Need help, Duck skinny and lethargic

FunQuail

Crowing
6 Years
Sep 23, 2018
443
728
271
Kansas
Hello all,
My duck Lilly 2 years old in a few months, seems to be ill, somethings off. I noticed this just now. She is normally a very active duck and hangs out with a group and eats well.
Symptoms include:
Lethargic not hanging out with the group laying down etc
Skinny, middle bone sticking out
Feathers messy and dirty
Diet:
All flock country Lane feed
Nutrena country feeds duck feed
Treats:
Black soldier fly larva, mealworms, green beans corn carrots and peas, blueberries.

Honestly I am not sure as to what this could be. I was thinking maybe egg binding but I did not feel an egg. But I’m not sure what I’d be looking for either. I do not want to overly stress her. Have a major snow storm coming tonight.
@Isaac 0
Thanks for any help.
 
Last edited:
Is a vet an option? very sorry Lilly is sick I'd bring her inside so you can monitor her eating drinking and pooping and keep her warm.
She seems to be a little better. She ate some black soldier fly larvae last night and this morning and it looked like she had had some food before letting them out this morning. I added activated charcoal to their water last night in case she ate something bad. I still would say she’s not 100% but definitely seems to feel a bit better.

The storm makes it hard to go anywhere I don’t know how much more snow we’ll get today. I didn’t separate her from the flock last night because it causes them so much stress. I’d like to but I don’t wanna go backwards by separating her. Thoughts?

I just gave them water with probiotic in it, hoping that’ll give her a boost. She’s still eating and drinking some so that’s good. They are staying in the coop today because of the snow.

Vet is an option but it wouldn’t be for a couple days and I’m hoping that whatever it is will pass :fl
Thank you so much!
Kelly
 
My vet prescribed me panacur and ivermectin, both available without a prescription. I had fecals done on my ducks, so I can't say if this specific protocol is optimal for your ducks. I can get you more information - like where to buy, dosage, ECT when I get home tonight.
 
My vet prescribed me panacur and ivermectin, both available without a prescription. I had fecals done on my ducks, so I can't say if this specific protocol is optimal for your ducks. I can get you more information - like where to buy, dosage, ECT when I get home tonight.
Thank you! That would be great!

An update:
She is doing better! Mostly normal now, I'm not sure why she was having trouble but glad to see her better. I am keeping a close eye on her and hope that she continues to feel better. She may have been slightly egg bound, I found 2 eggs in there this morning. I free feed oyster shell :confused:

Isn't it ok/recommended to deworm them every so often?

Thank you for your help everyone!:love
Kelly
 
Thank you! That would be great!

An update:
She is doing better! Mostly normal now, I'm not sure why she was having trouble but glad to see her better. I am keeping a close eye on her and hope that she continues to feel better. She may have been slightly egg bound, I found 2 eggs in there this morning. I free feed oyster shell :confused:

Isn't it ok/recommended to deworm them every so often?

Thank you for your help everyone!:love
Kelly
I'm happy to hear that she is feeling better!

It is not recommended by my avian vets to use anti parasite medications on schedule. Some poultry owners disagree. The reasonings are 1) because these medications are real drugs with real side effects and should not be used unless needed. And 2) using anti parasite medications when not needed makes parasites resistant to the medications, and then when you have parasites the medications may not be effective. There may be more reasons, but that is what was explained to me by more than one excellent avian vet.

What they recommend is testing the stool and treating only when needed. I test my flock twice yearly.
 
What is the treatment for that? We were thinking that too, and is it ok to deworm the whole flock?
Thank you!
Kelly
The treatment my vet recommended was panacur and ivermectin. My duck, a welsh harlequin, was about 3.5-4 lbs when these dosages were recommended. I have purchased it from my vet, and bought the same thing from Amazon. It's for livestock, so you get way more than you need. Perhaps you can buy smaller quantities somewhere else, but I didn't investigate. It was the same cost as 10 MLS from my vet so I just bought it.

Safe-guard (Fenbendazole) Dewormer Liquid 125ml
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B5NO5BU/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_T0A9VHRHQHSAXY5NZFKR


This one is supposed to be injectable, but it can be used orally. I did. You do need to use a new sterile needle with a syringe to draw it out.

Durvet Ivermectin Injectable 50 mL 50ML
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CVMY79R/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_FW6ZCA62MXFQP71R75SC

You can also buy syringes on Amazon. I like these ones for oral use if you are giving under 1ml.

1ml Oral Syringe - 100 Pack – Luer Slip Tip, No Needle, Sterile Individually Blister Packed - Medicine Administration for Infants, Toddlers and Small Pets
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GX4RJF3/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_9YWBPGB62EC7V1HW8W3F

You can also buy syringes with needles already attached to them on Amazon, but all I can find at the moment are ones with luer lock tips, and you don't want that because then you can't use those orally. Alternatively you can buy needles on thrivingpets.com, depending on which state you are in.

But... Preferably you'll get a stool sample tested first!

If she is having laying problems I might suggest giving her a calcium supplement. She also might not enjoy the oyster shells provided. Mine reject the white kind and LOVE the grey kind.

Keep us updated! 💖🦆
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