Mareks disease

[Lucyspals]

Lucy who was 3 1/2 years stopped walking recently, I took her to the vet today and was told that she had Mareks disease, so I had her put down she could no longer get out of pond or get up to water. He acted like 1 in 30 ducks will get this. I have two more 3 1/2
Year olds and 1 1/2 year old pekins. They are free range during day we have a 1/2 acre pond. The vet acted like this wasn’t contagious any advice would be great.

 

[sourland]

Hopefully someone with more knowledge will respond, but to the best of my knowledge Marek's is generally not a disease of ducks.

 

[SilverBirds]

Hopefully someone with more knowledge will respond, but to the best of my knowledge Marek's is generally not a disease of ducks.

I didn't think they could get it either.

I would think that she had a niacin deficiency, slipped tendon, hip/leg problem, or maybe even mold poisoning. Do you know if the vet checked for any of these?

How long was she like this before you brought her to the vet? Do you know if she started limping and got progressively worse? Did she have any other symptoms?

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

Marek’s is very contagious, but I’ve never heard of ducks getting it. It sounds like the vet had no idea what he was talking about.

 

[Lucyspals]

Hopefully someone with more knowledge will respond, but to the best of my knowledge Marek's is generally not a disease of ducks.

Yes I haven’t much info for ducks. That’s why I am questioning it.
It’s seems very contagious in chickens.

 

[Lucyspals]

She started last spring turning her feet in then stepping on her own feet. She could about 25 feet then would lay down take a break then get out to pond. I gave extra niacin all summer, she just kept going downhill. I had put her on melaicam for about last three weeks. I was carrying her out to pond about 3 to four days a week she would stand and not walk. Every time I checked her legs and feet they seemed fine and didn’t bother her. This last week she seemed to not be able to use at all or get out of pond. She never seemed in pain just
Using her beak and wings to move around. What make sense about it is she can’t feel her legs. I thought Maybee spine or slipped tendon . The vet said she had no feeling and her legs where turned in.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Yes I haven’t much info for ducks. That’s why I am questioning it.
It’s seems very contagious in chickens.

It's very contagious in chickens. As far as I'm aware, ducks can spread it if they come in contact with the infected dander, but they do not contract it and after a bath to remove the dander, they don't spread it

 

[Miss Lydia]

This is an old thread but this is the info that should answer your question
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/can-waterfowl-get-mareks.463837/ post4