Muscovy first laying season and panting

[Duck_Duck_Goose]

My female Muscovy is on day 20 of her first laying season and whether indoors or out with access to a shaded pool and fresh water she is panting much of the time. She has a VERY hardy appetite and seems otherwise okay but I’m wondering is it normal for her to be panting so much?

 

[H-B-O]

@DucksAreBest

 

[DucksAreBest]

Could you post a video of her panting?
Upload the video to Youtube or Vimeo and then copy/paste the link here.

 

[Duck_Duck_Goose]

No, I’m not able to.

 

[KaleIAm]

Is it very hot where you are? My ducks pant when they are hot even in the shade.

I had a duck who had open mouth breathing during a fungal respiratory infection. And I have heard of open mouth breathing during reproductive issues - though I have had more than my fair share of reproductive issues with my ducks and never experienced this. I don't have muscovies, though.

 

[Duck_Duck_Goose]

Is it very hot where you are? My ducks pant when they are hot even in the shade.

I had a duck who had open mouth breathing during a fungal respiratory infection. And I have heard of open mouth breathing during reproductive issues - though I have had more than my fair share of reproductive issues with my ducks and never experienced this. I don't have muscovies, though.

We are in a hot and humid area. Today it’s 90 with a ‘feels like’ of 95. Not sure what the shade temp is but she pants even when inside in the a/c. The panting has coincided with the rising temps and egg laying so not sure which, if either, it’s related to. Not sure where she would have picked up a fungal infection. Their food is changed daily and they aren’t in any closed in, small areas.

 

[KaleIAm]

We are in a hot and humid area. Today it’s 90 with a ‘feels like’ of 95. Not sure what the shade temp is but she pants even when inside in the a/c. The panting has coincided with the rising temps and egg laying so not sure which, if either, it’s related to. Not sure where she would have picked up a fungal infection. Their food is changed daily and they aren’t in any closed in, small areas.

I change my ducks' food daily and have impeccable husbandry and still got a respiratory infection. I'm sure it is very unlikely, I was trying to list all the reasons I have seen my ducks panting. I actually remembered another one - stress. It also seems unlikely that your duck would be stressed for so long.

One of my ducks has very poor heat tolerance and starts panting at about 75 (or lower!) degrees. The others seem fine until 80 ish. They are all wimps about heat. But the panting always stops as soon as I get them in a cool pool in the shade. So if you have her in the a/c I think you can cross that one off, too.

I guess after that it leaves reproductive issues? Is she on layer feed?

 

[Duck_Duck_Goose]

I change my ducks' food daily and have impeccable husbandry and still got a respiratory infection. I'm sure it is very unlikely, I was trying to list all the reasons I have seen my ducks panting. I actually remembered another one - stress. It also seems unlikely that your duck would be stressed for so long.

One of my ducks has very poor heat tolerance and starts panting at about 75 (or lower!) degrees. The others seem fine until 80 ish. They are all wimps about heat. But the panting always stops as soon as I get them in a cool pool in the shade. So if you have her in the a/c I think you can cross that one off, too.

I guess after that it leaves reproductive issues? Is she on layer feed?

She’s not on layer feed but does have full access to oyster shells which she ate quite a bit of just prior to starting to lay and now only occasionally. Her eggs seem fine and she’s lays like clockwork although now that we’re coming up on Day 21 I expect that will change soon. It could possibly be stress, at least to some degree. We’ve only had the male about two months and he’s also young and in his first mating season so we’ve been separating them quite often to give her a break from him.

 

[Duck_Duck_Goose]

How was the respiratory infection diagnosed, how did you treat it and were any other symptoms noticed?

I change my ducks' food daily and have impeccable husbandry and still got a respiratory infection. I'm sure it is very unlikely, I was trying to list all the reasons I have seen my ducks panting. I actually remembered another one - stress. It also seems unlikely that your duck would be stressed for so long.

One of my ducks has very poor heat tolerance and starts panting at about 75 (or lower!) degrees. The others seem fine until 80 ish. They are all wimps about heat. But the panting always stops as soon as I get them in a cool pool in the shade. So if you have her in the a/c I think you can cross that one off, too.

I guess after that it leaves reproductive issues? Is she on layer feed?

 

[KaleIAm]

How was the respiratory infection diagnosed, how did you treat it and were any other symptoms noticed?

I took my duck to the vet for a diagnosis. They could hear respiratory changes in her when listening to her chest with a stethoscope and see a fungal mass on an x-ray. However, aspergillosis is tricky to diagnose. My duck passed away, and on the necropsy the fungal mass took up half of her chest, which the vets were very surprised with as it looked smaller on the x-ray.

For me, the first sign was a hiccupy like squeeky noise. Then she started shaking her head. Then the open mouth breathing. Near the end I could hear her breathing.

For medication we tried a variety of antifungal and antibacterial drugs. Both oral and inhaled. They worked for a while, but eventually would stop. However, about two years later my other duck started making the dreaded hiccupy noise and knowing what it was I took her in immediately. They put her in itraconizole and within 6 weeks her issue was resolved! It's been 1.5 years now and she hasn't had any respiratory problems!