My duck Chicky is feeling really unwell, desperate for help :(

Lynnard

In the Brooder
May 3, 2020
16
13
36
I posted a few weeks back after Chicky started limping badly on her right leg. The vet didn't see any signs of a break and gave her pain killers, and she gradually started walking normally again and we figured that was that.

I noticed yesterday that she was moving slow, hunched posture, far less animated than usual, wings drooping at her sides, and her quack was lower and weaker sounding. She clearly wasn't herself, and I brought her in out of the heat for a while, ran her a bath, and kept an eye on her for the rest of the day. She was strangely lethargic and just slept in the basket I put her in.

Today I took her hours away for an emergency vet appointment, but they don't have an avian vet all weekend (told me after I'd arrived) and said they suspect it could be something like septic arthritis since she has a slightly swollen toe and had recently hurt her leg. I started her on antibiotics and pain killers afterward.

I am just a wreck, she is so obviously feeling like crap and it hurts to see her like this. She is still eating, drinking, and pooping, she laid an egg today, and she has no problem getting up and moving if something motivates her to do so e.g. treats or being let out into the far side of the yard to forage. But she is taken down a few pegs, and I'm desperate to know what's going on and what I can do to help her.

Do any of you experienced duck owners have any thoughts? Have your ducks ever seemed to feel unwell for a few days and recover and maybe I'm just overreacting? Or is it normally serious if a duck shows clear signs of discomfort like this? I act like this when I have so much as a cold, but I am under the impression our pets don't show pain or discomfort to nearly the same extent and her acting like this means she is well and truly miserable...
 
normally if a duck starts to show signs of illness or distress, something is seriously wrong since they hide it well. I haven't been a duck owner for more than four years, but I can tell you this: keep her separate from the flock and monitor her closely. if she doesn't want to eat, try bribing her with high protein snacks like cooked eggs(no salt) or yogurt or mealworms. try offering her electrolytes as well. if she goes down even further, take her back to the vet. good luck with your duck
 
I’ve had ducks for 14 years but don’t have a lot of expierience because I only had 7, most of which had few health issues so in a lot of ways I’m very I expierienced but I’ll try to help if I can.


What antibiotic is she taking?

Did they examine her for masses or internal laying or other reproductive issues?

Did they test her for parasites or bacteria?

Could she have swallowed any kind of metal or paint?

Truthfully her condition could be caused by just about anything because these are really non specific but serious symptoms, but considering her recent leg issues the vet could be right about it being septic arthritis from a leg injury, or the limping was caused by an illness that’s progressing worse than before.
 
When my ducks have leg issues, it takes time to recover and they need rest. Often they stop eating or are not eating enough. My current duck that has a leg injury will not eat and I am tube feeding. If you notice brighter green droppings, your duck is not getting enough nutrients. Also, just because your duck is eating doesn't mean it is eating enough. A typical duck eats about .4lbs of food. Weigh it out to give your self and idea how much food your duck should be eating.

I would look for swelling of the joint, this will occur if there is an infection or injury to the leg. Epsom salt compresses and NSAID can be used to help treat inflammation.

I would give the duck luke warm baths to help the duck recoup. Swim therapy helps take stress off the leg and allows them to strengthen it in a non-stressful way.

Depending on the injury it can time to recoup. Mine has been indoor 2-3 weeks now and I am expecting to move her outdoor in small pen soon. But it will likely still be weeks before she fully recovers.
 
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I'm so sorry. Many of us have experienced this or something similar and know how difficult it is to see them suffer like this. Any chance you can get a picture of both of the ducks feet/legs (front and back) and attach the pictures to this thread? Is she being confined to a small area with heavily padded flooring? What meds is she taking now? Do you have an appointment to see the Avian vet soon?
 
What type of food are you feeding? Often times certain foods don’t have enough thiamin and niacin to support their legs and bones, causing types of arthritis, tremors, drooping of wings, neck, head, legs and really anything that can be affected by movement.
 
normally if a duck starts to show signs of illness or distress, something is seriously wrong since they hide it well. I haven't been a duck owner for more than four years, but I can tell you this: keep her separate from the flock and monitor her closely. if she doesn't want to eat, try bribing her with high protein snacks like cooked eggs(no salt) or yogurt or mealworms. try offering her electrolytes as well. if she goes down even further, take her back to the vet. good luck with your duck
I was definitely afraid of that. Luckily she is still eating a fair bit, but I'll continue to monitor her symptoms and eating and I'll be taking her to the avian vet first thing Monday either way.
 
I’ve had ducks for 14 years but don’t have a lot of expierience because I only had 7, most of which had few health issues so in a lot of ways I’m very I expierienced but I’ll try to help if I can.


What antibiotic is she taking?

Did they examine her for masses or internal laying or other reproductive issues?

Did they test her for parasites or bacteria?

Could she have swallowed any kind of metal or paint?

Truthfully her condition could be caused by just about anything because these are really non specific but serious symptoms, but considering her recent leg issues the vet could be right about it being septic arthritis from a leg injury, or the limping was caused by an illness that’s progressing worse than before.
Thank you for your insight, you must know a whole lot more than I do after having ducks for 14 years and I'm grateful you responded.

They only examined her by sight and feel, didn't run any tests like X-rays or testing stool samples.

They have her on 1ml TMS antibiotic ever 12 hours and 1ml nsaid for pain given the septic arthritis theory. I'm a little dubious though without the other tests and the fact she seemed to have a sprain rather than any cuts that could introduce bacteria.

Another thing is her breath smells a little weird, so I wondered about sour crop maybe? But I'm not sure if that would make her seem like she feels so unwell.

Fwiw, the vet said he wasn't too concerned she's an emergency case since she seems otherwise healthy and is still eating and drinking fine, but he wasn't a specialist. I'll be taking her to the avian vet first thing Monday morning, but I don't think I'll get much sleep til then. She's my baby and it hurts so much to see her feeling ill.
 
When my ducks have leg issues, it takes time to recover and they need rest. Often they stop eating or are not eating enough. My current duck that has a leg injury will not eat and I am tube feeding. If you notice brighter green droppings, your duck is not getting enough nutrients. Also, just because your duck is eating doesn't mean it is eating enough. A typical duck eats about .4lbs of food. Weigh it out to give your self and idea how much food your duck should be eating.

I would look for swelling of the joint, this will occur if there is an infection or injury to the leg. Epsom salt compresses and NSAID can be used to help treat inflammation.

I would give the duck luke warm baths to help the duck recoup. Swim therapy helps take stress off the leg and allows them to strengthen it in a non-stressful way.

Depending on the injury it can time to recoup. Mine has been indoor 2-3 weeks now and I am expecting to move her outdoor in small pen soon. But it will likely still be weeks before she fully recovers.
Do you think the leg injury could be what's bothering her even though she's walking totally normally again? I'll start measuring her food intake, thanks for the suggestion.
 

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