Need Medical Advice!! My Duckling lost the ability to balance and can no longer stand.

[PetDuck]

Beautiful pictures!
Cheers!
Good luck!

Make sure to tell us how she is doing tommarow.

 

[hfchristy]

Do they get any swimming time?
I'm dealing with a similar issue with a slightly older (two month) duck, and one thing that has been reassuring to me is that when I put her in the tub, she perks up. Suggests to me that her problem may be a leg injury since she starts moving around as soon as there's enough water in there to take some of the weight.
You would obviously need to really watch him to make sure he doesn't drown, and be certain he stayed warm until he was dry.

Christy

 

[sgolem]

Here's an update. He's standing a little better today, but still not walking. He's starting to sit more like a duck too!

His head is much bushier than his sibling's. Maybe it is related.

 

[duckyfromoz]

Have you ever heard of a duck named Lemon? She is also a crested Pekin- She was hatched in a school classroom- and with the kids and all- there was just never the possibility to have her put to sleep- so Laura ( the teacher ) cares for Lemon. She has a walking frame- and is taken out on trips with the family. She has a great life for a handiquacked duck. Your Peppie sounds like a fighter- and making some progress is great. Hopefully it will continue and he will be back to walking around soon. If he doesnt though- Lemon is a great example of how a duck can still have a great life even with disabilities. I have raised ducks with different issues in the past- and the ones that arent quiet right are always the favorites in this house.



http://lemontheduck.com/

 

[sgolem]

No I haven't. That's a wonderful story!

We've made a little hammock for him already. Perhaps when he's big, if he still can't walk we'll make something like what Lemon has.

I don't know if he'll ever be able to walk right, but he's getting better every day. His eyes are much more open and he has lots of energy. His cheeps are getting stronger, and he's even starting to give us a few quacks too!

One question though. I want to put him in water to see how he does. I think it'll be good exercise for him. I read that you aren't supposed to let them go in the water until they are a month old though. Is it okay to let him go for a swim?

 

[Kevin565]

How's movement in his neck? It looks like my Wry Neck Gosling.

 

[hfchristy]

A month seems awfully old. Maybe that's for leaving them unsupervised around water? Or in water too deep for them to touch the bottom?

I don't remember how old ours were when they went for their first swim, but they were small enough that several fit in a dishpan at the same time! Just need to make sure that they don't stay in too long and they have someplace warm to dry off.

At his size, you'd probably only need an inch or two of water to take the weight off of his legs.

 

[Miss Lydia]

No I haven't. That's a wonderful story!

We've made a little hammock for him already. Perhaps when he's big, if he still can't walk we'll make something like what Lemon has.

I don't know if he'll ever be able to walk right, but he's getting better every day. His eyes are much more open and he has lots of energy. His cheeps are getting stronger, and he's even starting to give us a few quacks too!

One question though. I want to put him in water to see how he does. I think it'll be good exercise for him. I read that you aren't supposed to let them go in the water until they are a month old though. Is it okay to let him go for a swim?

So happy to hear Peppie is making progress Thats all you can ask for, I think as long as you are there he should have some warm water to play in and float in. I think he'll have a blast and it's very good therapy.

 

[Amiga]

I had my runners bathing at two days old, and just kept the water at the tops of their legs until they were about a month old. That way they could float if they wanted, or they could put their feet down to stand in the water.

Hydrotherapy is good for ducks, seems to me.

 

[etorres]

How is peppie?