HELP! I think my duck is dying!

[AnnaLease]

Yesterday afternoon and evening I noticed my call drake sitting in the grass while the other ducks were running around a long ways away. This was really strange! He has never been inactive like this! I was hoping he would snap out of it and be fine today, but when I let the ducks out of the duck house this morning, he ran into the door on his way out, stumbled a few steps, a did a summersault. His head is moving around in circles like he's dizzy and he doesn't have any balance, and he just looks like he's dizzy and swooning! What is the matter!?!? After I post this I am going to put him in a nice little box, till I get some replies. Thanks!

 

[veronicasmom]

Do you have a vet you can call? Sounds possibly like he ingested something toxic. You can search for threads on here about toxicity or accidental poisoning. I know others have had similar situations. Good luck.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Botulism will happen very quickly, has bright green and very very smelly droppings, and has the nickname "limberneck" because it causes a limber neck and paralysis.

In any case, very smelly droppings mean a very strong bacterial infection in the digestive tract.

In case it was botulism, you can do a flush. This is one of the rare cases where I'd even suggest using a flush to flush otu whatever bad bacteria have taken over her gut. Then she MUST have good bacteria to replace it, and nutrition.

Two solutions recommended by MSU that I have used are the molasses and the epsom salt flush.

For molasses, it's 2 cups of molasses per 5 gallons of water. (That's 16 ounces of molasses per 5 gallons of water -> less than a 1/2 cup of molasses (0.4 cups) per one gallon of water. Since she can't drink, use the solution. This is also one heaping teaspoon per cup of water. Warm.

For epsom salt, 1 teaspoon of Epsom Salt in 1 fl oz water.

(reference: http://msucares.com/poultry/diseases/solutions.html )

One of the ways you tell if it's botulism can be pulling at some feathers. If they come out easily and you're seeing these symptoms, it's botulism. It still could be. Clostridium is a VERY smelly bacteria and is very hard to treat, and not treatable like most bacteria because it's gram positive. If you smell it, it can sometimes run you out of the room. Does this sound right?

Note: flushing is VERY VERY stressful to their systems. But at her rate, it she might not get much better - and I really can't tell from here, and might not be able to tell from there honestly. But if you decide to flush, you just give that fluid in the crop. You'll use a long dropper. If you look in a chicken's mouth, you'll see the main big throat. Also you'll see a hole that opens and closes as the bird breaths. That's their air hole. You must get past that air hole with the dropper so that you empty the syringe or dropper into the actual crop and don't drown her. Unless you can get her to swallow the water (maybe with molasses, doubtful with epsoms).

She'll need probiotics (plain yogurt), and food after this. The treatment itself could kill her. But if you feel this is life or death and truly feel it's botulism and feel you have no other choice, at least there's this.

It's a tough call. I wish we could know if she got into something for sure.

Edited by threehorses - 7/11/09 at 8:41pm

 

[AnnaLease]

Yes, from what I've been reading, it is definitely poisoning from something. He is in the house in a box with food and water with epsom salt in. I will keep you updated. Thanks! What would I do without BYC?

 

[NovaAman]

Oh, good luck!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I hope he makes it.

 

[AnnaLease]

He made it through the day. No worse, no better. We'll see if he is still alive in the morning. I hope so.

 

[AnnaLease]

He's still alive, but when I just checked on him, he seemed worse - really dizzy. He has been standing still most of the time, previously.

 

[AnnaLease]

He died yesterday morning. I noticed that he seemed to be partially paralyzed shortly before he died. I was putting epsom salt and molasses in his water. I wasn't able to get some charcoal, so he didn't have that to help him.

 

[Miss Lydia]

He died yesterday morning. I noticed that he seemed to be partially paralyzed shortly before he died. I was putting epsom salt and molasses in his water. I wasn't able to get some charcoal, so he didn't have that to help him.

I am so sorry to hear you lost him. You did all you could for him.