Need help

[nenaJ]

I am new to the site but I really need some help. I have a duck very healthy at first glance but she is having trouble walking. SpongeBob is 4 months old and and has been fine up until Friday 6/7/13 when she stopped having the ability to stand and walk. I brought her in the house she can stand on her legs but when she tries to walk her legs move like a cat walking in water each step her legs will move around and sometimes they stretch out to the back and her toes will curl up. She is eating but not as much as usual and she is drinking. I got her some Poly-Vi-Sol vitamins and electrolytes for her water but I can't find a vet for her within 100 miles of my home. I would appreciate any help or advice.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I am new to the site but I really need some help. I have a duck very healthy at first glance but she is having trouble walking. SpongeBob is 4 months old and and has been fine up until Friday 6/7/13 when she stopped having the ability to stand and walk. I brought her in the house she can stand on her legs but when she tries to walk her legs move like a cat walking in water each step her legs will move around and sometimes they stretch out to the back and her toes will curl up. She is eating but not as much as usual and she is drinking. I got her some Poly-Vi-Sol vitamins and electrolytes for her water but I can't find a vet for her within 100 miles of my home. I would appreciate any help or advice.

She is probably niacin deficient happens in some ducks and not others. especially if your not feeding a duck or water fowl diet which most of us can't get. you can buy 100-150 mgs of plain niacin at most pharmacies or Walmart ask for it because on the shelves it's mostly time released or flush free you don't want either of those. mix into a 1 gallon container then give them the water in the bucket or waterer which ever you use. you can also buy Brewers yeast and add it to their feed 1 tab to 2 cups of feed. It can be found at some feed stores as live stock brewers yeast or you can find it at Natural food stores. Once they are on it they usually show improvement in as little as 2-3 days. and

and supervised swim time will help build up leg muscles once started on the niacin or brewers yeast. please post back how your duck is doing after you start treatment.

 

[nenaJ]

thank you very much I'm going to the store now. I have been letting her swim in the bathtub twice a day since she has been in and I always stay with her, she falls forward when she spreads her wings to flap them. I let her spend sometime outside, still in her indoor cage, and she seems to be happier she is quacking more because her friends come near her and they all talk together. Thank you so much for the advice and I will post how she is doing.

 

[nenaJ]

She is still about the same but she doesn't eat and drink a lot so I guess it will take longer for the niacin to get into her system but she has began to drink a little more than she was. I have another female (Daisy) that has been bitten on one of her feet by a turtle so now I have two ducks in two cages. My air condition went out and I have really had a time trying to keep them cool. The repair man is here now so I hope that want be a problem any more. I read online to put some epson salts in the bath water so I am trying that now also. She is not any worse so I am hopeful that all will get better. When she was first hatched she couldn't walk for the first 24 hrs or so she would fall over on her back and when she was on her belly her legs would spread but after the first day she never had another problem with them until now. I had actually forgot about it. Will let you know when she gets better. I have put her and her brother Patrick on youtube at

 

[Miss Lydia]

She is still about the same but she doesn't eat and drink a lot so I guess it will take longer for the niacin to get into her system but she has began to drink a little more than she was. I have another female (Daisy) that has been bitten on one of her feet by a turtle so now I have two ducks in two cages. My air condition went out and I have really had a time trying to keep them cool. The repair man is here now so I hope that want be a problem any more. I read online to put some epson salts in the bath water so I am trying that now also. She is not any worse so I am hopeful that all will get better. When she was first hatched she couldn't walk for the first 24 hrs or so she would fall over on her back and when she was on her belly her legs would spread but after the first day she never had another problem with them until now. I had actually forgot about it. Will let you know when she gets better.

Don't give up on her yet. keep encouraging her to drink and eat. you could try putting some of the niacin water on a little bit of her feed to see if she would eat it better. Epsom salts is an awesome way to help heal sprains and such and also wounds so it will be a good idea for your duck that has the wound, but don't let them drink the water because it works as a laxative. When I soak I use a dish pan that way they are laying in the pan and can't get to the water to drink it. Sorry things seem to go wrong at once, glad your getting your ac fixed hopefully your ducks will be too.

 

[Miss Lydia]

How precious!

 

[nenaJ]

Spongebob is doing great she is walking again. I gave her niacin, baby vitamins, brewers yeast, and let her bathe in epson salts twice a day. She has been inside for 8 days and I would bring her brother in at night with her and at least once a day I would let her go outside in her cage so she could talk and visit with her friends. Yesterday I took her out and let her walk on the ground she started to walk then got to a trot before she jumped into the pool. She is so happy to be back outside with her friends but I miss her being inside with me. Thank you for all your help and advice it really did the trick.

 

[Amiga]