Looks Like A Sore On Back Of Pekin Duck , Size Of Quarter ?

[Miss Lydia]

Just after the brutal winter started ending, about a month ago, first time the three of them came running down the path to me. This probably would have happened sooner but I walk with my dog Maddie offleash and last summer in the water only Cher was so bold to take food from right next to her. Somehow over the winter they all decided that Maddie was "family." Maybe because they've known her so long and / or appreciated her coming with me everyday through the mean winter months. Whatever, this was a magnificently surprising moment for me. Now, it's just about everyday. Today was the first day where they attempted to follow me and Maddie home "Don't leave! Don't leave !" Sheldon - the "Big Guy" has been a major star of the canal / towpath for years, Cher & Sonny not as much. Cher became a favorite of mine last year - because of how brave she was in the water with my dog Maddie. But now, it's all Sonny - even before he got the sore. Its just so moving to me how brave he has to try to be - up against and out matched and out numbered by all the mallards and Swedish Blues. Notice, it's Sonny out front in this pic - leading the charge to me.

What a sweet pic Looks like a gang going back behind them too, how do they get along with the Canada's? And they aren't the only abandoned domestics in the canal their are Swedish and other breeds there too?

 

[Miss Lydia]

From the one pic I've found so far - posted it turns out on this forum somewhere - it DOES look like an infected oil gland. Problem is: the pic is too close up, can't tell exactly where the oil gland on a duck is.
SO ANGRY that nowhere can I find an example of where the oil gland is located. All photos are too close up.

 

[Dotfur]

Yes, that is the photo I found, but it is too close to show the location on the back. Looking at pics of Sonny, I think maybe his sore IS down his back, low, near the base: it's just all the feathers back there that give the illusion that it's higher up.
Now, I'll have to figure what the treatment for THAT might be?

 

[Amiga]

Can you spray it with Vetericyn?

 

[Miss Lydia]

One of my ducks had a clogged oil gland and I used warm compresses on her, you'd have to catch Sunny to do that with him, so I'm not sure what options you have with him, Veteryicn is a very good product but once you spray him He's going to go right back into the water so I'm not sure how much good it would do and it's kinda pricey to have him wash it right off

found this http://www.majesticwaterfowl.org/mmissue71.htm

 

[Dotfur]

Miss Lydia: Not aware of the other domestics on the canal. Didn't know that Swedish Blues were domestic or even what they are: someone just told that the ones that are not Mallards were Swedish Blues. There's LOTS of them: or whatever they are: making it seem that they are not domestics. I don't know enough to know if Swedish Blue ducks are the only ducks with the whitish grey dark head coloring. The person who called them swedish Blues has proven to be unreliable on many matters: starting with never doing enough research over the years to see that Cher was a female (Pekin) and instead calling her Steve: the two of them (Cher & Sonny) "Adam & Steve." Maybe Swedish Blues are better at reproducing in the wild than Pekins therefore they have flourished?
Our group : the two Pekin ducks and the one Chinese White goose are at least the most obvious domestics and the only pure whites - and always ONLY the three. A man the other day listed all the duck species on the canal that I'm not aware of.
They have always "seemed" to get along with the canada geese - especially our two friends: novio & Poca. But then, Poca and Novio are our friends because they are so particularly weird. But this Spring, the canada geese are VERY riled up... and seemed to be intimitading especially Cher. The canada geese are intensely bullying our friends: Novio & Poca *canada goose couple. We know Novio first from AFTER last spring in the summer - he was alone, solitary and always recognizable by his mangled tail feathers from all the bullying. Only he (and Cher) were brave or crazy enough to hang around my dog Maddie. In fact, he got the name Novio (Spanish for "boyfriend") because it looked like he and Maddie would eventually "get a room." But Poca (short for Pocahontas) came along. Now, is the first spring that we've been friends with the two of them, and we're watching the intense bullying they (or maybe just Novio) get. There is now another canada geese couple where Cher has relocated the domestic family, a more peaceful part of the canal. My wife has named them Napoleon & Josephine. They are sweet and kind and seemed to look after Cher when she was first alone there. Now, Sonny enjoys to chase them off - while fantasizing about his great wild prowess. A mallard couple is also there: no ducklings yet. This is the new "family" when I come to feed all of them. I miss when they were all in the same canal: Sonny, Cher, Big Guy, Novio and Poca.... all gathered together on late summer evenings after all the other water fowl had left - and always a mama mallard with her ducklings refereed to as The Family Mallard.
I'm fascinated with the considering the concept of what it does to give them names that they know. So, for almost a year now, I call each individual name before throwing a treat to precisely that one. They now jerk their head toward me in anticipation upon hearing their name, and also don't battle (as much) over treats - knowing that THEIRS is coming. What does it do them: that they MIGHT think they have something called a name; what does it do to our relationship if they think that I was the one who gave them this thing called a name?

 

[Dotfur]

Last Summer, My Maddie and Novio the C. goose. Maddie has a hot pink knees brace for a small acl tear. She used to be terrified of water but started going into the canal up to her shoulders. Only Novio would approach her this close and follow her up and down the canal. He became more cautious when Poca (his mate) came into his life. But this spring, they both just waddle down the path to me if Maddie is only a few feet away, or come up onto the bank with me if Maddie is down there in the water. They don't all just sit around together - yet.

 

[Dotfur]

Vitamin A deficiencies, which occur in birds on poor diets (often high fat, all seed diets), may lead to enlargement of the gland due formation of a plug in the papilla. This is resolved by dislodging the plug and correcting the diet imbalance (especially increasing Vitamin A). Various tumors occur in the uropygial gland and may require surgical correction. Infections may also occur, but these are often secondary to vitamin A deficiency, trauma or immune suppression such as occurs with Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease (PBFD).

 

[Miss Lydia]

Vitamin A deficiencies, which occur in birds on poor diets (often high fat, all seed diets), may lead to enlargement of the gland due formation of a plug in the papilla. This is resolved by dislodging the plug and correcting the diet imbalance (especially increasing Vitamin A). Various tumors occur in the uropygial gland and may require surgical correction. Infections may also occur, but these are often secondary to vitamin A deficiency, trauma or immune suppression such as occurs with Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease (PBFD).

Very sweet pic, and for a goose to be that relaxed around a dog, dogs are one of the worst preds of water fowl. I think you have some friends.

I was looking at Sonny's feathers though and they look in good shape or they do on a pic how about close up? What I'm getting at is if his feathers look to be in good shape and not dirty or just looking overall grungy then he probably has use of his oil gland. Just so hard to know unless you can get your hands on him and examine him. and about you naming them well to me it sounds like some one who wants to have a relationship with these birds and vise versa too. they are responding to you and it comes with a big responsibility too. Friends take care of friends.

I read that about the vitamin dif. and I don't know what everyone is feeding these birds but most of the time it usually isn't good stuff and it's lack of knowledge on how and what is best.
There is a member on the goose thread she rescued a goose at a park she goes to and these people have worked with the town she lives in and have done some really awesome stuff with town approval and backing like putting in machine that someone can pay to get feed out of to feed the water fowl and signs giving those that visit info on respecting the wild life that lives there. She brought this elderly goose home because she was being abused by local youth and most of the waterfowl at this park are dumptees.

 

[Dotfur]

It has taken a year for Maddie to understand that these "creatures" are loved by me and therefore "family." Maddie is a "real" dog allowed to have a "brain" and her own thoughts and opinions. I imagine the dogs that harm so much wildlife - waterfowl are dogs not used to being allowed to think who get loose or are stupidly encouraged by their owners to harm & kill or for good reason have long ago lost all respect for their owner's opinions.