Muscovy Duck, Jethro, sick, West Nile???

[Isaac 0]

Very sorry for your loss.

If you do happen to have his body, you may send that to your state veterinary lab for a necropsy to be done. That may provide answers to why he was acting the way he was. If you do choose that route, he should be wrapped in plastic and set in the fridge, not the freezer to preserve his body.

https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

 

[Miss Lydia]

I’m so sorry about Jethro it’s so hard to lose them and feeling so helpless to know how to help. I agree with @Isaac 0 getting a necropsy is the best way to find out what was wrong. If you decide to go that route please let us know what they find out.

 

[FunnyfarmMidwest]

So sorry for the loss of your sweet Muscovy. You gave Jethro a good life and did everything you could for him. He was certainly loved. ♥
Sending well wishes to you and your flock. I agree that a necropsy would be best to determine a cause of death.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Thank you. He passed away this afternoon. We are very broken hearted. We have many, but he was so special. I'd still like to know what was wrong with him. Muscovies are entertaining ducks. Jethro would wag his tail and huff each a.m. and p.m. for me to give him some treats.

Very sorry for your loss.

It sounds like you truly did EVERY thing you could!

If you desperately need to know then getting a necropsy with the state poultry vet MAY give you some answers.

However, being it has been only one out of 40 and going on for a long period of time.. I don't THINK I would be worried about infectious disease effecting the remaining flock. I personally would consider it a genetic weakness or unfortunate anomaly.. from the details you've given.. and according to what little knowledge I do have. Depending on the cost if you're in the states.. it's $25 for 2 birds in California.. shipping Fed Ex overnight using UC Davis commercial account and billed to me costed $17.

This link is also to the state poultry lab contact information but not through the Metzer site.. Book mark one of them if you might need it in the future. Hopefully not!

State poultry labs

Grieving is never easy. Do you happen have a happy picture of Jethro to share with us in honor of his life?!

 

[Horse Rx]

Very sorry for your loss.

If you do happen to have his body, you may send that to your state veterinary lab for a necropsy to be done. That may provide answers to why he was acting the way he was. If you do choose that route, he should be wrapped in plastic and set in the fridge, not the freezer to preserve his body.

https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

Glad to know this for future Would that be the same thing as a toxicology report? If not, which one would give better results? I buried him, but wish I would've known what happened. It was so strange. Very disturbing.

I value veterinarians hugely and respectfully understand the challenges they are working with especially in animal medicine.

I simply consider them to be human and possibly have off days, miss something, or even just have it slip their minds.

I also recognize that vets many have different perspectives than each other and ALSO different training/accreditation and/or resources/equipment, etc and not all are created equal. Some graduated at the bottom of the class as well. NO disrespect intended to them.. I question EVERY thing.. in order to be informed about the choices I make, NOT to be disrespectful, hopefully!

Also, if I do THINK one has completely missed the boat.. am not above completely disagreeing with them.. either it helps or I learn WHY they were correct.. some aren't worth the salt in the sweat on their brow.. straight give bad advice.. even treat their patients poorly and should lose their license to practice all together.. what goes on behind closed doors can be WELL hidden to the public. One local vet told a poultry keeper to put their bird into a feed sack with DE and shake like shake N bake to combat poultry lice/fowl mites. DE is completely ineffective in humid environments like or local climate and that was harmful advice IMHO.. and I let them all know that.. USE something that works IN YOUR area and also withOUT harming your animals!! Sorry for the mini vent.

ALWAYS question authority, seek the truth.

Since B vitamins are water soluble any excess will be passed in droppings. I know they help support many things immune system related and truly do not believe they will be harmful or would not suggest it, though admit to learning something new DAILY. Consulting your veterinarian who is overseeing your gorgeous bird already would be a good choice.

ETA: you should be able to test for west nile.. I volunteered at a wildlife rehab where one of the Harris hawks brought in by the public had west nile and completely forgot how to eat. We hand fed it hunks of BOP (ground bird of prey, meat.. likely horses, etc.. used in many zoos) shoved down the throat.. the bird literally could not swallow. It was still doing well but my time was up before the end of the story.. Wild animals which cannot be released back but do recover are kept in zoos for "educational" purposes.

I agree with you. We should always ask questions and seek truth. Thanks for the info. As for the vet that told a client to put a chicken in a sack with DE, that would definitely cause respiratory issues. How ignorant, but like you said vets are not perfect. Like human docs they are "practicing" medicine. I never fully trust what any one of them says. That's why I came here. Wish I would've given my feathered baby B complex shots instead of just B12. We live and learn. It's been a hard 24 hours without him even though I have 22 others.

 

[Horse Rx]

Very sorry for your loss.

It sounds like you truly did EVERY thing you could!

If you desperately need to know then getting a necropsy with the state poultry vet MAY give you some answers.

However, being it has been only one out of 40 and going on for a long period of time.. I don't THINK I would be worried about infectious disease effecting the remaining flock. I personally would consider it a genetic weakness or unfortunate anomaly.. from the details you've given.. and according to what little knowledge I do have. Depending on the cost if you're in the states.. it's $25 for 2 birds in California.. shipping Fed Ex overnight using UC Davis commercial account and billed to me costed $17.

This link is also to the state poultry lab contact information but not through the Metzer site.. Book mark one of them if you might need it in the future. Hopefully not!

State poultry labs

Grieving is never easy. Do you happen have a happy picture of Jethro to share with us in honor of his life?!

 

[Horse Rx]

 

[Horse Rx]

View attachment 2504033

Jethro just a few weeks ago looking so good. He was a loved boy and is greatly missed. Thanks for all of your helpful remarks and kind condolences. God bless you all.

 

[DukesDucks]

So sorry to hear about your loss. He was very handsome.