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

[sgolem]

I have a three and a half week white crested pekin duck named Peppie. About five days ago he started stumbling when he walked. Three days ago he could hardly keep his balance at all and would tumble over onto his back and he could not get up. He was still eating and drinking.

In the past 24 hours he has gotten worse. Now he just lays on his side. Sometimes it seems he is too weak to get up on his legs. He is still drinking and we now mix his food with the water so that he eats as well. He also still uses the bathroom and it looks normal. He still seems very alert. He cries and tries to follow me when I leave the room and he stops when I come back. When I pick him up he kicks his right leg more then his left and he keeps his leg close to his body (favoring the right side).

His feet were very cold this morning but they are getting some heat back. Someone suggested he may have had a heat stroke (we have had temperatures as high as 105 F). Does anyone know what it might be or what we can do for him?

I can't afford a vet, but I want to do everything I can to help him.


Here is a picture of him laying down.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have a three and a half week white crested pekin duck named Peppie. About five days ago he started stumbling when he walked. Three days ago he could hardly keep his balance at all and would tumble over onto his back and he could not get up. He was still eating and drinking.

In the past 24 hours he has gotten worse. Now he just lays on his side. Sometimes it seems he is too weak to get up on his legs. He is still drinking and we now mix his food with the water so that he eats as well. He also still uses the bathroom and it looks normal. He still seems very alert. He cries and tries to follow me when I leave the room and he stops when I come back. When I pick him up he kicks his right leg more then his left and he keeps his leg close to his body (favoring the right side).

His feet were very cold this morning but they are getting some heat back. Someone suggested he may have had a heat stroke (we have had temperatures as high as 105 F). Does anyone know what it might be or what we can do for him?

I can't afford a vet, but I want to do everything I can to help him.


Here is a picture of him laying down.

I'm so sorry to hear about your duckling, what are you feeding him? ducklings can get deffecient sp in niacin pretty quick and if you feeding chick starter then that maybe his problem which you can buy niacin and add to his water and will probably notice a difference in about 3-4 days. Brewers yeast can also be added to his feed. He's at about the age when we start to see these kinds of problems if it's niacin defenciency. I'd also give him some kind of poultry vitamins right now to help. it could be heat related but i am leaning more on the niacin. Was he kept outside with out adequate shade or water? when temps get like they have been it's very important that our ducks have plenty of shade plus fresh cool water at all times. also might add some electrolytes during such high temps too. bt get him over this first by adding niacin in the form of capsules opened and added to his drinking water or tablets crushed, or Brewers yeast sprinkled on top of his feed. please let us know how he is doing.

 

[sgolem]

Thank you for your advice Lydia! How do I determine how much niacin to give him? I don't want to give him too much. My girlfriend is running out to get some. Also, greetings from Raleigh!

The person who sold us Peppie gave us some duckling food with him. Perhaps it wasn't really for ducklings? I took my mothers cat to the vet today for her so I could ask him questions. The vet recommended giving him some blended water and lettuce, so we've been feeding him that since this afternoon.

 

[PetDuck]

And I hope your duckling gets better!

 

[duckyfromoz]

Niacin deficiency usually presents as walking issues associated with bow legs. In this case I would suggest it is much more likely that the is something neurological going on with your little one. The crest on its head is actually formed because there is a hole in the skull and this can cause many problems. Peppie may just be going through a growth spurt where excess pressure is being put on the brain causing a kind of temporary paralysis- but there is also the chance that there will be no recovery from this. Another possibility is that he has ingested something toxic- or rather than heat stroke- just a stroke as you say that one side of his body seems more effected than the other.

It may just be that for now all you can do is help him eat and drink to keep up his strength as while he is growing this is so very important. Rather than just niacin some multivitamins that will give him a boost with a greater range of essential elements especially when he isnt actually eating much. i just keep going back to look at your Photo of Peppie- he really is a beautiful looking baby. I hoe you can nurse him through this and that he will be able to have a pretty normal life.

 

[Amiga]

Not much to add, you have received some good counsel here. Wanted to send you a hug, this is such a heartache. So sorry.

One other thought is that hot, dry weather sometimes brings conditions for botulism. Decaying plant or animal material can be ingested by ducks or ducklings and can be fatal.

Does Peppie go outside? It might be toxicity. In addition to keeping him in a reasonably cool place with plenty of fresh water with chopped lettuce, try emptying three capsules of activated charcoal (not the fire starting stuff, the medicinal charcoal you can get at a pharmacy) to a quart of water. It won't hurt, and if toxins are involved, it may help.

Poor little Peppie.

Sometimes giving a laxative (a little molasses in water, for example) can help, but only if it is something like botulism or poisoning. And as weak as he is, I do not know if this would be best for him. But the charcoal in water won't hurt.

 

[PetDuck]

How is he?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Here is a link about Niacin from Metzers web site. http://metzerfarms.blogspot.com/2011/03/are-my-ducklings-leg-problems-due-to.html
but i think you may have to look at what duckyfromz has said too, having a crest can cause neurological problems so it will be a time issue to see how he responds to the niacin and also the poultry vitamins, go to TSC and get poultry nutri drench awesome stuff and start right away giving him some, he can even have it straight in the mouth and you can mix it with his water. just remember anytime you give any fowl anything directly into their mouth do it very slowly and only at the opening so they don't get it into their lungs. I can usually just put it on the side of their bill where their mouth opens and they will get some, some is wasted but right now it's just important to get Peppie feeling better. again please keep us updated on how he is doing.And wish this was on a happier note but

we're glad your here.

 

[sgolem]

Peppie is very squirmy, which is good. His balance still isn't very good, but when my girlfriend left (I was in charge of watching him), he was almost walking as he tried to look for her. He's learned to use the side of the cage to help him stand. He looks kinda like a kiwi when he does this because his bottom half is scrunched.

So far he's been fed Lettuce with some niacin added. The multivitamin sounds like a good idea, I'll look into it.

We're starting to suspect he might have gone blind in one eye because it doesn't react when we put our fingers near it, but his other one does.

We laid him on his back and he kicked in protest for awhile until his belly was rubbed. I'm glad he kicked like that, it's reassuring. After that he seemed very comfortable, and was able to hold his head up and look around. He's much more energetic tonight than he was last night. His peeping still sounds a bit wheezy.

Here is a picture of him and his sibling, who's been comforting him a lot. He seems to have cheered him up a little.








Thank you for all your support tonight. You guys have given a lot of great advice and we will use it. I'll keep you guys updated.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Peppie is very squirmy, which is good. His balance still isn't very good, but when my girlfriend left (I was in charge of watching him), he was almost walking as he tried to look for her. He's learned to use the side of the cage to help him stand. He looks kinda like a kiwi when he does this because his bottom half is scrunched.

So far he's been fed Lettuce with some niacin added. The multivitamin sounds like a good idea, I'll look into it.

We're starting to suspect he might have gone blind in one eye because it doesn't react when we put our fingers near it, but his other one does.

We laid him on his back and he kicked in protest for awhile until his belly was rubbed. I'm glad he kicked like that, it's reassuring. After that he seemed very comfortable, and was able to hold his head up and look around. He's much more energetic tonight than he was last night. His peeping still sounds a bit wheezy.

Here is a picture of him and his sibling, who's been comforting him a lot. He seems to have cheered him up a little.








Thank you for all your support tonight. You guys have given a lot of great advice and we will use it. I'll keep you guys updated.

What precious pics.

we'll be waiting for news.