Need Advisement on Joint Infection

[Miss Lydia]

I bet the crusty stuff on his face is from his eye draining.
He probably hasn't been feeling like preening either which could be the wet feather problem.
As long as he is getting tub time [warm water] so he is getting exercise without putting weight on his leg I wouldn't worry too much about him not walking around on the floor. Rest along with water therapy plus his antibiotic is what he needs for now.

 

[DuckDuckJuice]

I bet the crusty stuff on his face is from his eye draining.
He probably hasn't been feeling like preening either which could be the wet feather problem.
As long as he is getting tub time [warm water] so he is getting exercise without putting weight on his leg I wouldn't worry too much about him not walking around on the floor. Rest along with water therapy plus his antibiotic is what he needs for now.

Okay, great. Thank you! How much tub time should I be giving him? I’ve been doing about 30-45 minute free swim in the tub morning and evening, as well as a 30 minute Epsom soak in the afternoon. Should it be more? He seems to get pretty tired after a relatively short period of swimming, so I was thinking of breaking it up into more frequent, shorter swims. He normally spends the majority of the day floating and splashing around in the pond outside. It makes me sad to see him so mopey and lethargic. Also, sorry for asking so many questions. This is our first time having ducks and they’re only about 1.5 years old, so we haven’t dealt with many injuries or illnesses before.

 

[Quatie]

Okay, great. Thank you! How much tub time should I be giving him? I’ve been doing about 30-45 minute free swim in the tub morning and evening, as well as a 30 minute Epsom soak in the afternoon. Should it be more? He seems to get pretty tired after a relatively short period of swimming, so I was thinking of breaking it up into more frequent, shorter swims. He normally spends the majority of the day floating and splashing around in the pond outside. It makes me sad to see him so mopey and lethargic. Also, sorry for asking so many questions. This is our first time having ducks and they’re only about 1.5 years old, so we haven’t dealt with many injuries or illnesses before.

It sounds like you are doing a good job so far giving him baths. That is good to hear that he is starting to try and move around. I agree with @Miss Lydia, he mostly needs time and rest now. I know it may not seem like it, but he really is making good progress.

If you haven't tried a warmer bath once, I would do that for his nares and eyes. The warmth of the water can really help dislodge things. I have had to splash water and slightly dunk one of my ducks heads to encourage them to try and clean while in the bath. But it is definitely hard when they are being stubborn.

 

[DuckDuckJuice]

It sounds like you are doing a good job so far giving him baths. That is good to hear that he is starting to try and move around. I agree with @Miss Lydia, he mostly needs time and rest now. I know it may not seem like it, but he really is making good progress.

If you haven't tried a warmer bath once, I would do that for his nares and eyes. The warmth of the water can really help dislodge things. I have had to splash water and slightly dunk one of my ducks heads to encourage them to try and clean while in the bath. But it is definitely hard when they are being stubborn.

Thanks! I just hope what we’re doing is enough. We’ve decided we’re going to keep him inside for the next month, at least. Between needing to rest and the weather getting colder, plus the new wet feather, it just seems like a bad idea for him to go back out any time soon. As far as the baths are concerned, they’ve all been warm. I just figured what feels good to us would probably feel good to them, too.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Judge bath time by how he tires. Even 15-20 minutes is good if he is moving around. Even just floating most likely feels good to him. I think you are doing great with what your doing. please don't ever feel your asking too many questions that is what we're here for. We love to help if we can.

 

[DuckDuckJuice]

Ducky update: He’s doing pretty well today. Finished his antibiotics and has no sign of infection. Very cranky, though. I think he’s getting sick of me bothering him so much. The patch on his face has gone and he’s been preening more. He also stood on both legs for a minute this morning, but still isn’t walking. I figure that will take much longer, but I was very happy to see him stand. The one issue we’re dealing with now is eating. He refuses to eat unless he’s swimming. I have no problem with that, as he swims three times daily I can easily feed him during that time. The issue is what to feed him. His duck pellets dissolve instantly in the water, so they’re not an option. So far I’ve given him cat food, scrambled eggs, grapes, peas, and blueberries. I’m obviously concerned that that’s not a balanced diet and can’t be maintained for long without health consequences. Any ideas on what foods to give him that would be an appropriate substitute for duck pellets until he’s willing to eat out of a dish again? It has to be something that won’t dissolve in the water and is decently visible to him (i.e. he wouldn’t eat green grapes because he couldn’t see them well in the water, but he ate red ones). Thanks again for all the advice!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I know Mazuri waterfowl pellets are for floating in water and suppose to be excellent feed for them.
That sounds pretty good what your feeding but since he maybe a while before he is ready to go back out maybe check on the Mazuri.

that is awesome news that he has responded so well to the antibiotic. and is standing. Hopefully, walking will be soon.

 

[DuckDuckJuice]

Not so great update today. Ducky is no longer wanting/able to hold his head up. He was fine earlier, but I just went up to fill the bath for him and he wouldn’t swim at all. He just laid there, completely flat, with his legs behind him and his neck stretched out. His head would droop under the water and he’d only lift it long enough to take a quick breath, but he was essentially limp. I quickly got him out of the water after realizing something was wrong and he wasn’t just being weird. When I placed him on the floor, he again laid completely flat with his head and neck extended and limp. After about twenty minutes, he managed to get his head up to rest on the water bowl, but has made no other effort to move. He also showed no reaction to us bringing Boots in with him, which was very abnormal. We actually didn’t bring her in to see him- she was attacked by a bald eagle in the backyard today and we took her inside to check for injuries. Thankfully, I got out there very quickly and was able to scare the eagle off before it did too much damage. She just has an injury to her eye that seems minor, but I’ll keep an eye on, as well as some shallow scratches on her bill. We were very lucky it happened when it did. Several minutes earlier, I’d been using a power sander and wouldn’t have heard the commotion outside.

So, all that said, any ideas on what might be going on with Ducky? The leg seems a bit better, oddly enough, so I don’t think it’s the infection. I thought it could possibly be a sprain/strain from using his bill so much to push himself up, since he can’t stand on his leg. That, or he possibly hurt himself trying to get out of the tub during his swim this morning. I heard a commotion up in the bathroom, but I was in the middle of getting my daughter ready to go to her grandmother’s house and didn’t see what the noise was caused by. I assumed it was just Ducky flapping his wings or splashing around in the tub. Basically, I’m at a loss for what caused this and how to help him and would be grateful for any more advice. I feel like I’m drowning in duck problems right now and am completely failing them.

 

[DuckDuckJuice]

Final Ducky Update: I just went up to check on him and he seems to have died sometime in the last half hour. We are all devastated, especially our daughter, but grateful he’s no longer suffering. I want to thank everyone again for all the help. Even though we couldn’t save him, I feel like we at least made him more comfortable in his final days.

 

[Isadora]

Final Ducky Update: I just went up to check on him and he seems to have died sometime in the last half hour. We are all devastated, especially our daughter, but grateful he’s no longer suffering. I want to thank everyone again for all the help. Even though we couldn’t save him, I feel like we at least made him more comfortable in his final days.

I'm so sorry to hear this. You did a great job taking care of him.