer side belly feathers" (not sure of the right duck terms) Sorry for the crappy cell pics, I didn't have the real camera with me today It's bald and some spots have this yellow crusty type scab on it...I don't see any lice on him.

 

[Miss Lydia]

He is obviously plucking his feathers or something. It's only on the one side, under his wing, and under the "longer side belly feathers" (not sure of the right duck terms) Sorry for the crappy cell pics, I didn't have the real camera with me today It's bald and some spots have this yellow crusty type scab on it...I don't see any lice on him.

Okay I am only guessing but you have dogs so you probably know they can have sepration anxiety and other emotional problems, I am wondering if Pete isn't having something like this? you said you took Pete to live at your boy friend parents house because they have chickens? I'm sure that was trmatic for Pete, he was separated from you and his dog friend, and now he has 2 new ducks that he has to get use to, plus he really isn't sure what he is a duck or a dog. so I'd say Pete is having suffering from PTSD, don't laugh it is probably true. I had a dachshund that when he got stressed out would lick his foot till he had it raw and bleeding. animals suffer stress. Think back to when all this started and see if you can draw any conclusions from this. I'm not blaming you for this but just think about all Pete has had to deal with lately. Ducks like Routine and calm quiet atmosphere, maybe his life has been a little to hectic lately. Just guessing though. I'd still get him some Nutri Drench and add it to his water, if he is having stress issues he needs so vitamins to help him through

 

[PetesMom]

Okay I am only guessing but you have dogs so you probably know they can have sepration anxiety and other emotional problems, I am wondering if Pete isn't having something like this? you said you took Pete to live at your boy friend parents house because they have chickens? I'm sure that was trmatic for Pete, he was separated from you and his dog friend, and now he has 2 new ducks that he has to get use to, plus he really isn't sure what he is a duck or a dog. so I'd say Pete is having suffering from PTSD, don't laugh it is probably true. I had a dachshund that when he got stressed out would lick his foot till he had it raw and bleeding. animals suffer stress. Think back to when all this started and see if you can draw any conclusions from this. I'm not blaming you for this but just think about all Pete has had to deal with lately. Ducks like Routine and calm quiet atmosphere, maybe his life has been a little to hectic lately. Just guessing though. I'd still get him some Nutri Drench and add it to his water, if he is having stress issues he needs so vitamins to help him through

This started almost 2 months ago, while he was still at home and nothing changed though.

 

[Amiga]

I still think it may be where he was bitten, stung or abraded. I would put some triple antibiotic on the place and see if that might soothe the skin. I doubt it would hurt anything. Some kind of soothing ointment would be my next choice. I have read that ointments with painkillers are a no-no for ducks, so be careful.

 

[PetesMom]

Thank you! Something like neosporin?

 

[Miss Lydia]

This started almost 2 months ago, while he was still at home and nothing changed though.

If he has acsess to a pool to bath then i doubt he has any kind of external parasite. but there has to be a reason for him to do this to himself. Maybe try putting something on it that doesn't taste good to try to break him of doing it. I don't know what you could use though. Is he left alone alot? Ducks really do like the companionship of other ducks.

 

[Amiga]

Thank you! Something like neosporin?

I would try a little neosporin. And I take Miss Lydia's suggestions seriously. It may well be that he's just having, well, for lack of a better term, emotional trauma, so I would look into ways to help him out there, too. Can he be reunited with his buddy?

 

[PetesMom]

If he has acsess to a pool to bath then i doubt he has any kind of external parasite. but there has to be a reason for him to do this to himself. Maybe try putting something on it that doesn't taste good to try to break him of doing it. I don't know what you could use though. Is he left alone alot? Ducks really do like the companionship of other ducks.

This spinning stuff started about 2 months ago, so him being separated from the dogs I don't think is the problem because he was moved from the house to his coop back in, I think it was August? And he didn't have a pool all winter He had a bucket of water though which I "read" was sufficient enough as long as it was deep enough for him to stick his head in, which it was. And we stuck a mirror in his coop, which he loved. But I know this probably wasn't sufficient enough I feel really really bad because, like I said before, I feel as if I caused this. Stupid newbie owners not knowing a **** thing about ducks just getting one But he is my baby and I am willing to do anything, he's got me hooked on ducks

 

[azhenhouse]

Have you checked around his vent area, at night? Our chickens had mites and the spots on one of my roosters looked a little like this and it left crusty spots on him. Mites really like the vent area, and under the wings. The best time to see mites is at night with a bright flashlight. Mites usually hide during the day and come out at night to feed on poultry. However, if he is bathing on a regular basis now I don't think he would have them. Check anyway, it wouldn't hurt. If it is not mites maybe the dog accidentally scratched him, and it's a little infected? The antibiotic ointment would help with that. Is he molting or did he just go through a molt? If so, maybe is feathers growing back in are irritating him, and he keeps pecking and pulling at them.

I agree with Miss Lydia, ducks have a routine. Our ducks are always waiting for us to let them out in the morning, which is usually around 8:30am. They quack, and scurry around the coop as soon as they hear us coming. We barely get the door open before they come waddling out as fast as they can. A couple of times now we have had to let them out at 6:00am which is way before their normal time, and they just lay there looking at us like we are crazy for being out so early in the morning. They don't even bother getting up until after we have their food and water bowls ready.

Anyway, don't beat yourself up. We have all made mistakes along the way while raising our poultry. I hope you can find out what is bothering the little guy.

 

[PetesMom]

I haven't looked at his vent. I mean up close anyways. It looks, from somewhat of a distance(as I watch him waddle around) really dirty, like a blackish color. We kept his coop clean all winter but he never had access to a pool all winter so I don't know if that would cause any harm or not