Help - Sick Saxony Duck

[MIDuckLady]

Gretel just started slowing down 3 days ago and didn’t want to leave the pond with the rest of the flock at dusk. She slowly came up after a couple hours. Next night I chased her up and she stopped halfway and I was able to pick her up and put her in with the others. I’ve not seen her actively foraging with the others for 2 days. Tonight she was even slower to move and her breathing seemed labored.
She is 4 months old now and her twin sister and others in the flock are all just fine. No obvious sign of any injury / infection
We have no Avian Vets in the area and I’m at a loss as to what is wrong with her.
Last year I lost 5 Saxony ducks to botulism with them ingesting something I flooded areas around here - so I’m very scared for her. When that happened they were unable to hold there necks up or walk far at all.

Any ideas?

 

[Texag87]

Egg bound ?

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Egg bound ?

My first thought too! - Who knows most about this?

 

[Texag87]

@casportpony @Miss Lydia @WVduckchick

 

[casportpony]

What does her poop look like?

 

[Texag87]

I our poop expert.​

 

[MIDuckLady]

What does her poop look like?

Can’t tell, poop not seen recently. She is very week and limp this morning. I’ve left her in the coop in a large nesting tub. Breathing is more labored and I fear I will need to take her to local Vet for euthanasia today.

 

[Miss Lydia]

You don’t think there is any hope for her? At 4 months has she laid yet? So very sorry did you see any poop?

 

[MIDuckLady]

You don’t think there is any hope for her? At 4 months has she laid yet? So very sorry did you see any poop?

Hello Miss Lydia , Gretel has never laid an egg nor has her hatch twin. From all I have read on symptoms of egg bound ducks I must treat that as a real possibility. I took her out of the nesting box this morning and put her alone in a clean tub of warm water with a few meal worms so I can tell if she does poop or eat any. So far she has not. She is drinking. I did check for any signs of egg obstruction and found nothing. I’m going to go out and get a syringe to attempt to force feed her something soon.
Any suggestions as to what I should try and give her?
Will mineral oil help.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Not knowing if she is egg bound at 4 months makes it hard to know what to do for her. Letting her soak in warm water is good. plus if she is drinking you could dissolve some calcium into some warm water and see if she'll drink it. Calcium gluconate is best for this but any calcium is good if that's all you have. Even crushed up tums. She looks to be holding her head up okay? We do have a thread about flushes if you think she may have ingested a toxin. as for syringe feeding you have to be very careful you don't want her to get any of this down into her lungs if she aspirates then that creates another serious problem. When did she eat last?

here is the thread on flushes https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/flushes-for-aiding-in-toxin-removal.700526/