Lethargic Duckling! Please help.

[featheredfashions]

Hi everyone. I'm sure you've seen me post about our runt duckling getting sick and going limp....she was like this for hours...and all of a sudden perked up like it never happened. A week went by and she seemed perfectly healthy. She's doing it again today....very limp...won't drink...won't eat...can't even peep. This is the 3rd time it's happened....what's happening to her? Is there something I can do to help her? It always seems like it's so bad that she's just going to pass away right in our hand.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Sounds like she is getting into something since it is a repeated set of symptoms.

 

[DUCKGIRL89]

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X2 what is she eating?

 

[Oregon Blues]

If she were a dog, I would suspect an endocrine system failure. But I don't know what sort of endocrine system a duck has. That sounds like adrenal gland failure in dogs.

If she is limp for hours, it isn't any sort of epilepsy.

I hope she grows out of it, but I suggest that you try to distance yourself emotionally.

Check her area very carefully for plants that might be toxic to ducks. When you buy a new bag of feed, get into the habit of sniffing it for any moldy, musty, or off odors. Store all feed very carefully dry to prevent spoilage.

It doesn't sound like a diet issue, but make sure she is getting a balanced diet and enough niacin.

If she was born a runt, it could possibly be some sort of birth defect. Congenital heart failure, malfunctioning liver, or something similar.

A vet would charge you a whole bunch of money for tests and very likely couldn't figure out why or how to treat it. If she were mine and it got worse, I'd put her down.

 

[dumb_cluck]

Observation and lots of it.

She is now lethargic, correct? Watch to see when/if she perks up. See whether it was food, water, cleaning her pen, etc.

Then when she is better, note the conditions of the food, water, her pen etc. If you see that the conditions of anything gets bad and than she gets bad, then you have found the problem.

If none of this works, it could be a genetic disorder "being a runt". Crossing my fingers for you.

 

[Miss Lydia]

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I'm sorry to hear she is doing it again, have you tried giving her electrolites? you'd have to use a syringe and make sure it goes down into her tummy not lungs. I have a product called Nutri Drench which i give to all my ducklings and ducks if they seem to be feeling bad. I hope she pulls through.

 

[featheredfashions]

UPDATE, so apparently because of the horrible conditions she was exposed to as a hatchling...she developed encephalitis...and will now have permanent short term paralysis spells. They are short...an hour or two at most. This has happened 3 times since being a week old...and happen about once a week. We are to help bring her back from a spell by fluid therapy (offering her water and syringe dropping). So far this has worked every time. She is currently running around her little indoor house like it never happened...happy as a clam.

I am so glad we rescued her from the environment she was in (was covered in fire ants at the time of the rescue)...else she would have probably not survived. This is something we are willing to work with as she is an indoor duck and we have already become attached.

Thanks for the quick responses!!

Will keep everyone updated on her status.

 

[Miss Lydia]

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so happy to hear she has come out of it, now it's wonderful that she has you to be there for her when she has these spells, most would give up on her. All the best.

 

[kuntrygirl]

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so happy to hear she has come out of it, now it's wonderful that she has you to be there for her when she has these spells, most would give up on her. All the best.

x2

 

[featheredfashions]

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so happy to hear she has come out of it, now it's wonderful that she has you to be there for her when she has these spells, most would give up on her. All the best.

Can't give up on our baby!