Help, are Buttercups poisonous to Ducks?

[bilsie]

All four escaped the garden enclosure and I think may have eaten buttercups. Topknot is having spasms at the bottom of her throat and opening her mouth wide - if she was human I would think she was trying to throw up. Are they poisonous, is there anything I can do? This has just happened.

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

I don't know about the poison, but your duck might have a stick or something lodged in the throat. I'd take a closer look to see if you can help.

 

[Frank Phinster]

Some species of buttercup are poisonous. According to the website I consulted it seems not to be necessarily lethal. Typical signs of buttercup poisoning are vomiting, diarreah and disturbances of the nervous system.

I hope your duck recovers!

 

[Amiga]

I would give food grade activated charcoal - a tablespoon in a quart of water - it absorbs toxins, and take a really good look at her neck, see if there is any obstruction.

I would not force it, just offer her the water to drink.

Sometimes Sieben does weird things - I think she may be prone to indigestion, so it may not be poisoning, but it is good you are watching.

How is she looking now?

 

[bilsie]

I have been out several times, she has eaten some pieces of dandelion, I have seen her drinking and now she is laying down with the others. I think she is going to be O.K. She did give me a fright. This is my first venture with ducks but I have already decided I would like to try and breed a new flock next spring. Of my four backyard mixes, Topknot and one other are Saxony, the other two are mostly Cayuga. Topknot has a lovely crest and so even though I still don't know what sex I would like some progeny from him/her. Amiga do you keep charcoal on hand all the time and use it often? Should I stock up? Thanks everyone for your help.

 

[Amiga]

I have been out several times, she has eaten some pieces of dandelion, I have seen her drinking and now she is laying down with the others. I think she is going to be O.K. She did give me a fright. This is my first venture with ducks but I have already decided I would like to try and breed a new flock next spring. Of my four backyard mixes, Topknot and one other are Saxony, the other two are mostly Cayuga. Topknot has a lovely crest and so even though I still don't know what sex I would like some progeny from him/her. Amiga do you keep charcoal on hand all the time and use it often? Should I stock up? Thanks everyone for your help.

Yes, charcoal and Epsom salt are two things I keep on hand. There is a very good - lengthy - sticky about our duck medicine cabinets, ideal or real. But to simplify, so far I have only needed to treat bumblefoot, sprains, a suspected poisoning, and the blahs. Oh, and some scrapes. And a prolapse (I took Sechs to the vet for that) Indirectly, I have learned about all kinds of health issues through the Duck Forum and I am grateful to everyone who shares.

Other things that come to mind that are handy are triple antibiotic ointment without painkiller, clear iodine, vet wrap, comfrey salve. Traumeel and Vetericyn are pricey but helpful, too.

I know this is more than you asked, but I reckoned it might not do any harm to expand on the question a bit.

I will see if I can upload the video I took of Sieben having some kind of digestive problem, if that is what it was. She worried me. That was a month or two ago. She seems fine.