Please help! Duckling struggling to breathe?!

[CharlotteB]

This is a video of him breathing. He is literally like this all the time! He is on Baytril and I just don't want him to die as I only have 2, they are rescued from the wild so hard to handle but I put them in deepish water so that if it was a blockage he may be able to dislodge it but still no change, please help!!!!!!!!

 

[Speceider]

I don't see anything but a terribly stressed out duckling. Didn't say wild ducklings before. Look like mallards, but can not be sure. Good luck, that's a difficult task.

Clint

 

[CharlotteB]

The other duckling is perfectly fine, and they are both cleaning the same and there's no difference. I don't understand how one is apparently soooo stressed and yet the other is perfectly fine? Even when left alone it still does the same

 

[Amiga]

There can be differences in the way ducks or ducklings handle circumstances. Some seem to be more prone to stress than others. This may be what you are seeing. I cannot say with any certainty.

 

[Speceider]

Why do you insist that they should both react the same? I have monitored nesting wild mallards...some ducks will let you pick them up to check the eggs, others abandon the nest if you get within 50 yards...

Clint

 

[CharlotteB]

I just feel that when left alone it shouldn't be acting the stressed, also how would stress prevent the duckling from making any noise whatsoever? It can't chirp or anything? Another reason I feel like that it may not be stressed is that I have owned them for like 7 days before it started breathing like this...

 

[Speceider]

I can't help, you seem to have your mind made up.

Clint

 

[CharlotteB]

Well read the evidence and tell me, does stress cause a duck to be mute? Does it happen after 7 days of the same and then just randomly happen when nothing at all changed? What else could it be? I just want help on how I can make is stop, so what advice would you give on helping it to stop acting this way? To be honest I'm not set on it being anything, all I care about is making it better so please just help in any way you can

 

[ljmecham2001]

First, I would call the vet in your area, then, I would try to keep him as calm as possible and not make him breathe any faster than he already is to help him get the most oxygen possible in his lungs, what ever you do, stay calm, getting scared will only make him even more scared. Your vet should know what to do from there. I hope I helped,
-ljmecham2001

 

[Miss Lydia]

your not keeping them in water continually I hope? they can get chilled and die. the water needs to be warm when tiny like yours. But they should only be allowed to be in it for about 5 min at a time when this young. I'd contact a wild life rehabber they can help and hopefully alot closer than any of us.