Muscovy, blood in feces.

[HortenseCumberbatch]

Hi Everybody. This is sort of a cross post from the Illnesses and Emergency's section. I didn't have any luck there.
Basically I have a muscovy who has bloody stools. I started the entire flock on Oxytetracycling HCI on Friday and it's Tuesday today. She's still got blood in her stool but otherwise seems fine. The entire flock seems fine. I just don't know what to do. Is there anything else, or in addition you think I should do? I am new to Muscovys. The whole thing makes me want to stop keeping a backyard flock. Thanks.

 

[Amiga]

Hang on. My first thoughts: parasites, infection, hardware disease.

You are working on the bacterial infection possibility. I don't know much about antibiotics, which would be best, etc. So not much to add there.

A parasite infection might cause some bloody stools. Ivermectin is often mentioned. There's wazine, also. I hope someone familiar with this checks in.

Hardware disease (swallowing metal) is tough to deal with. Some have had successful surgery, many have lost ducks to it.

Have you closely examined the vent? There is a tiny possibility of an injury just inside the vent.

 

[Haunted55]

Is it possible to get a picture of one of them? I'm looking at Storey's..Raising Ducks right now. A quick question, how much calcium are they getting? Too much calcium can cause blood in their droppings as could cocci, enteritis and parasites as Amiga has said. More info is needed to really be sure. Please, take a couple of pictures and post back.

 

[HortenseCumberbatch]

Thanks for the replies and the info about parasites. Do you know if I can do the antibiotic and the worming at the same time? I've done a little reading about the Ivermectin.

It is only the one duck that has blood in her stool. The rest are pooping normally Which makes me think the calcium level is ok, they're just eating a standard waterfowl feed, no added calcium. I give them calcium free choice. I won't be able to get a photo of the poop until tomorrow so please stick with me! the poop looks to have improved some to me, but I am not a poop expert. It just looks like a normal poop covered in blood. But I will get a photo some time tomorrow. Thanks again. I hate this.

 

[Haunted55]

Why are they on an antibiotic? For something else or is it a just in case? I have never given a wormer while giving antibiotics, so can't advise you there, that's why I asked about it. Also, I use Safeguard for all my birds. I have never had tapes.

One thing to bring to your attention, unfortunately, we are at the mercy of the manufacturer who is making the grains most of us buy. Do we truly know what is in there? We can read the label and hope it's correct, but there are many recalls of feed because something went wrong. Either too much of something added, or not enough. Most of the time we are safe and don't have to worry about this. This is just a heads up and the advice offered to search for recalls on your brand of feed when you see something a little off with your birds. Sometimes the company will find the issue, other times it's people like us who spot something not right and start screaming bloody, blue murder to the companies. Again...just an FYI.

 

[HortenseCumberbatch]

Why are they on an antibiotic? For something else or is it a just in case? I have never given a wormer while giving antibiotics, so can't advise you there, that's why I asked about it. Also, I use Safeguard for all my birds. I have never had tapes.

One thing to bring to your attention, unfortunately, we are at the mercy of the manufacturer who is making the grains most of us buy. Do we truly know what is in there? We can read the label and hope it's correct, but there are many recalls of feed because something went wrong. Either too much of something added, or not enough. Most of the time we are safe and don't have to worry about this. This is just a heads up and the advice offered to search for recalls on your brand of feed when you see something a little off with your birds. Sometimes the company will find the issue, other times it's people like us who spot something not right and start screaming bloody, blue murder to the companies. Again...just an FYI.

I'm doing the antibiotics as a precaution. If I were to do the 'safeguard' at another time how would I go about doing it? I have one Pekin, a White Layer, and two Muscovy Ducks, and one Drake.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I'm doing the antibiotics as a precaution. If I were to do the 'safeguard' at another time how would I go about doing it? I have one Pekin, a White Layer, and two Muscovy Ducks, and one Drake.

I think I'd do one or the other because both of these the antibiotic and wormer are hard on their stomachs, get a probiotic and start giving that to them to help with the digestive issues that come from using antibiotics and wormers. There's one that has electrolytes and probiotic in it and you mix it in their water. I know TSC carries them and probably other feed stores too. I have never seen internal parasites in any of my ducks poop and believe me I look for them having chickens it's just something I do, but it can happen. Could have been something she ate if she is out foraging, you say it's not as much now?

 

[Haunted55]

I'm doing the antibiotics as a precaution. If I were to do the 'safeguard' at another time how would I go about doing it? I have one Pekin, a White Layer, and two Muscovy Ducks, and one Drake.

The recipe I use for the Safeguard is 3cc or ml per gallon of water, for 2 days. I use the liquid sheep Safeguard. If you do a search here on BYC you will find where others use the paste and give it individually to their birds. For me, that isn't practical. After the initial treatment, wait 7-10 days and either use the Safeguard again or if there is a chance of tapes, switch to the ivermectin and do a course of that. The eggs will need to be disposed of during and after each treatment for 14 days, this would include the wait time before the second dosing. Since you would be doing two dosings to make sure all worms and their eggs are gone, you will need to wait 14 days after final treatment for egg usage. Please check this! As I stated before, I have never used the ivermectin and am not personally familiar with it's dosing and withdrawel times. All I know of it is what I've read and remember.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Epernix pour on is another wormer that doesn't require egg with drawl, use it on the ducks as you would front line on dogs at base of neck. I have only used it 1X on my ducks but have used it many times on my chickens. kills everything but round worms. even takes care of external parasites. On my Muscovy ducks drakes got 7 drops and ducks 5 to neck. I don't like to have to toss eggs.

 

[HortenseCumberbatch]

I wonder, I know that the blood can be an indication that there is a parasite but is there another way for me to tell if that's what the problem is? It's one duck out of five that has bloody stool and everyone is acting as content as can be.
Also, has anyone experimented using Diatamacious Earth as a treatment for parasites?

Haunted55: I'm still working on getting a photo.