Gapeworm?

[PicklesMom]

One of our Pekins, Susan, who is about 6 months old, started to make a funny cough/squeak sound about 5 days back. She is also usually our loudest and most obnoxious quacker and was pretty quiet all of a sudden. I was planning to call the vet tomorrow after the long weekend, because a video I'd found online of a duck with a similar sound seemed to be gapeworm, but since yesterday her loud quack is back and she only rarely makes a squeak/bark. The others seem fine and she has no discharge, strange head movements, or labored breathing. My thought is that gapeworm probably wouldn't be getting better but I've never dealt with it and would hate to miss it. I wonder if our drake who is just starting to mate and rather large may have accidentally injured her a bit?
Appreciate any advice!

 

[KaleIAm]

I don't have any experience with gapeworm, but I have read other members reporting that their ducks "lost their quack" after vigorous mating. It seems that the excessive pressure on the neck can affect the voice.

I don't want to frighten you, but one of my ducks also "lost her quack" when she developed aspergillosis. Our vet could hear respiratory changes with a stethoscope, and also see growths on her radiographs. This is probably unlikely.

 

[Isaac 0]

Out of problems the can affect the respiratory aspect, gapeworm is one of the least common ones to be seen. If you heard a loud cough, shortly followed by a squeak, it's plausible she was suffering from stridor. That is characterized by a high pitch squeak an animal makes when there is a partial obstruction of the airway. Several conditions can cause obstruction of the airway, but inhalation of seed, feed, or other matter is most common. In most cases, the stridor will only last for a day at most, then disappear.

 

[PicklesMom]

Thanks so much. I hate to ignore something urgent but the vet is a 45 minute drive each way so I hate to overreact and haul her out there, too. I'll keep a close eye on her.

 

[Isaac 0]

Thanks so much. I hate to ignore something urgent but the vet is a 45 minute drive each way so I hate to overreact and haul her out there, too. I'll keep a close eye on her.

@PicklesMom , how is your duck doing?

 

[PicklesMom]

@PicklesMom , how is your duck doing?

Thanks for asking, she's quacking like her old self and I haven't heard a squeak in a few days. I am thinking her large boyfriend may have been to blame

 

[Isaac 0]

Thanks for asking, she's quacking like her old self and I haven't heard a squeak in a few days. I am thinking her large boyfriend may have been to blame

Happy to hear she's made an improvement.