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

[mrdelurk]

I have two ducks in our flock, one a month old the other a year old, both with the same balance problem. I know the cause, @#$%! mongooses bit their heads, they were bleeding like crazy.

(Soon after the trapped mongooses met my airplane snips, and the duck flock got a mongoose puzzle of 1" pieces to play with. Well, they wouldn't go anywhere near the reeky pile.)

 

[Isaac 0]

I have two ducks in our flock, one a month old the other a year old, both with the same balance problem. I know the cause, @#$%! mongooses bit their heads, they were bleeding like crazy.

(Soon after the trapped mongooses met my airplane snips, and the duck flock got a mongoose puzzle of 1" pieces to play with. Well, they wouldn't go anywhere near the reeky pile.)

When did this happen?

Could you post a few pictures of the bite wounds, and the ducks?

Where are you located in the world?

What have you done as far as treatment?

 

[mrdelurk]

This happened in Hawaii. Don't have any pictures of the fresh wounds, but typically the mongoose bites at the head/neck area, over or just behind the victim's eye. I'll attach 2 pix each of the 2 survivor ducks today at your request. The young one on the ground is resting, this is its typical position. I'll attach a group shot where it's standing back center. The older survivor isn't in that group shot, it always hangs out with our chickens instead and try to mate (gently) with them. (The hens are already used to it, they just step aside.) Perhaps the poor boy lost a few marbles too... at the attack, the mongoose was 5x his size.

 

[Isaac 0]

This happened in Hawaii. Don't have any pictures of the fresh wounds, but typically the mongoose bites at the head/neck area, over or just behind the victim's eye. I'll attach 2 pix each of the 2 survivor ducks today at your request. The young one on the ground is resting, this is its typical position. I'll attach a group shot where it's standing back center. The older survivor isn't in that group shot, it always hangs out with our chickens instead and try to mate (gently) with them. (The hens are already used to it, they just step aside.) Perhaps the poor boy lost a few marbles too... at the attack, the mongoose was 5x his size.

Could you trim the feathers around the wounded areas, about a 2/3cm circumferential zone, will work, if the wound is deep around the neck you may want to skip the lavaging and just apply an antibiotic ointment to prevent fluids getting into her air sacs, but if its just skin exposed, lavage the wound with either saline, chlorhexidine (Hibiclens), or diluted betadine. You can use a dish soap bottle to lavage or a 35/65 syringe. Then you can either slather the wound with a triple antibiotic ointment, or use a poultry wound spray like Vetericyn.

Since its a bite wound, there is going to be bacteria present on the ducks wound. Do you have any antibiotics on hand? That would be highly advised in a case like this to prevent an infection.

You'll want them in a warm, stressful free area, away from flies.

 

[mrdelurk]

Could you trim the feathers around the wounded areas...

Thank you, Isaac. The attacks were several months ago, we did give the victim/s triple antibiotic ointment at the time. For interior use, my wife made the ducks drink a pureed herb that people in Asia give to wounded poultry to recover. I'm attaching today's 3 pix of Tiny, the smaller survivor. It tumbles a lot today, I guess we'll ramp up the Niacin?

Unfortunately a lot of nasty critters try to come over from the "no man's jungle" next door to our birds' detriment. Attached is a pic of the rodent I stopped cold today morning.

 

[Isaac 0]

Thank you, Isaac. The attacks were several months ago, we did give the victim/s triple antibiotic ointment at the time. For interior use, my wife made the ducks drink a pureed herb that people in Asia give to wounded poultry to recover. I'm attaching today's 3 pix of Tiny, the smaller survivor. It tumbles a lot today, I guess we'll ramp up the Niacin?

Unfortunately a lot of nasty critters try to come over from the "no man's jungle" next door to our birds' detriment. Attached is a pic of the rodent I stopped cold today morning.

Sorry, I must have misconstrued your post, I was unaware this happened a few months ago.

How long had that duck been like that? She has some severe wry neck going on.

 

[mrdelurk]

The wry neck is maybe a week old issue. I think it started when the alpha duck (a huge Muscovy) tried to mount this poor thing.

 

[Isaac 0]

The wry neck is maybe a week old issue. I think it started when the alpha duck (a huge Muscovy) tried to mount this poor thing.

So likely neurological damage then, poor thing, I'm afraid it's gone so long without being treated it's probably permanent by now.

You could give her 40i0u of vitamin E once a day, and some thiamine to help with the neurological issues if you'd like.

 

[mrdelurk]

You could give her 40i0u of vitamin E once a day, and some thiamine to help with the neurological issues if you'd like.

Update on the ducks. After two weeks of premium duck food with yeast added for double niacin, the younger duck now stands straighter, walks and runs without toppling over immediately. Still not 100% toppling free, but maybe continuing the regimen will get it there?

Next, the older duck, which never had a toppling issue, only keeps trying to mate with chickens. We cooped it with 2 real looker girl ducks that are 3 months younger than him. So far 2 days passed, no whoopie, it runs scared out of the two's ways instead. The trio watches through the coop's wire walls the other 20 ducks mate left and right with total abandon around them.

We have a new sick duck. Not sure what happened to it, she only drinks water (like every 15 minutes), refuses even the best solid food since days. Looks sick and groggy, but stands still straight, sometimes even cleans herself. I remember how in the past the vet pumped a whole wet meal into one of my sick ducks with a contraption what looked like a giant basting syringe with a plastic hose exit that went into the sick duck's beak and slightly down the neck. Not sure what the contraption is called and whether I should attempt to buy and use one to force feed this girl before it's too late for her?

 

[tlross0828]

HI! I hope Peppie is doing well!!

I am also in need of help for a wobbly duck. Howard is a 10 year old Call Duck. He was injured 2 years ago by a fox, but recovered well. Now he moves his legs, but cannot coordinate them or stand up. He just flops over on his back. we prop him up and he eats and drinks well. Any ideas??