MamaOfDewey
Chirping
- Jan 9, 2022
- 49
- 140
- 61
I've put off posting because I know some of my choices may not be well received. Let me start by saying I LOVE my duck more than I could put into words and am pulling out all the stops to attempt to help her heal; so please be gentle. 
It is most likely that Miss Dewey has aspergillosis. Obviously the vet cannot confirm that without a necropsy, but I'm not wanting to let it get that far. I'm going to use this thread to notate our journey through this in case it may help someone in the future; regardless of how this turns out. Please pray / chant / do a dance / meditate - whatever it is you do - for her recovery.
Dewey - Female muscovy 1.75 years old, inside / outside imprinted rescue. 7 lbs
March 22, 2022 - Dewey was walking through the house and fell down the stairs a few steps.
March 23 - evening - When I went to bring Dewey in for the night I noticed she had not really eaten and her water bowl was still filled. I had been gone an extended amount of time the previous few days and at first, thought she had a bout of loneliness. Brought her in, she wasn't interested in eating or drinking - or walking. Made her a pallet on the floor next to me for the night.
March 24 - morning - I noticed when she slowly walked to her food and water dishes she seemed to have a small limp, and was moving very slowly; like an old lady. lol She was warm to the touch (bill, legs, and neck) After she drank her water she laid down next to her bowls instead of coming back to the living room with me. This is hugely out of character for her. I brought her back to the living room, only to have her slowly walk back and lay down. I'm still thinking she is having a bout of loneliness at this point, so just gave her extra lovings. She wasn't interested in food beyond a couple of small bites. This was how she was the remainder of the day.
March 25 - All day, same as day before. Now I'm starting to get worried. Racked my brain trying to figure this all out and at night I remembered about her slipping down the stairs; so I'm thinking a broken bone when she fell two days before. Did a range of motion exam, felt for tenderness, broken bone / joint, but found nothing. Did a full exam on her, everything checked out. Clear nares, clear eyes, clean healthy vent etc. She's sipping water regularly but still not eating. She has electrolytes and vitamins in her water.
March 26 - Started extended float therapy on the chance there is a sprain. I was still fairly convinced it was a leg issue due to lack of walking, and in the tub she wasn't paddling, diving, or wing flapping to bathe. She's still not 'talking' and I haven't heard her beautiful voice since this all started. I'm noticing she is not fully closing either eye when sleeping and doesn't seem to sleep more than a few seconds at a time. Still not eating. Sipping electrolyte/vitamin water regularly. Start her on aspirin pain reliever solution (5 crushed aspirin in a gallon jug of water). This seems to help a small bit, so I'm still thinking leg issue. By now her bowls have long been placed on her pallet next to me and she has stayed in one spot for a couple of days. (changing her sheets regularly, obviously). As I'm observing her, she started 'hiccuping'. Ducks don't hiccup. My heart sank because now I knew it was respiratory. $@#$&^$%$#!@!!!!!!!! I keep the 'Electrolytes & Vitamins Plus' additive to her water, add VetRx and ZyfendA. She has still refused all food, favorite foods, favorite treats. Dry cat food is like crack to her so I offered her some just to get a bit of food in her and she ate about 10 pieces.
March 27 - No broken bones, no physical injury. Vet says most likely aspergillosis. This was my worst fear. I've moved her pallet and bowls up on the couch so she can have closeness and contact while sleeping. I've continued the pain reliever solution, electrolytes & vitamins, ZyfendA and VetRx. She's still not walking, talking, or feeding herself. But she at least has started to be interested in food, just won't eat. She took a few small pieces of apple and a scant few pieces of cat kibble, but that's it.
I just wanted to give the history of the beginning of her illness to today in hopes it may help anyone who comes along looking for answers. Here is where my choices may be controversial.
Treatment for aspergillosis in ducks is hit or miss, and most often a miss. One of the most important factors in recovery is a strong immune system. So, after consultation and a lot of deep soul searching, I decided against using prescription medicine because it is very taxing on their body. My goal is to keep her as strong as possible in hopes her body can fight this. We also decided against crop feeding for two reasons. I am not highly skilled in it, risk of getting it into her lungs, and the huge amount of stress she would have if I ever tried to shove anything down her throat. She has extra vitamins in her water and for the time being we are going to see how that goes. Crop feeding may have to happen, but I'm trying to hold off.
Early this afternoon I made my own 'nebulizing environment', for lack of a better term. lol I drew her bath for her morning float session and put an essential oil diffuser on the side of the tub with the curtain pulled closed and the bathroom door shut. Certain essential oils have been shown in studies to be effective against the aspergillis fungus, so I figure this is going to be my Hail Mary Pass. I made a thieves oil mix and put a lot drops into the diffuser. Clove, cinnamon, lemon, eucalyptus, and rosemary. I let the bathroom air fill up with the diffused oils and brought her in for her bath. We stayed in the closed bathroom for ~40 minutes, again with the diffuser on the side of the tub and curtain closed behind it so that the diffused vapors were directed toward her and concentrated in the air at the tub. I will be doing this closed room treatment 3x/day, and also running the diffuser in the living room all day.
After her bath, I took her outside for her 30 minutes of sunshine (I've been doing this daily also.) I tried to encourage her to forage, and she did a TINY bit, but not much. She did eat more than a few mouthfuls of cat kibble though. YAY! But holy wow, for the first time in almost a week, she dunked her head in water. (She had not even been doing this during baths). She fully fluffed her wings and even preened. She walked from the backyard to the front yard AND she hopped up the couple of steps and walked herself almost all the way inside. This was the first time she had walked since this began. I also got to hear her talk just a tiny bit, and she gave me a small tail wag. My heart exploded with joy.
*****NOTE***** Since the first day her listlessness began, she has NOT been placed back in the coop or nest area where she likely picked up aspergillos and she won't be. Other than daily sunshine time in the yard, she has and will remain with me indoors, on a pallet with the sheets changed every few hours to keep her in a pristinely clean environment. She will not be around any hay/straw/wood chip bedding or coop for quite a while and her coop will be fully treated or even replaced before she uses it again. I feel it is important to note that any re-exposure during healing time absolutely 100% will not occur - I want her to have the best chance possible. So other than the antifungal essential oils being diffused in the house and closed bathroom, she is being kept in a nearly sterile environment with cool air and lowered lighting.
I'm not getting my hopes up because I know how aspergillosis typically goes. I will keep updating on this thread until the final outcome is known. I figure it will all either serve as a lesson in what not to do, or if things go as hoped, may offer some suggestions for others.
I'm sorry this has been such a long post and if you got this far, thank you. Please please keep Dewey in prayers or whatever magical thoughts you have - she can use all the good energy possible.
I will give another update tonight after her bath.
It is most likely that Miss Dewey has aspergillosis. Obviously the vet cannot confirm that without a necropsy, but I'm not wanting to let it get that far.
I'm going to use this thread to notate our journey through this in case it may help someone in the future; regardless of how this turns out. Please pray / chant / do a dance / meditate - whatever it is you do - for her recovery. Dewey - Female muscovy 1.75 years old, inside / outside imprinted rescue. 7 lbs
March 22, 2022 - Dewey was walking through the house and fell down the stairs a few steps.
March 23 - evening - When I went to bring Dewey in for the night I noticed she had not really eaten and her water bowl was still filled. I had been gone an extended amount of time the previous few days and at first, thought she had a bout of loneliness. Brought her in, she wasn't interested in eating or drinking - or walking. Made her a pallet on the floor next to me for the night.
March 24 - morning - I noticed when she slowly walked to her food and water dishes she seemed to have a small limp, and was moving very slowly; like an old lady. lol She was warm to the touch (bill, legs, and neck) After she drank her water she laid down next to her bowls instead of coming back to the living room with me. This is hugely out of character for her. I brought her back to the living room, only to have her slowly walk back and lay down. I'm still thinking she is having a bout of loneliness at this point, so just gave her extra lovings. She wasn't interested in food beyond a couple of small bites. This was how she was the remainder of the day.
March 25 - All day, same as day before. Now I'm starting to get worried. Racked my brain trying to figure this all out and at night I remembered about her slipping down the stairs; so I'm thinking a broken bone when she fell two days before. Did a range of motion exam, felt for tenderness, broken bone / joint, but found nothing. Did a full exam on her, everything checked out. Clear nares, clear eyes, clean healthy vent etc. She's sipping water regularly but still not eating. She has electrolytes and vitamins in her water.
March 26 - Started extended float therapy on the chance there is a sprain. I was still fairly convinced it was a leg issue due to lack of walking, and in the tub she wasn't paddling, diving, or wing flapping to bathe. She's still not 'talking' and I haven't heard her beautiful voice since this all started. I'm noticing she is not fully closing either eye when sleeping and doesn't seem to sleep more than a few seconds at a time. Still not eating. Sipping electrolyte/vitamin water regularly. Start her on aspirin pain reliever solution (5 crushed aspirin in a gallon jug of water). This seems to help a small bit, so I'm still thinking leg issue. By now her bowls have long been placed on her pallet next to me and she has stayed in one spot for a couple of days. (changing her sheets regularly, obviously). As I'm observing her, she started 'hiccuping'. Ducks don't hiccup. My heart sank because now I knew it was respiratory. $@#$&^$%$#!@!!!!!!!! I keep the 'Electrolytes & Vitamins Plus' additive to her water, add VetRx and ZyfendA. She has still refused all food, favorite foods, favorite treats. Dry cat food is like crack to her so I offered her some just to get a bit of food in her and she ate about 10 pieces.
March 27 - No broken bones, no physical injury. Vet says most likely aspergillosis. This was my worst fear. I've moved her pallet and bowls up on the couch so she can have closeness and contact while sleeping. I've continued the pain reliever solution, electrolytes & vitamins, ZyfendA and VetRx. She's still not walking, talking, or feeding herself. But she at least has started to be interested in food, just won't eat. She took a few small pieces of apple and a scant few pieces of cat kibble, but that's it.
I just wanted to give the history of the beginning of her illness to today in hopes it may help anyone who comes along looking for answers. Here is where my choices may be controversial.
Treatment for aspergillosis in ducks is hit or miss, and most often a miss. One of the most important factors in recovery is a strong immune system. So, after consultation and a lot of deep soul searching, I decided against using prescription medicine because it is very taxing on their body. My goal is to keep her as strong as possible in hopes her body can fight this. We also decided against crop feeding for two reasons. I am not highly skilled in it, risk of getting it into her lungs, and the huge amount of stress she would have if I ever tried to shove anything down her throat. She has extra vitamins in her water and for the time being we are going to see how that goes. Crop feeding may have to happen, but I'm trying to hold off.
Early this afternoon I made my own 'nebulizing environment', for lack of a better term. lol I drew her bath for her morning float session and put an essential oil diffuser on the side of the tub with the curtain pulled closed and the bathroom door shut. Certain essential oils have been shown in studies to be effective against the aspergillis fungus, so I figure this is going to be my Hail Mary Pass. I made a thieves oil mix and put a lot drops into the diffuser. Clove, cinnamon, lemon, eucalyptus, and rosemary. I let the bathroom air fill up with the diffused oils and brought her in for her bath. We stayed in the closed bathroom for ~40 minutes, again with the diffuser on the side of the tub and curtain closed behind it so that the diffused vapors were directed toward her and concentrated in the air at the tub. I will be doing this closed room treatment 3x/day, and also running the diffuser in the living room all day.
After her bath, I took her outside for her 30 minutes of sunshine (I've been doing this daily also.) I tried to encourage her to forage, and she did a TINY bit, but not much. She did eat more than a few mouthfuls of cat kibble though. YAY! But holy wow, for the first time in almost a week, she dunked her head in water. (She had not even been doing this during baths). She fully fluffed her wings and even preened. She walked from the backyard to the front yard AND she hopped up the couple of steps and walked herself almost all the way inside. This was the first time she had walked since this began. I also got to hear her talk just a tiny bit, and she gave me a small tail wag. My heart exploded with joy.
*****NOTE***** Since the first day her listlessness began, she has NOT been placed back in the coop or nest area where she likely picked up aspergillos and she won't be. Other than daily sunshine time in the yard, she has and will remain with me indoors, on a pallet with the sheets changed every few hours to keep her in a pristinely clean environment. She will not be around any hay/straw/wood chip bedding or coop for quite a while and her coop will be fully treated or even replaced before she uses it again. I feel it is important to note that any re-exposure during healing time absolutely 100% will not occur - I want her to have the best chance possible. So other than the antifungal essential oils being diffused in the house and closed bathroom, she is being kept in a nearly sterile environment with cool air and lowered lighting.
I'm not getting my hopes up because I know how aspergillosis typically goes. I will keep updating on this thread until the final outcome is known. I figure it will all either serve as a lesson in what not to do, or if things go as hoped, may offer some suggestions for others.
I'm sorry this has been such a long post and if you got this far, thank you. Please please keep Dewey in prayers or whatever magical thoughts you have - she can use all the good energy possible.
I will give another update tonight after her bath.
