Help for Babette Duck please

[WriterofWords]

When I came home early Saturday morning I couldn't find Babette. I found her later on hiding behind a pallet and shaking, I think a night time predator made a grab for her but there are no injuries that I can see. The problem is she is having trouble eating. It's like she is sticking her bill in the food, moving it around but not picking up anything. I got some smashed well cooked squash down her but it was hard for her to eat. I looked inside her bill for injuries but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. I'm looking for suggestions for what to look for. Babette is the only surviving offspring of Hershey and Twinkie, Hershey was one of my ducks that was stolen, her mother.

 

[b.hromada]

I wish I had an answer for you.

Someone should come along with more insight into this for you.

 

[WriterofWords]

Thank you, hopefully someone will have an idea or suggestion to check for or try.

 

[WriterofWords]

She bobs her head and sticks her bill in the food, opens and closes rapidly but small, doesn't pick up a lot though, may have trouble swallowing.

 

[seminolewind]

Do you think she might have brain damage or poor eyesight? Try giving her some bread out your hand. Maybe she was injured if she didn't do it before. If someone's not eating I usually give them a quiet pen with food and water to see if that helps.

 

[WriterofWords]

I don't think it's brain damage, she walks and acts fine except a little shaky, less shaky this morning.

 

[seminolewind]

Moisten the food or make mush out of it, it might help. Could she have had a heat stroke?

 

[WriterofWords]

Friday night when I left for the Speedway I fed and she was fine. When I got home at 2am all the ducks greeted me except her. I looked everywhere with a flashlight but couldn't find her, the other ducks were acting nervous so I was afraid some predator might have come in and gotten her. In the morning I saw her out of the front door window and she was getting a drink, by the time I got my clothes on and got out there she was hiding. I found her several hours later hiding inside a pallet that is standing on it's side. I brought her out and took her to water, she stuck her bill and acted like she was trying to drink but nothing was happening. She doesn't show any signs of injury, she's shaky meaning trembling but not violently. When I fed Saturday evening she looked at the food but didn't try and eat until I put it in a bowl and held it up to her, then she was moving her bill, again like she was trying to eat but it wasn't working. I cooked her some squash because she loves it, held the bowl and she had better luck getting some of that picked up and kind of swallowed. She dropped a lot of it and seemed to be having trouble swallowing. I checked her mouth for foreign objects or string or anything tied around her tongue and didn't see anything. She is moving around but slowly, she is mainly standing under a bush by the front porch watching everyone else. Quack and Twinkie are watching over her and making sure no one bothers her but Quack is obviously stressed out over her conditions and quacks at me like I should be able to help her in his eyes.

 

[WriterofWords]

Babette just had mashed squash and rice, it was hard for her but she managed to eat quite a bit. I think her neck and or throat are injured. She turns her head kind of funny and stiff and shakes when she does it.

 

[Funky Feathers]

1) she is probably in shock from the attack
2) when a fox grabs a duck he grabs her by the throat & runs off with her or tries to climb a fence w/her- probably crushed/damaged her throat.
3) Can you look down her throat with a pen light to look for damage?
4) You may have to tube feed her (past the injury) until she heals & can swallow.