Help with my baby duck please!!

[Linds982]

Hi everyone,
I have a rescued baby wood duck, and just so everyone knows I am rehabilitating then releasing this duck(on my pond), even though I am so attached
I had a scare 2 weeks ago or so, it was niacin deficiency-and thankfully, with vitamin supplements that has seemingly righted itself.

Now I have a problem that has me afraid-tonight he is listless. He'll eat(bugs only) but only when I put them in front of him. He's not playing his favorite game of chase them then eat them. He is too cold to touch-he is a baby, but I had taken his heat away-he is about the size of my outstretched hand-because I thought he was past that-
He is a little ataxic, too-flips over on his side some when he walks-that part is similar to the niacin deficiency, but thats the only similarity
I have a feeling that he's not drinking his water, and when I put him in his baby pool, he just sits there.

I have been doing research, and I thought that since I have been feeding him a mix of bought crickets, moths we catch, and other bugs he hunts down, that he got into a poisoned bug from next door where they do spray something around the outside of the house only, of that he got into a trash beetle or something like it.
Any ideas? I even thought about lead poising, because he does like to bite at mud a little.

Also, I have syringe fed him a little water, but if he is dehydrated, which of those toxin remedies would be best?
I put the lamp back up, with room for him to get away from it, but he's staying there. Still, even with that, he's too cool.

I have a new bottle of liquid amoxi drops, does anyone know if I can give that, just in case?

Any help or ideas would be appreciated,

Thanks!

Linds

 

[Amiga]

A rehabber could help you the most, I feel. They know how to raise and prepare ducklings for return to nature.

Meanwhile, I would drop back and get a wide-spectrum, complete feed from the feed store. Mazuri makes waterfowl food. And I would get poultry vitamins-electrolytes-probiotics to put in the water twice a week.

I would read the ducklings thread, https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/750869/raising-and-caring-for-ducklings#post_10611711

and get the heat back on according to guidelines.

 

[Linds982]

Thank you for your help. I am a mammal rehabber and semi new to ducks, but even the avian rehabilitators around here will not touch wood ducks. Period. They say they can't make them live. There is very little info on feeding wood ducks online or anywhere else, but he will definitely not eat Mazuri waterfowl starter or anything else besides bugs. Along with the vitamins I had already added when we had the niacin deficiency scare, I got a few other supplements from the feed store today. I am also going to do the epsom salt thing. I am under the supervision of a veterinarian, I was just hoping for something to get me through to tomorrow.

 

[Amiga]

How about you edit the title to say something like Rehabbing wood duckling first time need answers?

If it is poisoning, then a slurry of activated charcoal - a food grade supplement - may help. If metal, something to chelate it, cannot recall the material recommended.

 

[Linds982]

Ok, thanks for your help and advice.

 

[Carcajou]

Best of luck with your noble and blessed efforts, and

 

[Linds982]

Thank you. He will not take anything by mouth now-things were actually looking up just a little, and just for a few minutes I was at peace about it-he ate several crickets, drank water by himself, and all of the sudden he is totally listless. He will not stand, and he seems to actually be balancing his head on his body. I had put him back on heat yesterday, but he still does not maintain body temp-he is cold to touch. Since he will not take anything by mouth, I can't give the activated charcoal remedy or the epsom salts. I just don't know what else to do. I just want to do something. I have sq fluids that I use in mammals, I just don't know which kind I should use right now. All I have on hand is injectable baytril and oral amoxi liquid that I am giving to other non-avian cases.
He seems to be having a hard time holding his head up.

 

[Linds982]

What I meant to say is that he is back under his lamp. Uggh. Anyone have any ideas? I know his situation seems so grim, I just don't want to give up.

 

[Linds982]

Ok I went outside and he was dead, I was going to try as a last resort to get some amoxi down him somehow, I just founf that it is ok to give amoxi. But I am absolutely devastated, he was my buddy. If anyone has any ideas as to what it could have been, I would love to hear them. Thanks everyone for all of your advice.

 

[Carcajou]