Please Help my ducks might be in trouble health wise

[mustangluvrjen]

I'm so frantic right now. Everday I filll the tub and put my Butterscotch n Toffee in while I clean their pen. My daughter always enjoys this and will sit and watch them play. She has done so since they were hatched and has been very good and mindful w/ them.

As I was coming in from the garage to clean their dishes in the sink I glanced back to the bathroom where they were and my daughter was acting suspisious. I head to the bathroom to learn she has dump half of a 22 ounce bottle of shampoo and half a roll of toliet paper in the tub.

My ducklings were squinting their eyes and tearing son I flushed them w/ clean water(didn't like that). I have no idea how much they ingested I'm hoping I caught this act right after she did it but still worried.

Please don't rant at me for leaving my ducks unattended w/ my 5 yr daughter around. I was in and out while cleaning their pen. She has never done anything like this before and it's blowing my mind why she did it.

Please tell me I'm over reacting and that they will be just fine

 

[lilchick]

Just give them plenty of clean drinking water to flush out the shampoo!

As far as toilet paper it is digestable so probably won't hurt them..

Kids, gotta love em.. good luck!

 

[Amiga]

Breathe.

Keep us advised throughout the day, please.

Water is good. Charcoal - NOT BRIQUETTES FOR THE BARBECUE - but clean pure charcoal, from your woodstove if you burn only clean hardwoods, or from capsules you can find at some drugstores and health food stores - absorbs toxins, and I have used it with my ducks if I suspect they've gotten into something toxic. It has to be ground very fine - the capsules are easiest, but you can grind up charcoal from the stove.

A few capsules' worth sprinkled in their drinking water can help.

Let them swim in clean water so they can wash it all off, and snort clean water through their nostrils.

Give them vitamins/electrolytes for an immune system boost.

Watch their poop - see if anything looks odd and post that on the forum, too.

Things can happen fast - sometimes duck get themselves in trouble in a flash, sometimes they have little helpers who mean well, but . . . .

 

[ejctm]

There is nothing you can do now. Just give them plenty of water to drink and they will be fine. The shampoo will have been quite diluted by the bath water even if they did swallow some. You did the right thing by washing out their eyes.

They may have lost a bit of waterproofing to their feathers from the detergent, but since they are young and they don't have a mother duck to grease their feathers, then they probably didn't have much of their own waterproofing anyway. Just keep an eye on them in water so they don't get too soggy and cold for a while. But I'm sure you do this anyway.

Stop worrying! Kids will be kids, and ducks will survive!

As they get older and go outside, they will find and eat lots of horrible things themselves and you will wonder how they stay alive! But they will. Mine eat dirt for a living and love it

 

[mustangluvrjen]

just a quick update on duckies.

So they have been extremely quiet and lazy(not like them) but have been eating and drinking like it's going out of supply.
When they are up and about they act a lil drunk and unstable.

I called a friend of mine to see if they can bring over some charcol but won't be able til after work. I would go out but our whole household has the flu and don't want to take daughter out in the cold air.

Could the they get the flu by any chance? Especially since their system seems to be worn down a bit from this mornings mishap.

I'll try to keep ya'll posted.

 

[duckyfromoz]

Might sound a little gross....but what has their poop been like?? It might give you an indication of how much they have injested.

 

[Amiga]

I agree - look at the poop. Keep up with the water and food, and if you can get charcoal, it would probably help things along.

I don't think they can get the flu.

Do you have poultry vitamins?

Question for others - I recall someone saying pedialyte is usable in a pinch? mustangluvrjen, don't give them that unless someone for sure confirms it. If you have poultry vitamins, that would be a good idea.

Have you been giving them grit at all yet?

 

[nettie]

pedilyte (sp?) is just fine to give your ducks... As long as it contains no iron (which i'm pretty sure none of the brands do) just put 1 ounce of pedilyte to 4-5 ounces of water. It'll help boost the immune system and make sure they have their electrolytes in balance. Baby vitamin drops with no iron will also work in their water.

I have two horrifying stories with happy endings... Victor once ate a cigarette butt... He was fine... lol
My Ming Mei was diapered and walked into my room right as I dropped my bottle of ambien (I had to take it after I had surgery), and the pills went flying and ming ran to eat them. I think she got only one before I stopped her. she didn't even get sleepy. She just ate a ton of peas so we suspect she pooped it out before the hard outer coating could dissolve.

These things will happen. Keep a keen eye on them to make sure they don't act different or if their poop seems bad, and keep us updated so we can try to help.

 

[mustangluvrjen]

Hey everybody sorry I haven't post until now.

Butterscotch and Toffee seem to be doing just fine. I only wish I could say the same for me. This flu is kicking my arse. I'm sure my lil ones have cabin fever but I'm so drained. Anyone have a miracle cure for the flu?

Thanks for all your help and advice! As for me I'm heading back to bed.

 

[Amiga]

mustangluvrjen,

Oh, kiddo!

I'm gettin' over a two-week cold, myself. From anything I have read, heard, or experienced,

rest
lots of healthy fluids, read WATER (hot water with lemon, cold water with a splash of apple cider vinegar, for example)
Fresh fruits/vegetables when you can stand to eat
Showers when you can manage it just to get some of the crud off

I like to ingest sambucus (elderberry syrup), echinacea, citrus fruits for vitamin C, close my eyes and remember some of the best days, places and people of my life (releases chemicals that help heal and fight off viruses), ginger tea with just a few tiny little grains of dried cayenne pepper, mint tea, horseradish, garlic.

I also frequently change my pillowcase and air out my pillow to freshen it and kill germs.

Prayin' for your swift recovery and good care in the meantime.