Losing entire flock to disease - help?

[MissChick@dee]

I worked for a vet and when we had to deal with Parvo (dogs) we’d fill a tub with bleach water... just enough to step in and clean the bottoms of our shoes....just a FYI

 

[casportpony]

cange food and give them milk!

Do not give milk to poultry.

"Although not technically toxic, studies show that birds cannot digest lactose, which is found in milk and other dairy products. As the amount of dairy in the diet increases, birds can develop diarrhea. Not all dairy products contain lactose and/or have very little lactose in them, such as some cheeses and yogurts — still these foods should be fed as an occasional treat and in small amounts."
By Christal Pollock, DVM, Dipl. ABVP-Avian, Lafeber Company veterinary consultant, & Laura Doering
Source:https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/foods-toxic-pet-birds/

 

[casportpony]

A duck will be taken to the state lab for necropsy. In the meantime... Has anyone dealt with anything similar? Any ideas to help the remaining birds?

Sorry for the losses. Was your friend able to get one to the lab?

 

[Duck Hill]

I drove Kevin (drake, deceased) to the lab myself. I left work promptly, and it was a two hour drive, but unusually good traffic conditions allowed me to arrive just before they closed.

To preserve bio-security between her flock and my flock, I kept my car out in the street in front of her house. She wrapped the dead drake very well and then placed him in a disposable container. The container was cleaned with chlorine, then tied on top of my car for the trip down. I washed my hands with chlorine and another disinfectant (still in the street) before leaving. I left the container and the rope at the lab (the receiving man kindly removed everything from my car; I did not touch it again. Still, I washed my hands thoroughly again in a restaurant before returning to the house. I left my shoes outside on my front porch last night. I wore the shoes to work, but I plan to bleach them and the front porch when I get home today.

A bigger issue may be that we only live about three blocks apart. I doubt that wild birds and raccoons observe good bio-security, and we are close enough that one could visit both backyards. So far, all my ducks are completely healthy, but I do worry.

Now we are waiting for results. Although they are extremely good at staying in communication, lab times can take as long as two weeks for final results. Another drake was lost last night. There are 5-6 remaining of 17 at this time. As of last night, no others showed any signs of illness.

It is notable, I think, that every duckling, duck and drake that has shown even light signs of illness has eventually died (within about 24-48 hours).

 

[casportpony]

Now we are waiting for results. Although they are extremely good at staying in communication, lab times can take as long as two weeks for final results. Another drake was lost last night. There are 5-6 remaining of 17 at this time. As of last night, no others showed any signs of illness.

Most labs will have a preliminary report by the end of the day that they recieve the bird, so do call them tomorrow morning if you don't hear anything.

 

[townchicks]

What a tragic situation. So sorry for your friend, and you too. Following for learning purposes, ducks are on my want list, so trying to learn more. Good luck, I hope your flock stays ok.

 

[Duck Hill]

Last year when I took a duck down there, they were very good about calling me several times... yes, I will call tomorrow if I haven't heard from them.

townchicks, I highly recommend ducks as pets. Seriously. But... they are not like a dog. They die much too easily. It just means that while they are with you, you have to love them more and you have to enjoy them more. If you are very lucky.... some ducks are reputed to live 10 years or more. But many do not, so you have to be ready to mourn, and then love another duck.

 

[casportpony]

I highly recommend ducks as pets. Seriously. But... they are not like a dog. They die much too easily.

Really? That has not been my experience. So sorry that you are experiencing this.

 

[MissChick@dee]

Such a sad situation. I hope your friends find their answers. Saying a little prayer for y’all

 

[Duck Hill]

UPDATE: The state vet reports that this is NOT a virus. It is a toxin. It could be botulism, but they cannot test for that. They can test for other compounds. We will have to decide if we wish to do the additional tests.

The vet reports that botulism is HIGHLY toxic. An extremely small amount can kill a duck. Therefore, if a source is removed but a crumb of infected dirt remains...

He also said that botulism can kill ducks in different ways. A very small dose over several days can kill slowly. A high dose can kill extremely quickly. Only ducks with very, very small doses stand a chance of recovery.

He mentioned several other possible sources of toxin, such as sprays, rodent bait, etc.