Gapeworm?

[newbabyducks322]

My pekin duck has not been doing so good. I don't know how she would have gotten gapeworm, but she seems to have a lot of the symptoms. She shakes her head, wont eat her food (though she still eats the grass) and seems weaker than my other duck. I don't know what to do! How should I treat her? Could it possibly be something else and I'm just jumping to conclusions? Her voice is very weak and she's lost a lot of weight. I am very concerned for her. She isn't even a year old, only about 10 months max.

 

[Messica]

I had a chicken last year I thought had gape worm even though everyone said it was so rare it was unlikely. Her symptoms included open mouth breathing and gasping though. To check for gapeworm I was instructed to gently swab her throat (about an inch down) with a q-tip. If gape infestation is the cause you'll bring some up on the swab and then you can treat accordingly.

There are lots of things that can cause what you're describing. Worming without being absolutely sure can cause undue stress to birds who are already weak.

What do her droppings look like? Have you checked her ears for infection? Mites? Was she or is she still laying? How does crop feel and what are you feeding her?

 

[newbabyducks322]

I haven't seen her droppings and she isn't laying at the moment. I'll check for mites and her ears for infection ASAP. I am feeding her Mazuri waterfowl maintenance. How should I swab her throat? How should I handle her so she wont move and she wont feel stressed about what I'm doing?