Help! Duck is having some sort of fits?

[Duxie]

Hello fellow duck owners! and greetings from Finland (Scandinavia)! This is a great site with many duck smart people and I'm worried about one of our ducks so maybe someone can help?

She has been having these strange fits. She stretches her neck upwards and it seems like her chest is pounding. She don't seem to be gasping for air though. It's more like she's trying to swallow something. At worst this behaviour can go on up to an hour. Afterwards she doesn't seem tired or anything, just her normal self. She eats and drinks normally.

We bought the ducks in the beginning of August and right away we noticed these symptoms. It kept on for a week and then it stopped. We didn't see any symptoms for a month.. and were so glad. But now it happened again a couple of days ago. What could be wrong with the little duck? Any ideas? I've already posted on a similar forum here in Finland but nobody could help. I also tried to consult the breeder but she didn't have a clue either.

Here's a video:

http://youtu.be/CarfZgOfP5A

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hello fellow duck owners! and greetings from Finland (Scandinavia)! This is a great site with many duck smart people and I'm worried about one of our ducks so maybe someone can help?

She has been having these strange fits. She stretches her neck upwards and it seems like her chest is pounding. She don't seem to be gasping for air though. It's more like she's trying to swallow something. At worst this behaviour can go on up to an hour. Afterwards she doesn't seem tired or anything, just her normal self. She eats and drinks normally.

We bought the ducks in the beginning of August and right away we noticed these symptoms. It kept on for a week and then it stopped. We didn't see any symptoms for a month.. and were so glad. But now it happened again a couple of days ago. What could be wrong with the little duck? Any ideas? I've already posted on a similar forum here in Finland but nobody could help. I also tried to consult the breeder but she didn't have a clue either.

Here's a video:

http://youtu.be/CarfZgOfP5A

I've never seen anything like this, so I can't offer much but have you actually looked into her mouth and throat to see if something maybe caught in there I have read where people have pulled twine and string out of their ducks and geese before. Just a thought though. Only other suggestion would be a good vet. Strange that after these episodes she is back to normal.


Welcome to BYC. At least with me answering your thread maybe it will catch someone eye that maybe able to help.

Very pretty ducks

 

[smonkeySK]

Does she make any noise while doing this?
It certainly doesn't seem like a fit; she seems to be in control of her faculties while it is happening.
I'd do what miss Lydia suggested and check the throat. Beyond that it could just be something she does - ducks can be strange things that behave in the oddest of ways!

Check the throat and if you can't find anything then I would just monitor the bird for frequency and severity of these occurrences.

Hopefully it's nothing

 

[Amykins]

It seems like she's coughing. I'm with Smonkey, does she make a noise when she does that? If so, or she shakes her head, sneezes more often than usual, etc. it could be an upper respiratory infection. Wobbles didn't show many outward signs of malaise either, but her bacterial culture proved otherwise.

 

[Amiga]

I also am wondering if there is a respiratory infection, perhaps gape worm? Or, if she is sensitive to low niacin levels, could be a neurological tic, and some extra B vitamins might help.