Pekin Duck | slipped tendon or niacin deficiency? Need Help!

[ArtsyDucks]

Hello everyone! Today I found my 3 year old Pekin Duck struggling to walk and when he does, he is walking with his hocks scratching the bare floor.

I got super worried cause he was perfectly fine yesterday, so I took him inside for a warm bath and so he can clean himself up as he looked like he got into a scuffle with another male duck I have with my flock.

I can’t tell if this a niacin deficiency, slipped tendons, or just sprains?

I now have him separated from his flock with food and water to suffice the night. Anyone have any idea what I can do? Here are some photos of how he looks when standing and subsequently walking!

 

[Jenbirdee]

He’s very handsome. Slipped tendons possible but usually happens in tiny ducklings. Pekins are prone to leg problems because of their fast growth and heavy weight. Giving the bath was a good thing . You can give Epsom salt water soaks too but don’t let him drink any.
Have you had him all his life? What has his diet been? Have you ever supplemented with niacin before it could be niacin deficiency yes or possibly a sprain or strain from a fight but either way it will not hurt to supplement with extra niacin. While he’s in this condition, I would keep him on a soft surface, like some towels or thick bedding, changed frequently.
Swimming in water deep enough that he can’t stand will strengthen his legs. Have you felt carefully up and down both legs for any thing out of place or lumps or any hot areas? Have you looked at the bottom of his feet for Bumblefoot as well? You might make him a sling to get him off the legs for a while. Some people use a baby bouncer from a yard sale. Perhaps for you can make one. You can use a laundry basket and attach a towel across it with holes in it for his legs, put his food and water on the stand right in front of it. @ruthhope has experience with making and using these.
Here is the niacin I recommend and how to give it orally. This liquid bcomplex says it is injectable, but he is given oral to ducks and it contains 100 mg of niacinamide per one ML. You can squirt one ML per day over a small dish of a treat like mealworms if he will eat it all otherwise give directly https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/

 

[ruthhope]

Oh poor boy!. Ive not experience a duck with a slipped tendon, but I have had ducks -- adult and juvenile -- with gait issues.

Sudden onset gait issues in adult ducks is likely to be an injury. Might be a sprain, a dislocation, or slipped tendon. Or it might be a fracture. It could even be bumblefoot or a laceration under a foot. The key is carefully examination of each bone and joint for tenderness and mobility. If you find nothing, it could be niacin deficiency (I once had all 5 drakes limping within 2 days of each other less than a week after opening a new 50lb bag of pellets. I presumed the pellets were deficient in niacin and added large quantities of brewers yeast to the pellets. Four of the 5 recovered. I now keep nutritional yeast on hand in case I have to treat niacin deficiency as it has higher level of bioavailable niacin than brewer's yeast.) I still use brewer's yeast as a supplement to prevent niacin deficiency, but treatment is better using nutritional yeast.

My fifth drake that did not get better with niacin progressed rapidly from limping to being unable to walk. I took him to an exotic vet who could not find a cause for him not walking, and suggested he might have a pelvic tumor. He died suddenly and unexpectedly 6 months later and was found to have a tumor near his vent when examine after death.

Let us know what if anything you find on detailed examination. Do treat presumed niacin deficiency with nutritional yeast; and do offer any duck with gait problems, swimming therapy preferably more thsn once each day

 

[ArtsyDucks]

He’s very handsome. Slipped tendons possible but usually happens in tiny ducklings. Pekins are prone to leg problems because of their fast growth and heavy weight. Giving the bath was a good thing . You can give Epsom salt water soaks too but don’t let him drink any.
Have you had him all his life? What has his diet been? Have you ever supplemented with niacin before it could be niacin deficiency yes or possibly a sprain or strain from a fight but either way it will not hurt to supplement with extra niacin. While he’s in this condition, I would keep him on a soft surface, like some towels or thick bedding, changed frequently.
Swimming in water deep enough that he can’t stand will strengthen his legs. Have you felt carefully up and down both legs for any thing out of place or lumps or any hot areas? Have you looked at the bottom of his feet for Bumblefoot as well? You might make him a sling to get him off the legs for a while. Some people use a baby bouncer from a yard sale. Perhaps for you can make one. You can use a laundry basket and attach a towel across it with holes in it for his legs, put his food and water on the stand right in front of it. @ruthhope has experience with making and using these.
Here is the niacin I recommend and how to give it orally. This liquid bcomplex says it is injectable, but he is given oral to ducks and it contains 100 mg of niacinamide per one ML. You can squirt one ML per day over a small dish of a treat like mealworms if he will eat it all otherwise give directly https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/

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I’ve had him for nearly 4 years now and he has never ever had any issues prior to these past few days. I do give niacin from time to time on top of my flocks usually feed. I mainly feed them the nutrena duck feed with brewers yeast sprinkled on top every once in a while and I do give them little snacks every few weeks during the month like peas, watermelon and lettuce with the occasional mealworms.

I have felt both his legs and they appear to feel and seem normal. No hot touch and nothing feels like it’s out of place. He does have a little callus, but no actual bumblefoot! Again I do think he got into a hefty fight with my male Muscovy Duck, and that one is a larger breed, but I can’t place my finger on it cause it happened so suddenly.

Thank you for your response! I will definitely try out the vitamin b complex as soon as possible!