Mentally off duck??

[silkiecuddles]

i have a Pekin duck that is around 4 months old. While we were gone for 2 weeks, the person caring for the animals said the duck was acting weird. I'm home now, and the duck has trouble walking. Also, it appears her sense of depth is off. It takes her several tries to put her bill in the water bowl, and she loses balance very easily. She's a lot slower than the others due to her lack of balance, so she sits by the water spigot while the rest go forage. What should I do? It's pitiful.

 

[WVduckchick]

Have you checked her for any injuries?

 

[WVduckchick]

@Miss Lydia
@Amiga
@jtn42248
@needlessjunk
@City Farm

Any ideas?

 

[Ravynscroft]

Have you checked for ear mites? Those can cause inner ear and balance issues... other than that, i'm clueless, sorry... :/

@ricebabyca please, do you have any ideas?

 

[silkiecuddles]

She's had a limp for months because when they were around a month old they were sleeping in an 8x8 dog pen together and she got kinda trampled. Could that of cause brain damage?? I'll check her ears when I feed them later

 

[jtn42248]

Was she acting otherwise "normal" prior to this? Has she always be a little "off" compared to the other ducks? Besides checking for any possible injury or infection check around their area for possible insects/spiders that they could have come in contact with that she might have come in contact with. Also, food. What are you feeding them? There is always the possibility that she did not get enough niacin (the old fall back solution) when she was growing up and is only now manifesting the deficiency. If she checks out for injury and is clean of mites you might try adding some electrolytes for a while and see if that makes any difference.

You say she stays pretty much by herself? Does this seem to be due to confusion or has her relationship with the other ducks changed any?

 

[Amiga]

Still on the road - ideas: poisoning, dehydration, infection.

Lots of fresh water and antibiotics worth considering.

Good duck vet if possible

 

[silkiecuddles]

Jtn42248, her being by herself is because she can't keep up with the others.
All my animals have access to plenty of water all day every day. Everyone eats the same thing, an organic food. And everyone free ranges all day every day so there all coming into contact with the same things.
Could her being trampled at 2 months just be showing worse effects now??

 

[jtn42248]

Jtn42248, her being by herself is because she can't keep up with the others.
All my animals have access to plenty of water all day every day. Everyone eats the same thing, an organic food. And everyone free ranges all day every day so there all coming into contact with the same things.
Could her being trampled at 2 months just be showing worse effects now??

It could be. A two month delay in symptoms seems a stretch but it is possible. Ducks can mask injuries and illness until it is for all intents and purposes too late. With what appears to be problems with vision and inability to get around "normally" there could have been some neurological damage. Only a vet can do that level of diagnosing though. At this point you may want to keep her isolates to avoid any further injuries from the other ducks. Add some electrolytes to her water and pray. Please keep us posted on any changes. Best of luck.

 

[silkiecuddles]

If I isolate her I'm afraid she'll just run into the wire over and over till she goes bald. I penned her this morning to make sure she got breakfast and a nice long drink. Then I let her out because she was walking into the wire.
When she first began limping after being trampled I had to carry her to and from her private night pen to the water. She eventually was able to walk but her limp kept her from foraging way out with the group. There was another duck that limped as well, but it shows no signs now.
I'll keep you updated. If the need comes to put her out of her misery, what's the best way to do it? She's fully grown.