muscovy duckling with no coordination

[LaynaDon95]

I am going through something VERY similar! I too have a Muscovy that is not using his legs... I am getting very frustrated with it because I do not have the money right this minute to just go out and buy everything I would like to have for him. I am getting ready to go cook some eggs for him.

x2 about the money. I'd have her at a vet if I could afford it. She is everyone's favorite duck and I would be so disappointed if she died. On top of treating her I have a chick with an injured leg I just built a sling for, a deformed and lonely chick that hatched yesterday, and a chick I'm pretty sure has a tumor over her eye. (It's some form of huge something, though I'm not sure it's a tumor.) I feel like I'm running an animal hospital!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have her in a play pen. (Like an old baby play pen) with pine shaving covering the bottom. I have a small dog crate (plastic, not wire) which would be better? Also, I have no idea if this is relevant or not, but this duckling was the only one to turn out white, and she is teensy weensy compared to her (i'm assuming) brothers. They are easily 3 times bigger than she is and have been for weeks and weeks. She's only been acting like this for a few days.

Either as long as she is quite and resting. and not able to over exert at this point. I have solid white muscovies so I doubt that has anything to do with it, but she may have what is commonly called Failure to thrive, where the duckling just has too many issues to keep going, could be internal and they are just now showing up, heart/lungs just hard to say. The only thing other than an avian vet would be supportive care at this point and just hope with TLC she pulls through, we had a duckling[muscovy] hatch several years ago, appeared normal but as the weeks went on I could tell she just wasn't growing, keeping up like the rest, finally at around 3 months of age she just stopped trying, we kept her up where she was given special care but We finally decided to put her down as she was just struggling to much, My dh was going to put her down when he got home from work but she passed away before he could, I am thinking a heart defect. It doesn't happen often but sometimes we just lose some, I hope your duckling pulls through but we have to face the possibility she may not. It's heartbreaking for sure.

 

[LaynaDon95]

We had a friend who works for a vet come over today. She watched the duckling (the duckling was actually supposed to go live with that friend before she got sick. She has a lonely pekin duck and has been looking for a friend for her.) She suggested Failure to Thrive as well. I figured something was wrong with her a while ago, but posted and everyone said she was probably just the only girl and that's why thy were so much bigger than she was/is. She's not feathering out like the others either. Her wings are still tiny with almost no feathering on them. She's just so adorable. :'( I will miss her if she dies.

 

[Miss Lydia]

We had a friend who works for a vet come over today. She watched the duckling (the duckling was actually supposed to go live with that friend before she got sick. She has a lonely pekin duck and has been looking for a friend for her.) She suggested Failure to Thrive as well. I figured something was wrong with her a while ago, but posted and everyone said she was probably just the only girl and that's why thy were so much bigger than she was/is. She's not feathering out like the others either. Her wings are still tiny with almost no feathering on them. She's just so adorable. :'( I will miss her if she dies.

I'm sorry for the news, the prognosis probably won't be good, but love her and care for her while you have her. you'll be glad you did.

 

[LaynaDon95]

I will. Unfortunately that may not be much longer. I got her the vitamins. I'm about to go dose up all my sickies. It seems we may have to cull a few birds soon. *sigh*

 

[Miss Lydia]

I will. Unfortunately that may not be much longer. I got her the vitamins. I'm about to go dose up all my sickies. It seems we may have to cull a few birds soon. *sigh*

I'm so sorry, didn't realize you had others sick as well.

 

[LaynaDon95]

I'm so sorry, didn't realize you had others sick as well.

Oh, yes. Plenty. If you are short on injured animals I have some you can have. You can choose from the chickens that are healing from the dog attack, the one I just recovered from heat stress, the chick with the tumor(?), the chick with the injured leg, the duckling, the deformed chick I just hatched, the ones with chicken pox, the meat birds that may or may not still have mites, the pregnant cat with the fever, or you can train the new dog not to chase chickens! =P No, really I'm not complaining. I love my animals and as much as I hate to see them sick, I am training to be a vet assistant and this is a good experience for me. I enjoy the challenge and though it does often bring heartbreak, I can only get better and each victory is so rewarding. I hope to one day be able to take in sick and injured animals as a hobby. I love working with them and mending them. I'd need an assistant to cull the unsavables for me though... Slaughtering for meat I can do, but killing a baby chick... not so much. Any volunteers?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Oh, yes. Plenty. If you are short on injured animals I have some you can have. You can choose from the chickens that are healing from the dog attack, the one I just recovered from heat stress, the chick with the tumor(?), the chick with the injured leg, the duckling, the deformed chick I just hatched, the ones with chicken pox, the meat birds that may or may not still have mites, the pregnant cat with the fever, or you can train the new dog not to chase chickens! =P No, really I'm not complaining. I love my animals and as much as I hate to see them sick, I am training to be a vet assistant and this is a good experience for me. I enjoy the challenge and though it does often bring heartbreak, I can only get better and each victory is so rewarding. I hope to one day be able to take in sick and injured animals as a hobby. I love working with them and mending them. I'd need an assistant to cull the unsavables for me though... Slaughtering for meat I can do, but killing a baby chick... not so much. Any volunteers?

I'll have to pass on that one.

 

[LaynaDon95]

Yeah, me too. =P

 

[PAchickenlover]

Wow, your house sounds like mine. LOL We just had the SPCA fix 9 of our cats and kittens. We have two more that need to get fixed yet and 7 more kittens. One of those 7 kittens had an abscess on its back when we finally found it (mom had hid them in our neighbors yard under a wood pile). Our other 6 (at least) cats were already fixed. Our dog has been going nuts because of the thunder storms (he hates them). I have had to keep my chickens, ducks, and geese locked up in the pen because of a hawk that almost had one of our chickens the other week. I thought I was going to loose that one, she had blood comming out of her mouth and nose when I chased the hawk away. I have an Indian runner/Crested/Mallard duckling in a cage in my kitchen, because there is no where safe for her to be right now other than in my house. Then there is the muscovy duckling that, well, maybe just maybe has the same thing yours does. It was acting fine a week ago but has slowly gotten worse. Now he can't hold himself up with his legs. I feel your pain. Well not pain so much, but, agrivation... Oh, how far along is your cat? Is she close to having her kittens? That might be why she is running a temp. Just a thought..