need advice on treating ducks that were attacked

[Duckworth]

But still, getting a baseline weight is something that's usually done with dogs and cats, so why not ducks? What was he thinking?

My vet did get a baseline weight when he took each duck into the OR to examine them under better light, even though I wasn't aware of it at the time. When I went back a few days later to have him follow up on Nipper, his assistant weighed her again and he referenced the previous weight he had taken in determining how we should proceed. Is it possible that your vet did weigh your ducks while out of the room with them?

 

[cymbaline]

My vet did get a baseline weight when he took each duck into the OR to examine them under better light, even though I wasn't aware of it at the time. When I went back a few days later to have him follow up on Nipper, his assistant weighed her again and he referenced the previous weight he had taken in determining how we should proceed. Is it possible that your vet did weigh your ducks while out of the room with them?

They never left my sight. I helped him hold and calm them while he examined them, and their carrier was sitting on the table/scale along with them the whole time so there's no way they got a weight for any of them.
I weighed them earlier: Blanche was 3lbs, Rose was 2.8lbs, and Tony was 4.6lbs. Admittedly I haven't weighed them in years but I'd venture to say that's at least a half pound low on the girls and maybe close to a pound low on Tony - I could've sworn he was more like 5.5lbs. They all feel skinny... I don't like it. They still only drank a cup to cup and a half of water today (about a cup of the "doctored" and some plain water out of the cup with bits of lettuce in it). Somebody did finally nibble at the crumbles today - there was a wet spot in the bowl and wet bits of food on the lettuce-water cup.

 

[cymbaline]

It might be okay if the nutri drench doesn't contain any calcium. I would Google tetracycline drug interactions and double check the nutri drench for those ingredients. Generally speaking, I don't use more than one drug at a time in the waterers.

I honestly never thought about that since the nutri-drench is just vitamins, not a pharmaceutical, but you're right - calcium (and iron and magnesium) can interfere with tetracycline's absorption, and it does have all three in it.
Do you guys think it would be too traumatic if I tried to squirt the nutri-drench in their mouths? That should only affect the antibiotic for a few hours, so any of the medicated water they drink after that will still be useful.
Should I not be freaking out like this unless they start to get sluggish? Bc Tony still had it in him to jump out of the tub just now when he was done swimming, lol. Granted the water was probably 6-8 inches from the top (it's not a very deep tub), but still...doesn't seem like he's too weak so far, and he's who I've seen eat the least.

 

[Miss Lydia]

No squirting just small drops right inside unless you can get it into the right hole and not into the wind pipe. Don't want anything going down into the lungs[airsacs] In this link @casportpony has put together for us shows how to give meds to sick birds.https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...nd-supportive-care-updated-5-14-2018.1048620/

 

[Duckworth]

When I was giving oral meds to my ducks by syringe, I used a small barrel 1cc/1ml syringe and just gave a couple of drops at a time into the corner of the bill where the bill meets the feathers. It took my ducks about three days to start eating and drinking again and my most seriously injured duck took about a week to really resume eating normally. She lost a full pound, which was about 23% of her baseline weight, but she seems to be doing quite well, now.

Those last two days before she ate, I did give Nipper some liquified food by syringe, but again, just a couple of drops at a time, waiting for her to swallow in between. I was very aware of not wanting her to asperate it.

 

[cymbaline]

When I was giving oral meds to my ducks by syringe, I used a small barrel 1cc/1ml syringe and just gave a couple of drops at a time into the corner of the bill where the bill meets the feathers. It took my ducks about three days to start eating and drinking again and my most seriously injured duck took about a week to really resume eating normally. She lost a full pound, which was about 23% of her baseline weight, but she seems to be doing quite well, now.

Those last two days before she ate, I did give Nipper some liquified food by syringe, but again, just a couple of drops at a time, waiting for her to swallow in between. I was very aware of not wanting her to asperate it.

Like, 3 days and they were eating and drinking a decent amount, or 3 days before they did really at all? Did they seem lethargic?


I don't understand...it doesn't look like they ate or drank much of anything today, but to me they seem okay. Rose acts almost normal other than not really eating and looks quite healthy, at least I think so - very wide eyes and alert, not sickly.

Blanche still looks a little down in the face and is not as energetic.
And Tony still looks like hell for some reason, although he must've sensed me getting worried yesterday bc he ate quite a few bites of peas and corn both last night before bed and this morning before I left for work.

 

[Duckworth]

My ducks didn’t look good because of their injuries and they didn’t seem to be eating or drinking all that much, though I think they may have been getting a bit more than I thought they were. FG’s head was stitched up and one eye was completely crusted over, but once those stitches were in, she recovered from shock in two or three days.

Flipper just had her face swollen on one side and a small puncture just above her bill. Her eyes were unaffected. She recovered from her shock in a couple of days and was the first to start eating normally.

Nipper didn’t eat until the eighth day, though I started giving her a little liquified food by syringe on day five or six. Her whole face, including both eyes, was a mass of dried blood and one of her nostrils was completely blocked. She was functionally blind and her bill was unstable, but healing. Today is day 13 and though she is still slender, her nostrils and eyes are open, she can see, and Flipper no longer picks on her. Even Nipper started preening after four or five days.

For your ducks with neck injuries, is it possible that they are unable to move their heads/necks to the height of the water or food source. Nipper couldn’t put her head down without the swelling affecting her breathing. I put the taller water bucket in her side of the tub, since I had to separate her from Flipper for her own safety. Nipper could drink if the bucket was full. Consider trying a different height of food and water containers.

Also, I gave dried mealworms and some kitten food (with smaller pieces) for extra protein and smell. Animals use smell to tell them that something is food. Inflammation can affect the ability to smell things. A stronger smelling food may be more appealing. That said, I tried to get Nipper to eat canned chicken on day two and three and she had no interest in it at all. She is eating quite well, now.

It was several days before even my less injured ducks recovered from shock and became their normal selves.

 

[Duckworth]

One more thing. If you have separated your ducks from each other, consider setting up at least a look-don’t touch situation for them. Nipper did better when I put FG in with her, but I couldn’t put her together with Flipper until she was doing enough better that Flipper thought Nipper would live and didn’t need to be culled. I had Flipper in a small crate in the bathtub with FG and Nipper, so they were together, but no harm could come to Nipper.

 

[Duckworth]

My three are Welshies, too.

 

[cymbaline]

Oh my goodness...the more I hear about your babies the more I think I'm just a big whiney worry-wart!
Thankfully nobody is picking on anybody. I have noticed that Blanche seems swim and dunk her head more when Rose does, like she just follows her lead.
I noticed that about the neck problems too, so I have a shallow bowl with peas and corn, a mug with lettuce and water, and then a tall glass measuring cup with the antibiotic water, which today I diluted more bc I don't think it's doing any good if they won't drink it, so maybe if it seems more like regular water they'll actually drink a good dose, plus a dish of crumbles, just in case anyone is interested. Tony can definitely bend down now, but if I hold it up to him it seems to get him started/interested. From what I've seen, and judging by her poos, Rose is only eating the lettuce when she eats, and as well as she's doing I can't imagine that reaching any of the dishes is the problem. And if they sit instead of stand, they can definitely get at the lower ones. I can't seem to get Blanche interested in any of it, no matter if I hold it up for her or leave her be with it. I'm really puzzled as to how she looks and acts as good as she does... she doesn't even drink that much either.
(obviously I'm not going to stop worrying, even if logically I realize they are not that bad off, compared to other duckies who've made it)