Pekin Duck Swollen Hocks

[Farmer_Fran]

Hello all,
I got some Pekin ducks back in December 2020, about a month or so ago I noticed one of my girls was tripping over herself when she walked. A friend told me to get Brewer's Yeast to help correct the problem. I have been doing that, giving her peas, I have tried using just niacin- anything to help her out. Nothing seems to be working. Her legs are so swollen, she barely gets up to move and when she does she walks like an 80-year-old with arthritis. I have been researching this endlessly. Her legs are starting to bend outward. I am starting to think that this is not a niacin deficiency. I've looked into a slipped tendon and how to reset it, but as I run my fingers across her legs I don't feel anything out of place. Currently, I am treating her with hydrotherapy, then I make a mash of peas, feed, water, oregano(I've read this is a natural anti-inflammatory) and I started her on amoxicillin in the event that she has an infection. I started her on the antibiotic last night and this morning she was standing pretty well, however, after getting her out of the tub it looked to me like her legs are starting to get worse. Laverne is my girl and I'll do whatever it takes, I'll put in the man-hours necessary to help her recover, I just don't know what else to do! There are no vets in my area that will treat a duck. Literally, the closest one I know is Dr. Pol(from the tv show) but even he is clear in Michigan which is a 3-4 hour drive for me. Any advice or ideas would be beyond appreciated!

 

[EverythingDucks]

Hello and welcome to BackYard Chickens!
So sorry about your duck.
Some pictures would help us get a good idea of what exactly is wrong and how we can help you treat it.
@Isaac 0 knows a lot about this sort of stuff

 

[Isaac 0]

Welcome to BYC. Could you post a video of the duck trying to walk, and post a few pictures of the leg?

 

[Farmer_Fran]

Welcome to BYC. Could you post a video of the duck trying to walk, and post a few pictures of the leg?

Thank you for the reply! Here are some pictures of Laverne legs.

 

[Farmer_Fran]

Welcome to BYC. Could you post a video of the duck trying to walk, and post a few pictures of the leg?

I will get a video of her walking and post it when I get home!

 

[Farmer_Fran]

Welcome to BYC. Could you post a video of the duck trying to walk, and post a few pictures of the leg?

This is the best video I could get if her walking. I have hard wood floors so she can't get a good grip and its raining outside so that isn't an option. Typically she walks hunched over and limps.

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=4377087978986447&id=100000558639554

 

[Farmer_Fran]

Welcome to BYC. Could you post a video of the duck trying to walk, and post a few pictures of the leg?

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=4377087978986447&id=100000558639554

 

[Farmer_Fran]

**UPDATE**
Laverne was standing this morning nearly straight up. Still limping really bad and doesn't take but a few steps before laying back down. I got her out of the pen this morning to feed her the mash I make twice a day for her. After she was done eating I laid her back a bit so I could get a good look at her legs. The one that is bending outward has a little give left to right so I moved it straight and wrapped some vet tape around it to stabilize it. I also make a sling of sorts to help pull the leg back under her the way it's supposed to be. For the first time, she stood up nice and straight like her sisters. Still walks really off, but with her leg being wrapped I'm sure felt weird to her. I am hoping that I am moving in the right direction with her. I am totally ok with this being a long road to recovery so long as she pulls through and is healthy. I bawled like a baby the other day while discussing with my husband the possibility of having to put her down if she doesn't get better. If anyone has any other suggestions I would appreciate it so much!

 

[Isaac 0]

In the video, I can appreciate the significant angulation to her left leg; with the addition of noticeable swelling, it's likely she suffered from a past injury not healed well, or developed a musculoskeletal deformity such as varus deformity, TB, or perosis ( slipped tendon). From an etiologic standpoint, these conditions arise mainly due to mineral deficiencies, injuries, and genetic predispositions.

Surgical resolution of the angulation would likely be the most efficient route to take but would have to be performed by a veterinarian specializing in avian medicine. Consider looking at the link below to see if you have one near:

https://www.metzerfarms.com/Veterinarians.cfm

If a veterinarian is not an option you may be able to help improve her leg problem, but full improvement will likely not be achieved.

If you can manually position the correct leg into its the normal position, a good start would be implementing an external coaptation device to correct the angulation; thoughts should be placed on ensuring the bandage is not too tight, and not pulling the leg too far in the direction as that can create swelling, and constriction of veins, and arteries flowing into the leg resulting in necrosis of the leg.

Nutritional therapy can be helpful in many cases, but instead of focusing on soley niacin, opt for a broader range of vitamins found in some of the poultry vitamins at your feed store (exp, poultry Nutri-dench, poultry cell). The use of omega-3s in various leg problems has been proven helpful, so you may consider adding flax seeds to her diet, or simply add human capsules over her feed.

Constant pressure on hard grounds can hasten worsening of the leg problem, so if you could alleviate the weight off her legs, either via water therapy, or keeping her in a sling that would be recommended. When used correctly, NSAIDS can prove valuable when dealing with inflammation-associated leg problems - if you have baby aspirin on hand, you can dose her daily given 5 milligrams per kilogram of pound, and see if that proves useful.

If her condition worsens, you may have to look at it from a welfare perspective and consider euthanasia. Hopefully, it does not come to that point and you see improvement.