Need some desperate help (UPDATED with pics)

[Javi]

I'm going to be as detailed as I can with my situation involving my pekin duck.I got him as a duckling in mid july.He has been growing into a very happy duck up until the past couple of days.Suddenly I notice that he isn't behaving normally and is acting very strange.


This past saturday,I was outside doing some yard work and he was there with me just roaming around.I saw him walk slowly to a spot and he just layed there.If he wanted to move to another spot,he would drag himself instead of walking.I also noticed that he was shivering and he would be like half asleep without hardly moving.

The following sunday,I had to notice a very disturbing event.He was eating when suddenly he just starts falling backwards and doing these weird movements and twists with his body.I didn't want to touch it feeling that I could hurt him somehow.He soon come back to normal but it was very disturbing to watch.

On that same sunday,he was in the pool and he wasn't excited as he normally was.I take him out and he refuses to preen his feathers.If he tries he will fall back and will have trouble keeping his balance.So I dry him with a blow dryer but honestly,his feathers look like a mess and quite ugly.

I don't know what else to do,any help please??

 

[nettie]

it almost sounds like your duck is having seizure issues... this can happen for a number of reasons. I know botchulism can cause ducks to have seizures and fall over like that. Could he have eaten anything rotten? whether it be wet old food or maybe rotting vegetation in your yard?

My friend's duck Vinny had an issue once where he seized up with his head all the way back for about 10 seconds, and looked dead. Then he kinda rebooted and went back to normal. we thought maybe he slipped on the floor of his pen (it was tiled) and hit his head on the wall of the pen, thus inducing the seizure, though we were never certain. He's fine now and hasn't had a problem since.

has he been losing a lot of feathers lately? if so he might be going through a molt. if he was born in mid july, now would be the time for him to go through a molt. that would explain his messy feathers.

 

[Javi]

He eats fresh food everyday.I doubt he could have eaten anything rotten in my yard since I keep very clean and neat.

He hasn't been losing any feathers from what I can tell.But I don't know how else to explain it or what else to do.Don't have the money at the moment for a vet.They are really expensive and I've been 5 different vets and none will even look at a poultry birds.

 

[L0rraine]

Not sure I have any helpful suggestions. Just make sure you keep him as clean and dry as possible and protected from predators. I started giving a drake that I had with 'wet feather' brewer's yeast, I kept him inside at night, and did my best to make sure he had a well balanced diet. He never had any seizure type behavior, just a general weakness of his legs. After significant pampering, and keeping him dry and with a better variety of food, he's gotten much stronger and healthier. But if your duck is experiencing actual seizures, I just have no idea what to suggest.

Good luck and please keep us informed about how he does.

 

[deanna&rich]

Do you use any pesticides or weedkillers or other toxic agents in your yard ?? That could cause seizure-like symptoms in other animals, including humans.

 

[CityChicker]

What are you feeding? Neurological symptoms like this can be from a B deficiency. Ducks have higher requirements than other poultry, especially for Niacin. This would be my first thought based on what you are saying. It is easily remedied by adding something like Brewer's yeast.

 

[Duck Keeper]

Could your duck have eaten ANY bit of metal??

Sometimes as it's breaking down it poisons them. It's called Hardware Disease.

 

[Javi]

I don't know if this will help but I will do it anyway.I took some pics today.No problems today except for this one.Gave him a bath today and he is refusing to clean himself.

 

[nettie]

he was born in mid july? but he's still got yellow fluff? he's about 3 months old then and should not have yellow fluff anymore...

 

[Javi]

Is that a bad sign?