Poorly duck! What could this be?

[Laura6544]

My 4 month old duck is unwell, I will take her to the vets tomorrow but I'm really worried and as a first time duck owner wondered if any one knows what may be wrong with her.
For the past couple of days I've noticed she has been holding her neck very stiffly with an s shape other than this she has been fine, eating, drinking, bathing etc her normal self really. I have just gone out to them tonight to put them to bed and she is adopting a very upright position, ne ck very stiff and bent. She is good in that she doesn't mind being handled so sat down and put her on my lap, she seemed okay but when she went back on the floor she seemed to loose her balance, drop a wing and just looked drunk for want of a better description. I picked her straight up again and held her, she went sort of limp and dropped her head to one side but after a minute appeared to be okay again. I went inside to get my phone to post on here and when I got back she was lying next to her food bowl with her head to one side resting it on the bowl. She is now sat on my knee, I know she is unwell but I feel helpless until tomorrow when I can take her to the vets.
She is a white Campbell and does have a slight crest, I've heard about potential. Neurological problems crested's can have, does this sound like it with my bird or something else?
Any comments or ideas dry much appreciated, I adore these ducks and it breaks my heart to think something may happen to her.

 

[Amiga]

She may have ingested something toxic. What is the temperature there?

I would separate her and give her a laxative and loads of fresh clean water

Here is something from another thread

"Epsom salts is recommended for use as a laxative to help rid the ducks' bodies of poison. Be careful if you decide to go that route - more is not necessarily better. Storey's Guide recommends a pint of molasses or a pound of Epsom salts in 5 gallons of water.

A follow up treatment of activated charcoal (it's a powder - not the briquettes for cooking) may help absorb toxins from their systems. I would definitely be giving the whole flock some charcoal in their water. About three capsules per gallon is what I have used."

Please get her into a cool place, with fresh water asap. Consider the laxative in case she has eaten something toxic.

And let us know how it is going.

 

[Laura6544]

Thankyou for replying, I live in the uk and although it's July it's cool here(I'm still in jumpers) I have offered her water but she does not seem interested, earlier on she was drinking fine. All she seems to want to do now is sleep, it is midnight here though so I suppose that's normal. She isn't hot at all I don't know whether I'm better to leave her be till morning, if I ran her a bath (they are used to having a swim in the bath) then I'm sure she would drink, I can't get any Epsom salts due to it being midnight on Sunday but tomorrow as soon as vets are open I'll take her, if she makes it through the night! Will I stress her more trying to get her to drink, will this be bad?

 

[Amiga]

See if the bath works.

Lethargy, that extreme tiredness, can be a sign of toxins in the system.

 

[Amiga]

Do you have any niacin capsules?

Dissolving that in water might help if it is neurological. Or brewer's yeast.

 

[PeanutnCashew]

Hi, I am so sorry,

I looked up a few things that you mentioned as symptoms, and it lead me to these links..hopefully it is not the case with yours but it is good to stay informed and know what to look out for and talk with a vet on ruling out certain illnesses:

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/4/anatipestifer-disease-new-duck-syndrome-duck-septicaemia
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12154


keep us posted

 

[70%cocoa]

I suspect that she has eaten something toxic too. Getting her to drink via having a bath is a good idea.

Do you have any electrolyte solutions (like a sports drink) or even Berocca? Try giving her one of those two things if you have them. Even dripping it onto the side of her bill in the hope that she swallows a bit.

Poor ducky. I hope she makes it through the night and you can get a professional opinion tomorrow. I'm sure that it is extremely stressful for you.

 

[desertdarlene]

Avian botulism has a lot of the same symptoms you mentioned and often affects the neck, first. I would treat it as I would treat any other toxin.

 

[PeanutnCashew]

here is a diagnostic chart:

http://www.majesticwaterfowl.org/diagnostic chart.htm

 

[Laura6544]

Vet suspects toxin too, he says he'd put money on it being lead poisoning. They have only been in our garden but my other half pointed out that we back onto fields and people do go out on the back shooting rabbits and pigeons, its a possibility that as we are so open on our back they could have shot over our way leaving stray pellets in the garden. It would be extremely unlucky but we can't rule it out. Anyway she is at the vets now, they are keeping her overnight and she will have xrays and tests. I was so relieved she made it through the night and although she isn't out of the woods yet the vet seemed to think she wasn't as bad as I had felt she was and she's in the right place if things get worse. What I am left with now though is a very upset and lonely home alone duck, Bella is lost without Minkie, poor thing.