Old lame duck

[duckcrazy]

I have an older pekin who is about 6-7 years old. She is quite lame and her feet now turn in a bit so she trips over them. She uses her wings, which are a bit mangled now, and beak on the ground to steady herself after so many steps. /she can get around when she wants to. She stays in one area most of the day, and I provide her with food, vitamins, and water close by. I check on her often and carry her to the pool and pen. She has lost a lot of weight, as she is not eating like she use to.

She seems to accept her limitations, but it has been suggested that I put her down because she must be in pain. I feel the quality of her life is good, as she is well looked after, but if she is in chronic pain, there is no real way to tell. Am I being selfish and cruel by not putting her down? Not sure if there is an answer to this.

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

I think that is a decision that you must make on your own, going with what you think is best. I know Miss Lydia has some older ducks, so I really can't say 6yrs is "too old." Hopefully she will chime in soon to give you her opinion.

 

[StruckBy]

I would put her down. To me, her quality of life isn't good...if a duck is in too much pain to get to food & their pind on their own, they are in a LOT of pain. Prey animals like ducks generally try to hide pain since it makes them a target for predators.

She seems young to be that crippled but Pekins are prone to obesity & that's hard on a body (if only I could remember that when I see a brownie!).

I view part of being a responsible animal owner is that we give them a humane end when it is clear there won't be improvement with treatment.

I'm sorry.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have a Muscovy drake he will be 10yrs old in the spring, Every morning I pick him up and carry him to where he spends his day and of an evening I pick him up and put him in his house to bed. He can hardly walk uses his wings when he does, but he is still eating and has conversation with the older ducks that stay with him during the day. I take it day by day , if he is eating and moving around a bit then I feel he is okay, when he stops eating and doesn't seem to be interested in whats going on around him then I'll know it's time to say good bye. I don't know if he is in pain but he doesn't act like it. He has 2 different dog house he can go into in his fenced in area to get out of the weather and he also has a small pool when the weather permits. He does use both on a good day. He isn't as heavy as he use to be but I do see him eating, This about all I can say. You have to be the one to make this call as do I. I feel when Ernie stops caring that another drake has entered his space and he stops eating then I'll know unless I see something else going on first. It's a hard thing to have to deal with but we are the ones who live with them and know them best.

 

[creaturelife]

it sounds like me the cold got to her

 

[newfoundland]

I agree with Miss Lydia. You can expect an older animal to get a bit thinner, just as humans tend to do. If the duck is still eating and can get around a little, I don't think she is in pain. A sick animal does not eat. I have 21 ducks and 2 of the Pekins are a bit lame. One of mine gets around between walking a few steps,and using her wings and bill when she gets a bit wobbly. She is however very vocal and eats greedily although she is certainly slim but not thin. I make sure she has warm dry straw to wobble to when she has finished eating and a warm dry bed at night in the duck house.

We have had the incessant rain here and it is a real struggle to keep the duck pens from turning into mud wallows. My ducks are looking a bit bedraggled at the moment and I did wonder whether to bring the lame duck into the house to bathe her. I decided against it because I am worried about the waterproofness of her feathers and the possibility of her getting a chill. I also noticed that she is preening herself so i will wait for the weather to warem up first.