Please help, female Pekin duck suddenly acting lethargic, what could be the cause?

[Miss Lydia]

I'd def try liquid B complex. But instead of putting it in her water where it will get watered down. Put it over a treat like peas or dried meal worms or what ever her fav treat is. Chopped tomatoes is another way of giving the liquid B complex. Def check bottom of her feet any swelling along her legs and unusual heat compared to normal.

 

[DuckyDonna]

The stuff at tractor supply is what you want - it says for livestock on the bottle. Here's what I have used: https://www.pbsanimalhealth.com/pro...MIiu3trPan5wIVcyCtBh2DIQy-EAQYAyABEgJeXvD_BwE. You can put this in their water, but might be easiest to make sure she's getting it if you put it on some food you know she'll eat. You can't overdose the ducks, and the other ones will be fine if they get it.

and just to add, this is what the bottle looks like. Yes, it says for cattle etc but put 1ml on some treats like mealworms twice a day until she's better. I personally don't put it in the water because I feel it gets too diluted and mostly wasted.

 

[quackiemama]

I hope your duck is going to be ok. I would follow their advice the B-Complex above is the bees knees!

 

[DuckyDonna]

Also, if you duck is egg bound and you are going to Tractor supply pick up a bottle of calcium gluconate while you're there. Even if you don't need it now you may in the future and you don't want to be caught without it because it works so well!

 

[quackiemama]

Also, if you duck is egg bound and you are going to Tractor supply pick up a bottle of calcium gluconate while you're there. Even if you don't need it now you may in the future and you don't want to be caught without it because it works so well!
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This is true! I am learning to be better prepared myself because not having it when you need it is stressful.

 

[CoriM]

@DuckyDonna Can you explain what the calcium gluconate is for and how to use it for egg-boundness? My ducks haven't ever been, but they've had just about everything else, so I might as well be prepared.

 

[DuckyDonna]

@DuckyDonna Can you explain what the calcium gluconate is for and how to use it for egg-boundness? My ducks haven't ever been, but they've had just about everything else, so I might as well be prepared.

It helps them pass the egg. Don't ask me the technical reason but it sure has worked for my girls. I have one duck in particular that struggled with being eggbound a lot last year. @Miss Lydia was the one that told me about the calcium gluconate.

Anyway, I give 1ml by syringe at night and usually by the next morning we're good to go and there's a nice big egg. I think I've probably had to do this about 15 times last year. I did dye her vent blue with food coloring a couple of times. That's was a procedure that took 2 people and was done on the kitchen counter!
She was with 5 other girls so I wanted to be sure that she was the one who laid the egg.

To administer the medication I hold the duck with my left arm in my lap. I wrapped her with a towel to control the wings. I take my left hand and pry open her mouth with my thumb and index finger then just take the syringe and squirt the calcium glu down the hatch. It takes no time at all. After we got into a good routine the duck and I knew what to do so it's over pretty quick. I use a plastic sheath that screws onto my syringe which is helpful in getting the meds down the correct hole.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Back when @Amiga was an active member she had one of her ducks get egg bound and the vet gave her duck the Calcium Gluconate via syringe injection but told her it would work orally also. It causes contractions which pushes the egg down an out.

 

[DuckyDonna]

Back when @Amiga was an active member she had one of her ducks get egg bound and the vet gave her duck the Calcium Gluconate via syringe injection but told her it would work orally also. It causes contractions which pushes the egg down an out.

That's right, it's like Pitocin to induce labor in women!

 

[CoriM]

Wow, that's so interesting about the calcium gluconate!