Giving oral medication to ducks, cannot get mouth open

[Mushishi]

Hello, I'm trying to give my ducks oral liquid medication, and I csnt find any resources to safely show how to open the mouth of the duck without injuring it, if that doesn't work, is it possible to give the medication via other means, like mixing it with food or water?

 

[fatty and friends]

i’ve heard of people putting the medicine in (half, so they don’t choke) of a cherry tomato

 

[casportpony]

Ducks are pretty tuff. Do you have anyone that can hold the duck for you?

 

[casportpony]

@BantyChooks, how do you open a ducks mouth?

 

[SolarDuck]

Here is how I do it
https://youtube.com/shorts/y5UgqNsZDvo

 

[casportpony]

Here is how I do it
https://youtube.com/shorts/y5UgqNsZDvo

Awesome video!

 

[BantyChooks]

Here is how I do it
https://youtube.com/shorts/y5UgqNsZDvo

I do this exactly the same way, inserting my thumb in the corner of their mouth to keep their bill open.

 

[KaleIAm]

Here is how I do it
https://youtube.com/shorts/y5UgqNsZDvo

I also do it like this. "Sitting" on the duck is a critical step for me. Obviously don't actually put any weight on your bird. But it lets you hold your duck with your legs and gives you two hands free.

My duck is pretty angry with me right now and has, in the last week, started clamping her bill closed. She takes meds twice daily for life, so she has a right to be disgruntled. If I gently extend her head back it is easier to gently pry her bill open, and slide my fingers down to the base of her bill to make it wider and hold it open. I control her head. I hold on firmly and gently.

I have also seen veterinarians use soft spatulas, like the kind you would use to get sauce off a bowl, to pry open a bird's mouth. Wiggle it in flat and then twist the spatula to open. I've never needed one with a duck.

@Mushishi I see you are giving liquid medication. Right now I am as well. But if you ever are giving tablets and your ducks like tomatoes it is so easy to stick the tablet right inside a halved grape tomato right before handing it to your duck. I just cut off the very top of the tomatoes, then slice off part of the tomato so I am left with one complete intact lobe. Slide the tablet or capsule inside, and feed it to my ducks within seconds.