Muscovy duck sick

[Jaggystar]

Any ideas what could be wrong with my duck?

Yesterday I noticed our 7 month old free-range muscovy, Penelope, appeared to be having trouble swallowing something and kept trying to wash it down as ducks usually do when they're eating. Today I noticed phlegm-like gunk in the corners of her bill. The gunk was slightly yellow and has the constistency of snot. She keeps wiping it off on her shoulder/wing area. She also keeps going in to her paddling pool (the water is kept fresh) and washing her face, thrashing around. Her poo is runnier and darker than usual but apart from this she is okay, eating, drinking, and flying normally. She is not as animated as usual because she's distracted by this.

Thank you for your help!

Julie

 

[Amiga]

I would be concerned that she has an infection. A vet would be the best way to go.

There are parasites and various infections that could be involved. Runny, dark poo could be nothing, or something she ate, or sign of infection.

Also, some viruses can cause problems with secondary bacterial infections. The viruses may pass, but antibiotics are needed to treat the secondary infections.

If you are nowhere near a vet, you may need to get antibiotics from a feed store and go that way.

 

[Jaggystar]

Thank you. It is midnight here in Australia, we have taken her in from the chicken coop, where she usually sleeps with two chickens, blow dried her with a hair dryer as she was still damp, and put her to bed nice and warm indoors. She seems happy waggy her tail, but doing lots of runny poo, no blood thank goodness, and no phlegm. Also mixed up vitamins and placed in her water. She is drinking but not interested in her trail mix seed. She never fails to leave an egg each morning, so will see how she goes tonight and then may need to check in with the vet tomorrow. Thanks again,
Julie

 

[Amiga]

How is the patient?

 

[Jaggystar]

Thank you for asking about Penny! This morning I woke early to check on her and let her out of the cage. She seemed well, the new egg was in the nest of straw, no poop in the cage at all. She doesn't usually poop in her bed, but saves it until she is out of the coop. I carried her outdoors and she waddled down to greet the two chickens who I then let out and our two dogs. The three of them ran off to do their scratching around. I gave them fresh food and Penny came back and ate lots, I didn't notice any phlegm. My daughter thinks she is squeaking a little strange. I didn't put out the paddling pool, I'd prefer she didn't get wet, but she flies next door and swims in our neighbours pool, or in our pond, some nights she doesn't come home and stays in the pool, some rainy nights she sleeps up in a tree. We still don't think she is quite right, as she doesn't seem as active as usual, but she is better, and staying close to home. We will keep a close eye on her. She has never had vaccinations or been to a vet and I guess we should have her properly checked out with a vet knowledgeable about ducks. We will put her back to bed with the chickens tonight I think. Any other suggestions? Thank you so much!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thank you for asking about Penny! This morning I woke early to check on her and let her out of the cage. She seemed well, the new egg was in the nest of straw, no poop in the cage at all. She doesn't usually poop in her bed, but saves it until she is out of the coop. I carried her outdoors and she waddled down to greet the two chickens who I then let out and our two dogs. The three of them ran off to do their scratching around. I gave them fresh food and Penny came back and ate lots, I didn't notice any phlegm. My daughter thinks she is squeaking a little strange. I didn't put out the paddling pool, I'd prefer she didn't get wet, but she flies next door and swims in our neighbours pool, or in our pond, some nights she doesn't come home and stays in the pool, some rainy nights she sleeps up in a tree. We still don't think she is quite right, as she doesn't seem as active as usual, but she is better, and staying close to home. We will keep a close eye on her. She has never had vaccinations or been to a vet and I guess we should have her properly checked out with a vet knowledgeable about ducks. We will put her back to bed with the chickens tonight I think. Any other suggestions? Thank you so much!

Could she have eaten a poisonous frog or bug? asking because once one of our dachshunds tried to eat a toad and she has foam and gunk all around the outside of her mouth.
Also when they have access to so much especially neighbors [and if neighbors put out poison for any reason] she could get into something like that. Glad to see she is doing better.

 

[Jaggystar]

I think you are probably right she may have eaten something strange/poisonous because she eats all sorts of spiders and insects, even leeches (so do the chickens). We live in a sub tropical area surrounded by bushland. The immediate neighbours wouldn't have poison because they have free range rabbits who Penny plays with sometimes. She has such a fun life that I don't want to restrict her - I give the neighbours her eggs and they enjoy her visits. She does fly on roof tops of houses. She comes up to my balcony on the second floor for a chat in the morning. Anyway, last night we decided to keep her in again in case it is like a cold and she needs to be warm. Again she left an egg, no phlegm - I hope she is getting over what she may have eaten. I think she has a risky lifestyle ...she pecks the dogs and cat. Thanks for chatting with me.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I think you are probably right she may have eaten something strange/poisonous because she eats all sorts of spiders and insects, even leeches (so do the chickens). We live in a sub tropical area surrounded by bushland. The immediate neighbours wouldn't have poison because they have free range rabbits who Penny plays with sometimes. She has such a fun life that I don't want to restrict her - I give the neighbours her eggs and they enjoy her visits. She does fly on roof tops of houses. She comes up to my balcony on the second floor for a chat in the morning. Anyway, last night we decided to keep her in again in case it is like a cold and she needs to be warm. Again she left an egg, no phlegm - I hope she is getting over what she may have eaten. I think she has a risky lifestyle ...she pecks the dogs and cat. Thanks for chatting with me.

I'm glad to hear she is getting better, I hope your dogs are friendly and don't take pecking personal, My dogs are great around the ducks but my gander pecked one to many times and he got a dogs mouth around his neck, thank goodness we were there when it happened and all she got was a mouth full of feathers. I don't let my dogs out around the geese with out supervision or the ducks because of them pecking the dogs, those teeth could kill or maime one so easily. Sounds like your duck has a good life just please keep her safe.

 

[Jaggystar]

The dogs are friendly and I haven't seen Penny over peck or bother them too much. I've tried to train them to be guardians as there are foxes in the bushland (and snakes). The presence of dogs should keep those predators away - I hope. When one of our three hens turned into a rooster we swapped him for a duck. I'd love another duck or a goose but there is so much anxiety trying to keep everyone safe. We decided to give them a good life and take some risks. One of the hens had seizures but thankfully, with the help of this forum we got her back to health - she lived in the house for a while. Would love more space and time to have a goose!

 

[Kleonaptra]

Nice to meet another duck lover from Australia! Hi JaggyStar! Your duck sounds as spoiled as mine. Im glad this worked out well for you - its very hard to find a duck vet in my neck of the woods.