Pekin swallowed a latex gove! What do we do???

[Miss Lydia]

Pete seems to be returning to her usual self. She was back to doing happy honks at 6:15 this morning and ran out of her pen flapping her wings like mad. Her appetite is just about normal again and she is drinking a lot. Everything coming out on the back end is starting to look normal again too (ducks must have some kind of strong stomach!). She enjoyed a game of diving for frozen peas in her pool, and chased one of our cats around the porch, so she is definitely on the mend. Thanks again for everyone's concerns and advise! We have learned a lot from this experience.

Great news

 

[downsm75]

YAY PETE!!

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

iama, great news. Sorry I didn't respond about the flush. I mx and offer free choice in a bucket for 6-8 hours then dump and offer plain water.

 

[Amiga]

 

[Echo5]

So happy for you!! I'm in the same kind of situation at the moment... I hav four pekin ducks dropped a priece of pro wrap and before I could even look to see where it went it was gone and the only thing around me where 4 ducks... I hav no clue which one took it but I know it's gone... I feel horrible right now but am hoping it passes through whoever ate it... I raised these guys from a day old and would feel horrible if one died from something like this... Hope it turns out as good as yours did!!

 

[iamava540]

Sorry to hear this. They gobble things up so quickly - it took Pete under 5 seconds to swallow the whole latex surgical glove. So, I'm not surprised that you don't know if Ramona, Norman, Jemima, or Charlie took your wrap (love your names by the way).

Since we are new to ducks, I had no idea what would happen or what to expect after the swallowing incident. Here is a summary of the things we observed and learned. Perhaps some of this is really obvious to people who have more experience, and with 4 ducks, I am sure you have more experience than us, but maybe it will give you some ideas.

After Pete swallowed the glove, we noticed she was quieter (no morning honks and less chatty than normal), her appetite and drinking were significantly less than normal, and she was pooping less - and what was coming out was mostly clear. My guess is she didn't feel very well. So, maybe you can keep your eyes out for the duck that is maybe a little more subdued than usual.

I have no idea if this actually helped or not, but after we saw the vet who explained that the gizzard might be able to break up pieces of the glove (which was a relief because my husband and I had not thought about the glove actually breaking up -- we thought she was going to have to poop out the whole intact thing and didn't see how that would even be possible, even though it was thin, pliable, and had no sharp edges), I stopped by the farm bureau and bought a small bit of grit. Pete does forage in our yard, but I thought it might help if I just gave her a little something extra. I didn't give her a whole lot - just a few pieces in my hand. It may not have made a hill of beans difference, but it made me feel better trying.

As gross as it is, take a look at the poop and see if you see small (they were really small in Pete's case) pieces of the wrap. Maybe if you just saw that, it would make you feel less worried.

Our vet said we didn't have to worry as long as Pete was still eating, drinking, and pooping -- even if less or slower than normal. I asked him if it was okay if I hand-fed her or syringe watered her if she wouldn't do it on her own, and he said that was okay as long as she was still pooping out something. He also said we would definitely know if there was a problem -- that she would probably sit very still and her eyes would kind of droop or half close, like she was going to sleep. He said (if we didn't want to try to surgically remove it - which wouldn't even be possible if we didn't know where in her system the glove was located) we just had to give it time, and that if her body could break up and pass the glove, it could be as long as a month before it passed entirely through her system. I am sure it varies with every animal and depends on what they swallowed, but in our case, within 24 hours after Pete swallowed the glove, we started to see the little shreds in her poop. Within 36 hours, she started acting like she didn't feel sick anymore. Within 48 hours, she was back to running around full speed, chasing our other animals, quacking, eating, drinking, and pooping as normal. She was pretty thirsty, but that may be due to the molasses water and the watery diarrhea she had. I still see little pieces of glove in there, and who knows how long that will go on, but I am not feeling worried anymore. Ducks have some pretty incredible stomachs!

I really hope things work out for you. Please let us know what happens!

 

[Echo5]

Sorry to hear this. They gobble things up so quickly - it took Pete under 5 seconds to swallow the whole latex surgical glove. So, I'm not surprised that you don't know if Ramona, Norman, Jemima, or Charlie took your wrap (love your names by the way).

Since we are new to ducks, I had no idea what would happen or what to expect after the swallowing incident. Here is a summary of the things we observed and learned. Perhaps some of this is really obvious to people who have more experience, and with 4 ducks, I am sure you have more experience than us, but maybe it will give you some ideas.

After Pete swallowed the glove, we noticed she was quieter (no morning honks and less chatty than normal), her appetite and drinking were significantly less than normal, and she was pooping less - and what was coming out was mostly clear. My guess is she didn't feel very well. So, maybe you can keep your eyes out for the duck that is maybe a little more subdued than usual.

I have no idea if this actually helped or not, but after we saw the vet who explained that the gizzard might be able to break up pieces of the glove (which was a relief because my husband and I had not thought about the glove actually breaking up -- we thought she was going to have to poop out the whole intact thing and didn't see how that would even be possible, even though it was thin, pliable, and had no sharp edges), I stopped by the farm bureau and bought a small bit of grit. Pete does forage in our yard, but I thought it might help if I just gave her a little something extra. I didn't give her a whole lot - just a few pieces in my hand. It may not have made a hill of beans difference, but it made me feel better trying.

As gross as it is, take a look at the poop and see if you see small (they were really small in Pete's case) pieces of the wrap. Maybe if you just saw that, it would make you feel less worried.

Our vet said we didn't have to worry as long as Pete was still eating, drinking, and pooping -- even if less or slower than normal. I asked him if it was okay if I hand-fed her or syringe watered her if she wouldn't do it on her own, and he said that was okay as long as she was still pooping out something. He also said we would definitely know if there was a problem -- that she would probably sit very still and her eyes would kind of droop or half close, like she was going to sleep. He said (if we didn't want to try to surgically remove it - which wouldn't even be possible if we didn't know where in her system the glove was located) we just had to give it time, and that if her body could break up and pass the glove, it could be as long as a month before it passed entirely through her system. I am sure it varies with every animal and depends on what they swallowed, but in our case, within 24 hours after Pete swallowed the glove, we started to see the little shreds in her poop. Within 36 hours, she started acting like she didn't feel sick anymore. Within 48 hours, she was back to running around full speed, chasing our other animals, quacking, eating, drinking, and pooping as normal. She was pretty thirsty, but that may be due to the molasses water and the watery diarrhea she had. I still see little pieces of glove in there, and who knows how long that will go on, but I am not feeling worried anymore. Ducks have some pretty incredible stomachs!

I really hope things work out for you. Please let us know what happens!

Thanks so much for the info and advise! That does make me feel better knowing what to possibly expect to happen with behaviour and everything. Trust me, im completely new to owning my feathered friends as well!! I got them all as day-olds about 2 months ago and its crazy how fast you get attached! I've learned so much and its crazy how much more there is to experience..
Oh and my household want crazy with the names! Oh and Charlie is actually Xsavior now! lol

I couldn't see anything in their poo this morning although its hard to tell because they are in straw/shaving bedding the pro wrap was yellow too... and with the chickens, Lots of poo! lol
They where all quacking and shoving and running over each other out the door, swimming in the pool and mowing down on grass today... haven't noticed anyone change much in behaviour.. It's so hard to tell with four! lol

I didn't have too much time to sit and observe much today because of work and everyday responsibilities...
They all seem happy and to be going through their food. I hope it stays this way! If anything changes Ill update! So happy your girl got through it okay!

Here's some pics of my goof balls!
Thanks again!





BEFORE AFTER!


So Snuggly lol Xsavior on an adventure haha

 

[Echo5]

Just wanted to let you know.. Nothing out of the norm happened and everyone's healthy! couldn't find any remembrance of anything which means they either somehow didn't eat it which is very unlikely... Or their stomachs are rock hard lol

 

[Echo5]

*Remenance

 

[Amiga]

Echo5, nice news!

And what a lovely bunch of ducks!

Good that you are paying attention, and aware that ducks can get themselves into trouble. Once I saw a thin piece of plastic (things blow into our yard) hanging out of Einz's mouth, and the moment I went to grab her, GULP! she swallowed it. In duck culture, one quickly swallows something especially if it appears another duck (they seem to think I am one) reaches for it. It is just how it's done.

Not terribly surprised no remnant can be found. If the ducks have plenty of grit in their tummies, it was likely pulverized pretty well. The first time I saw someone swallow a whole hickory nut

I watched it go slowly down her long throat, and prayed. That evening, I could hear crunching noises coming from someone's tummy and wondered if that was the hickory nut.

In any case, no apparent harm was done. Mercy. I can blame at least a few gray hairs on these duckies. Love'em to pieces.