Peking duck rapidly declining in health advice needed

[Kittylindsey]

Getting him through the night is a victory in my book! I don't know about where you live, but wouldn't think it would be that hard to find them a new home. Pekins seem to be pretty popular up here. Good luck with continued recovery efforts.

Thank you! I view it as a huge victory as well!! Very proud of this little fighter. I live down south in the literal “sportsman paradise” in the same town as the duck dynasty fellas, so I have this possibly irrational fear that someone would take them in for nefarious reasons. I could totally just be being my typical worry wart self with that thinking though. Thank you for all of the support you’ve shown me and especially these lovely ducks. Surprisingly, neighbors and family members think i’m ridiculous for putting so much effort into their well-being. They are used to ducks coming and going around here/view them as something to hunt and eat. I did experience something recently that definitely fed into my distrust for people in this area...I watched a deer get hit by car, the driver drove off and the deer was lying in the ditch injured, but not beyond rehabilitation. I called the sheriffs department to see if there was anyone they could send to come get the poor fur baby, well someone did come, but they ended up just shooting him. Sorry for such a depressing story so early in the morning, but I just want you to know what a breath of fresh air you and Isaac have been. I’m very thankful and relieved to find people who care about their well-being as well.

 

[Isaac 0]

okay I was able to get him to eat a little bit and take his antibiotics. His poops are definitely not normal, but that’s to be expected. What are the realities of finding them a new better home? Is that usually a difficult task with ducks? Here are some pics! He’s looking good this morning!

Thanks for the pictures.

The photo is a little blurry, but his poop looks fairly normal to me, it is solid, and not complete urine which suggests he is actually eating some which is great. Which brings up the topic regarding feed, what exactly are you feeding him (?). If it's anything other then a poultry feed, I'd suggest going to your feed store an picking one up, preferably for young ducklings since it contains higher protein which is what he needs. An adult feed would work fine too.

If you're there, I'd also suggest picking up some poultry vitamins like Sav-a-chick, rooster booster, or Nutri-dench that'll give him some long-overdue nutritional benefits. If the eye continues to produce foam, I would suggest that you flush it with some saline (homemade if you want), wipe of any gunk with a damp towel, then apply either an ophthalmic ointment like Terramycin, or an antibacterial ointment like Neosporin to the eye, and do this process as needed to ensure his eye is clean. I'd also keep him on the antibiotics for the next few days, and in case you don't, there should be a water source that is head deep in their pen so he can clean, his eyes and nares out with.

Here are just a few links to the products I mentioned above,

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/pfizer-terramycin-opthalmic-ointment-1-8-oz
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/purina-flock-raiser-crumbles-premium-poultry-feed-50-lb
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...ectrolyte-vitamin-supplement-017-oz-pack-of-3

 

[Kittylindsey]

Make sure he/she is eating. I lost a lemon a few months ago with almost the exact same symptoms. Couldn’t get ahold of a vet in time. She had discolored feathers, foamy eyes, lost all balance, and developed a rash on her back between her wings. Unfortunately she didn’t last more than a week. Maybe see if you have any local animal sanctuaries. In my area there is a place that takes wounded and sick animals of all types, heals them, and gives them a great home. Unfortunately I didn’t know it existed until I toured it a few days ago. Wish I had better advice

I am so sorry for your loss! But trust me I am seeing first hand how difficult it is find the proper help, so I hope you are not blaming yourself in the least. There should definitely more readily available resources for all the critters in need. Sad to think i’m literally the only one on this lake that has been trying to offer care to these sick abandoned ducks. I am so glad that I stumbled across this website and the helpful and kindhearted souls on it.

 

[Flockincrazy]

Hello! I live in a residential neighborhood with a decent sized lake in the backyard. Well someone decided it was a good idea to dump 3 Peking ducks with clipped wings in the lake to fend for themselves. I enjoy sitting on the dock and feeding the fish, so naturally they took to me. I have absolutely no knowledge on how to care for ducks, but i’m doing my best. About a week ago, I found that one had been attacked and killed by an unknown predator, so I’m assuming depression has aided in his rapid decline. It all started with a foamy eye, which I researched and begin cleaning with saline solution and administering vetRx. His eye seemed to be clearing up but he quickly began to have many other strange symptoms. He is stumbling around and can’t seem to keep his balance, standing in strange positions, losing feathers, picking at his skin, panting, sneezing, and just generally unwell. A few days ago I read fish amoxicillin twice a day could be helpful, so I have been administering that. Please do not judge me if I am doing something wrong, I am doing my best to help him. I’m a single mother with limited knowledge and funds so any advice would be so very appreciated. Also, he is eating, but not as much as he used to. And the other duck seems depressed, but overall very healthy. I’m afraid he doesn’t have much time left.
I cannot stand to see him suffering. Thank you in advance.

Omg they look horrible i would call your local wildlife office and tell them what is going on and they will come get them and take them in for assessment they will be rehabbed or uthinized either way good luck and sorry i can't be more help

 

[Kittylindsey]

Thanks for the pictures.

The photo is a little blurry, but his poop looks fairly normal to me, it is solid, and not complete urine which suggests he is actually eating some which is great. Which brings up the topic regarding feed, what exactly are you feeding him (?). If it's anything other then a poultry feed, I'd suggest going to your feed store an picking one up, preferably for young ducklings since it contains higher protein which is what he needs. An adult feed would work fine too.

If you're there, I'd also suggest picking up some poultry vitamins like Sav-a-chick, rooster booster, or Nutri-dench that'll give him some long-overdue nutritional benefits. If the eye continues to produce foam, I would suggest that you flush it with some saline (homemade if you want), wipe of any gunk with a damp towel, then apply either an ophthalmic ointment like Terramycin, or an antibacterial ointment like Neosporin to the eye, and do this process as needed to ensure his eye is clean. I'd also keep him on the antibiotics for the next few days, and in case you don't, there should be a water source that is head deep in their pen so he can clean, his eyes and nares out with.

Here are just a few links to the products I mentioned above,

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/pfizer-terramycin-opthalmic-ointment-1-8-oz
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/purina-flock-raiser-crumbles-premium-poultry-feed-50-lb
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...ectrolyte-vitamin-supplement-017-oz-pack-of-3

Sorry for the picture quality! I was trying to wrangle a toddler and get pics at the same time.

I just assumed his was abnormal because the “healthy” duck actually has very watery bowl movements...so now i’m afraid something is going on with her too.
I did purchase some duck feed from the local tractor supply, but I hate to admit they absolutely prefer the cat food I starting out feeding them. I tried not to feed them much in the beginning because I was afraid they would lose the instinct to forage and I knew I didn’t have the knowledge or resources to take them in full on. Only now am I realizing that they are very domestic critters who should have never been thrown in the lake to defend for themselves in the first place.

I will go back to the tractor supply store and look for the recommended products when I have a chance.

 

[Kittylindsey]

Omg they look horrible i would call your local wildlife office and tell them what is going on and they will come get them and take them in for assessment they will be rehabbed or uthinized

Thankfully, I definitely do not think they are to the point of euthanasia..so I am trying to find somewhere that will view that as the very last option.

 

[Kittylindsey]

Omg they look horrible i would call your local wildlife office and tell them what is going on and they will come get them and take them in for assessment they will be rehabbed or uthinized either way good luck and sorry i can't be more help

And it is okay. The good luck wishes are appreciated just as well. So thank you very much for that.

 

[Isaac 0]

Sorry for the picture quality! I was trying to wrangle a toddler and get pics at the same time.

I just assumed his was abnormal because the “healthy” duck actually has very watery bowl movements...so now i’m afraid something is going on with her too.
I did purchase some duck feed from the local tractor supply, but I hate to admit they absolutely prefer the cat food I starting out feeding them. I tried not to feed them much in the beginning because I was afraid they would lose the instinct to forage and I knew I didn’t have the knowledge or resources to take them in full on. Only now am I realizing that they are very domestic critters who should have never been thrown in the lake to defend for themselves in the first place.

I will go back to the tractor supply store and look for the recommended products when I have a chance.

No need to apologize, I know how it can be sometimes.

Don't worry too much about the difference in stool, there are several factors that can dictate why each bird is producing different looking stools ranging from age, to how much they're eating, how much one's drinking, if they're laying, so many factors to consider.

You are right about the forage sediment, these are meat birds, and the way they were raised when young likely didn't teach them any survival skills, they're also too heavy to properly fly away from predators, so to make it short, I highly doubt they would have survived much longer if you didn't bring them in.

Thankfully, I definitely do not think they are to the point of euthanasia..so I am trying to find somewhere that will view that as the very last option.

I don't think so either, I've seen much worse birds then this, and they recovered fine, just took a little TLC and time.

 

[Callender Girl]

A bit like your deer story, my sister and I stopped along a highway one evening because a woman in an SUV was holding her phone out the window, taking a photo of something -- which turned out to be an owl that she hit.

We asked what we could do, and she said, she didn't know, she was on her way home and drove off, leaving the bird in the roadway. It was clearly stunned, and pushing common sense and self-preservation aside, I grabbed a towel, wrapped it around the owl and moved the poor thing well off the road.

In the meantime, my sister called the DNR and two officers showed up. One, well-gloved, warned us to keep our distance because the bird was dangerous. Uh, okay, I won't pick it up again.

He determined that the owl probably just glanced off the side of her mirror, hadn't broken any bones and likely had the wind knocked out of it. There was no blood and it started getting more active, so he moved the owl into some higher grass and left.

We drove back the next day and were relieved not to see an owl corpse. I will always hope the owl recovered. I don't know how the first driver could hit it, take a photo and just drive off.

I'm proud of you for being a good human and doing the right thing. The world needs people like you.

 

[Kittylindsey]

A bit like your deer story, my sister and I stopped along a highway one evening because a woman in an SUV was holding her phone out the window, taking a photo of something -- which turned out to be an owl that she hit.

We asked what we could do, and she said, she didn't know, she was on her way home and drove off, leaving the bird in the roadway. It was clearly stunned, and pushing common sense and self-preservation aside, I grabbed a towel, wrapped it around the owl and moved the poor thing well off the road.

In the meantime, my sister called the DNR and two officers showed up. One, well-gloved, warned us to keep our distance because the bird was dangerous. Uh, okay, I won't pick it up again.

He determined that the owl probably just glanced off the side of her mirror, hadn't broken any bones and likely had the wind knocked out of it. There was no blood and it started getting more active, so he moved the owl into some higher grass and left.

We drove back the next day and were relieved not to see an owl corpse. I will always hope the owl recovered. I don't know how the first driver could hit it, take a photo and just drive off.

I'm proud of you for being a good human and doing the right thing. The world needs people like you.

I am proud of you too. It’s shocking how it appears so few people care about animals. I do understand it can be stressful and inconvenient, but it is so worth it. And I fully believe it is our duty to look after them.
I’m sure the owl made it away safely.
glad that lady got her photo op. geez.

I have an update of different kind...I cannot make this up. While I was out cleaning the ducks area just now, i almost stepped on a BABY SQUIRREL!! My cat must have brought him up to the carport. I am officially STRESSED. So I guess I’ve got to go find a baby squirrel forum now. Please pray for me and these babies..wow.