Pekin Duck Club!

[Amiga]

Hi.. I have a problem with my drake pekin duck, boots

today I realised his whole head was drenched and it was not drying like it usually does..also it almost looks like his eyes are watering and are bloodshot..someone please help..he isn't acting any different but do not want to leave it to the last minute

Thankyouu

Oh, poor Boots!

A good duck vet is always best - sounds like there may be an irritant, or an infection.

First step I would take is get him into a tub of lukewarm water, let him rinse off really well, get a good look at his eyes, his whole head.

If this is early on, a mild saline rinse four times a day till it clears may be all he needs. There is a possibility, though, that this is a sign of an infection that has gone beyond his eyes - could be in his ears, his sinuses. In that case, I would be looking into getting an oral antibiotic for him.

I lean on others, like @Miss Lydia and @casportpony for advice on the best antibiotics - sometimes you don't have much choice - feed stores sell them, though. And some web sites list the best ones to use for different kinds of infections.

I did learn, from Kim Link at Majestic, that vets can do a sensitivity test to see which antibiotics the bacteria are killed by - and that is one reason a good duck vet is helpful.

There are opthalmic eye gels that contain antibiotics also.

I hesitate to use antibiotics unless I feel that they are needed - so I would start with saline rinses, get ahold of some Vetericyn spray (double check, but I believe it is safe to mist their eyes with it) or Vetericyn eye gel.

And please keep us all posted.

 

[Peekkiinn]

Oh, poor Boots!

A good duck vet is always best - sounds like there may be an irritant, or an infection.

First step I would take is get him into a tub of lukewarm water, let him rinse off really well, get a good look at his eyes, his whole head.

If this is early on, a mild saline rinse four times a day till it clears may be all he needs.  There is a possibility, though, that this is a sign of an infection that has gone beyond his eyes - could be in his ears, his sinuses.  In that case, I would be looking into getting an oral antibiotic for him.  

I lean on others, like @Miss Lydia
 and @casportpony
 for advice on the best antibiotics - sometimes you don't have much choice - feed stores sell them, though.  And some web sites list the best ones to use for different kinds of infections.

I did learn, from Kim Link at Majestic, that vets can do a sensitivity test to see which antibiotics the bacteria are killed by - and that is one reason a good duck vet is helpful.

There are opthalmic eye gels that contain antibiotics also.

I hesitate to use antibiotics unless I feel that they are needed - so I would start with saline rinses, get ahold of some Vetericyn spray (double check, but I believe it is safe to mist their eyes with it) or Vetericyn eye gel.

And please keep us all posted.

Thank you so much for your help will do it first thing in the morning !

 

[Peekkiinn]

Try to find Amiga or LadyHawkAvery in the various duck forums.  They are awesome sources for answering questions.  I can't help since I don't own ducks.  Very best of luck with Boots.  I hope you find some help soon. 

Thank you hopefully he is back to his gorgeous self in no time!

 

[Peekkiinn]

A recent photo of my babies (puddles, boots and crystal) Bootsy is the sick little guy atm..going to need extra tlc! Haha

 

[Julie Birb]

Thank you hopefully he is back to his gorgeous self in no time!

u r welcome and I hope so too, sincerely.

 

[Julie Birb]

A recent photo of my babies (puddles, boots and crystal) Bootsy is the sick little guy atm..going to need extra tlc! Haha

Aaaah, they are all so cute. I really Boots gets better. He deserves to.

 

[Amiga]

As my signature says, please feel free to PM me or put at @ sign in front of my name - I am more likely to get a notice.

I have found that sometimes, if the text stays black, the notification doesn't work - it is supposed to turn blue to let you know the person will be notified. Like this @Amiga

 

[Egbert08]

So my duck is 6 weeks old and hates hates water she refuses to in the pond.. is it because I didn't expose her to water till she was 2 weeks....

 

[jhall6293]

So my duck is 6 weeks old and hates hates water she refuses to in the pond.. is it because I didn't expose her to water till she was 2 weeks....

LOL Funny creatures, they are! It could be that you didn't expose her early enough, but I have a feeling that this little phase will pass.
I started with a small Tupperware container and slowly worked my way up to a large Tupperware container. I think your best bet is exposure: a tub of water everyday that she can drink from and that her body will fit in and I think eventually you'll find her chilling out in the water. Start small and don't force, just encourage.
I used to sit in the floor and "play" in the water (splash around) until my babies got the hang of it. Just make it available in a smaller size, though I do not know how big your pond is. She will likely wind up loving water. That's no guarantee, though - and it's not necessarily anything you did or didn't do - they all have their own little personalities and quirks that come along with them.
I have found that duckies do not have to have a pond or body of water in which to swim, but if it is offered they will spend all day in it (at least mine will). Your pond may be too big and intimidating for your baby, but as your ducky matures, she'll probably take to water quite naturally.
Keep offering and encouraging and remember to start smaller and work your way up.
I hope this helps you!

 

[sukochickens]

One of me 4 week old ducklings seems to have injured a newly forming feather. I'm not sure how it could have happened. But there is a little bit of dried blood around the area and seems tender. It's no longer bleeding and I don't think it bled much. There was no blood in the brooder. She seems to be acting normal otherwise. Do you think it's ok for me to just keep a close eye on her? Thanks!