HELP-What is the most nutritious feed for a duckling that.....

[chickensioux]

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No, no please do not think I was offended. I am so opened minded to any and all opinions and info I can get. I will post a pic of her with her full "crop" or throat and get your opinion. I am open to all help I can get. I want her to live so bad but I am also an animal health technician and I am being realistic too.

 

[CityChicker]

Wow! I got the pic you sent. Maybe you can go ahead and post it here too in case someone has seen that before. It definitely looks to me like some sort of subcutaneous emphysema, basically air trapped under the skin. I have never seen that in a duckling, but anything is possible. I would research it online, but I am headed out right now. Google "subcutaneous emphysema" though and see if you can find something about birds with it.

Everything else is fine? Droppings are fine? Eating is fine? I am inclined to think that the bird has some sort of obstruction and/or injury and when she is eating, air is escaping under the tissue. Why she is not growing, I have no idea at this point.

The fact that she is still alive though would indicate that her digestion is not totally shut down. I wonder if she could have swallowed something that injured her enough to cause the issue with the air (at least it looks like air to me) and yet is not completely blocking her digestive tract.

 

[Sweetfolly]

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If it was caused by an injury, I would think that the stress being caused and the energy being leeched from that would stunt growth - if the body's working so hard to function with an abnormality, it just doesn't have the resources for normal development to progress. Fix the underlying issues, and normal growth should resume, shouldn't it?

 

[chickensioux]

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If it was caused by an injury, I would think that the stress being caused and the energy being leeched from that would stunt growth - if the body's working so hard to function with an abnormality, it just doesn't have the resources for normal development to progress. Fix the underlying issues, and normal growth should resume, shouldn't it?

What do you mean? Fix what? I will post the pic on here and see what you think. It's really bizarre that everything else with this little duckling is normal. Eating, drinking, pooping, swimming, etc....everything.
I, too think that all energy is spent surviving, not growing. But what else can I do. I took her to a vet that works on all the animals at our wild animal sanctuary. She seemed knowledgeable. ???????

 

[chickensioux]

Here is a pic of "Micro Duck's" strange anomaly:

It is like this after she eats, and normal looking before. She gasps for air when it is "full" and breathes normal when its not.....|??????

 

[taraann81]

Just a guess what about something that like diverticulitus(spelling?) but in the esophagus. A malformation of the esophagus (like a pouch) that collects food and when full constricts the esophagus slightly causing the duckling to gasp for breath?

Growth stunted because....umm. I don't know. Its just the first thing that came to my mind.

 

[waibel zoo]

Maybe catch the interest of a professor at a local University. Or a prestigeous vet in the area. Might get you some free expert opinions.

 

[CityChicker]

I agree. Maybe one of the universities near you can do some testing on your duckling for free. If not, there are other places you can use and send samples to yourself like Avian Biotech or University of Miami. The cost can be quite high though depending on what all you have tested.

Based on all the information, I am leaning towards some sort of obstruction at this point. If it were a significant impaction, she wouldn't have made it a month most likely. If it were something like cocci (which can stunt growth), there would mostly likely by blood in the stool and/or listlessness.

If it were bacterial, she would probably have the swelling all the time, not just when she eats. If it were entirely genetic, I don't know why she would have the swelling just after eating either. Through the process of elimination, I am betting there is an obstruction that is causing air to escape under the skin when she is eating. It may be just enough that she is getting enough nutrition to live, but not to grow.

Could your vet do an x-ray to see if there is something obvious in there? If it is an impaction or obstruction, you can use oil (like Cod liver) and a gavage needle (blunt tip usually curved needle) to try to loosen it with massage. I have done this successfully, but unfortunately lost babies doing it too. If it is something rigid like a screw or something, it would have to be done surgically.

It is just so hard to say what it could be. Really, it could very possibly be a combination of things going on. At any rate, I so hope she pulls through! She obviously is a strong bird to make it this long.

 

[chickensioux]

Good morning. We know it is not parasitic, there was a fecal done during vet visit. I know that if it is an obstruction, it won't be something like a screw, etc. because this started almost immediately after they arrived and they were in a brooder in my house. If it is an obstruction, it most likely is some pine that I was using in the brooder. Would that stay in there that long?
Doing any type of surgery or manipulation on her scares me to death especially since you mention you losing a few during this process.
I am so torn on what to do with this baby. She is surviving and happily so if I did something to change that or lost her, I would just shoot myself (not literally, but you know what I mean).
She's such a little booger. She leads the way. They are now living on my screened in back patio so I can still keep an eye on them. I'll look out and she alone is in the big tupperware pool I have out there for them. Just swimming around and having fun.
I'm leaning more and more toward just playing the wait and see game. I will try some oil and if something is in there, that might loosen it. I have massaged this area, she doesn't like that.
I'll keep you all posted and thanks Citychicker for all your thoughts and knowledge.