HELP!!!

[ZooMommy]

My daughters and I got 3 ducklings at a local feed store a few weeks ago. I noticed some issues with my oldest daughter's duck - turning head, falling over etc. I was advised on here to start a vitamin suppliment which I did the next day. The duckling had been improving and I was finally starting to feel relieved that the problem had been such an easy fix. She was steady on her feet her neck was almost straight and she hadn't fallen over in over a week. This morning I stated noticing she was acting "off" again. Now she is falling all over the place her head is upside down and she is using the top of her head to help hold her up. When you look at her you see the underside of her bill. I am scared to death and have no idea what to do. She took a total turn today. What do I do?

 

[countrygirl74]

My daughters and I got 3 ducklings at a local feed store a few weeks ago. I noticed some issues with my oldest daughter's duck - turning head, falling over etc. I was advised on here to start a vitamin suppliment which I did the next day. The duckling had been improving and I was finally starting to feel relieved that the problem had been such an easy fix. She was steady on her feet her neck was almost straight and she hadn't fallen over in over a week. This morning I stated noticing she was acting "off" again. Now she is falling all over the place her head is upside down and she is using the top of her head to help hold her up. When you look at her you see the underside of her bill. I am scared to death and have no idea what to do. She took a total turn today. What do I do?

Have you been giving them niacin? What are they eating?

 

[ZooMommy]

They are eating Chick Starter - unmedicated. I started them on Save-A-Chick the second day we got them. Is there not enough Niacin in the Save-A-Chick? Is there a safe way to give them more?

 

[countrygirl74]

I have never used Save-a-chick, so I don't know what's in it... maybe someone else can input here as I don't know if it has enough niacin that a duckling needs. But ducks definitely need niacin. I put 100mg niacin in 1 gallon of water and give them niacin water constantly for the first 12 weeks. I get the 100mg capsules and just break open the capsules into the water - just a helpful hint, if the water is too cold, it is harder to get the niacin to dissolve. I dissolve it in warm water and then add cooler water until I have a gallon. Also, make sure you don't get the "flush free" or "time release" niacin. I could only find regular niacin at my health food store but others have found it in regular grocery stores or pharmacies.
It doesn't sound like it's the food, so I think you're good there. I hope everything works out! It's so hard when you don't know what's wrong.

 

[ZooMommy]

Ok I will get the niacin in the morning. Thank you so much. Is there anything I can do to help her tonight and in the mean time. She seems so uncomfortable. :-( I am afraid separating her to a smaller environment (less falling) would only stress her and the others. :-( They don't like to be away from each other.

 

[countrygirl74]

Ok I will get the niacin in the morning. Thank you so much. Is there anything I can do to help her tonight and in the mean time. She seems so uncomfortable. :-( I am afraid separating her to a smaller environment (less falling) would only stress her and the others. :-( They don't like to be away from each other.

I'm not sure what can help her in the meantime... the only duckling I ever had do anything similar to that was having seizure-like episodes and it died within a couple hours. But I had no real chance of trying to save her as it had just arrived and was acting like that as soon as it arrived in the mail. Maybe putting in a soft towel, blanket, or old stuffed animal would be soft and comfy for her... I hope she makes it and improves!

 

[countrygirl74]

Just learned that you could do as much as 150mg per gallon of water. I would go with the higher dose for a while until you see that she's acting completely normal. Get it in her as soon as you possibly can as it could possibly make all the difference and hopefully you will see improvements in just a couple days. It will also be fine for the others, so no worries there.

 

[Frank Phinster]

Usually chick starter (if not exclusively made for chicks) contains everything a ducklings needs. If it was the food, the other ducklings should also be affected. But maybe additional niacan will help.
Have you stopped the treatment with the vitamis or did the duckling acting odd despite the vitamins? Has it been peculiar in any way before it started with this behaviour?
Do you know what breed you have there?
How old are the ducklings now?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I don't know if this is the case with the op but alot of times we see improvement and stop the vitamins then the symptoms come back, Use a towel like Countrygirl advised to help prop the duckling up and get it back on the polyvisol and niacin with out time release. Hope you see improvement soon. Keep the ducklings together to not add more stress just fix it so the duckling in trouble can be upright. Please update. Poly vi sol without iron or poultry vitamins plus vita E . and of course the niacin or Brewers yeast.

 

[Amiga]

You could, until you get a niacin supplement, put a teaspoon of well-mashed sardines (no salt, no oil, just sardine in water) in a few tablespoons of water and see if she will drink that. Fish, worms, slugs, bugs have niacin in them. But I doubt she's had any chick grit yet (maybe she has), so I would not want to risk impaction with "grownup" food right now.

Best is to get the niacin in to the water and keep it there for 10 weeks. It will not harm the other ducks, from anything I have heard or read.