Prolapsed Vent on Four Year Old Silver Appleyard Duck - Extended Care

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks so much for keeping us updated. We all have followed along with your ducks since you all have been on BYC and love them so much.
Just know we are thinking of you and praying that Mouse will have some wonderful days left with you all.
As for what to offer It's so hard to know what might entice them to eat. I guess just keep offering various things in hopes something will appeal.
Your vet sounds like an awesome person.

 

[CrazyChicken Lady]

I just read the whole thread, and Mouse is sure heck of a trooper! What a sweet sounding girl. I am praying that she pulls through! You are amazing to be doing all this for her.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

 

[3bird]

Thanks so much for keeping us updated. We all have followed along with your ducks since you all have been on BYC and love them so much.
Just know we are thinking of you and praying that Mouse will have some wonderful days left with you all.
As for what to offer It's so hard to know what might entice them to eat. I guess just keep offering various things in hopes something will appeal.
Your vet sounds like an awesome person.

Thank you so much! Our vet is truly an amazing blessing. We adore her and can't imagine this journey without her.

We brought Mouse in for a midday swim and her meds and waited to let the sun move around to allow for a nice shaded spot, where she can spend the rest of the day. She seems to really love the bath (especially putting her head under the faucet!). Thankfully she is drinking even if she is not eating much. When outside with her buddies, she does seem to take the hint when they forage, and she appears to forage as well, so we just took her back out. We are going to try watermelon and a shrimp this evening. Who knows!

Thanks as always for your kind words about our family, @Miss Lydia ! We appreciate you very, very much!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Love the updates

Not sure if you have any dog food around but my ducks love it, for Mouse you might have to crush it up some. Depending on size. I buy salmon and Pea Members Mark at Sams. My flock always looks forward to their dog food treat in mid mornings.

 

[3bird]

Love the updates

Not sure if you have any dog food around but my ducks love it, for Mouse you might have to crush it up some. Depending on size. I buy salmon and Pea Members Mark at Sams. My flock always looks forward to their dog food treat in mid mornings.

We have cat food (the wet variety and the crunch)! We use the Reveal wet food that is tuna, I think. We'll give that a shot. Thank you!!!

 

[3bird]

Mouse is still hanging in there. Yesterday afternoon, we tried some additional food items (wet and dry cat food, watermelon, and shrimp). She just had no interest in any of it, but she did her usual swimming and head dunking and playing in the faucet. She was alert, breathing well and even quacking sometimes. She reacts and responds well to us. We kept her inside for a while yesterday afternoon because it was so hot (I brought my work into the bathroom and she swam--we talked ).

As soon as there was some good shade in her field, we brought her back out. She had a good afternoon and we made sure to keep her out for "Soup with Ducks," as she seems most willing to eat when she is taking her lead from Angus and Stella. We served the three of them the soup together, and she ate some. We have no idea what she ate (soup yesterday was fresh garden peas, pea shoots, lettuce and a mealworm crumble), but it was good to see her get excited and dive in. We brought her in for her evening swim and meds (she had a great preening session after!) and then brought her back out to spend the night in her crate in the run. Angus paid lots of attention to her.

This morning, there were feces and just a little spotting in her crate. She had pushed around her grain, but we don't think she ate much. She is obviously weaker, but she still stands and is alert and animated. She seems to really enjoy her swims (and playing with the faucet). She would not eat anything we offered her this morning. After her meds we took her back out, and served "soup for ducks" while she was there. Again, she participated, but we're not sure what or how much she ate. She also walked farther than we have seen her walk--not sure what that was about, but it was very deliberate and in a straight line. Again, we are shocked she still has so much strength and energy.

She's in the shade now resting and seems comfortable. We'll keep this up as long as she appears to not be in pain or uncomfortable. We feel privileged to have this opportunity to care for her, and we're so proud of her and her flock.

 

[Miss Lydia]

You are doing just how it should be done. They will let us know when they are finished with this life and ready for their next adventure. Having her friends with her including her human family I’m sure is very comforting to her. Seems to me she is enjoying these days she has with you all.

 

[KaleIAm]

You are doing just how it should be done. They will let us know when they are finished with this life and ready for their next adventure. Having her friends with her including her human family I’m sure is very comforting to her. Seems to me she is enjoying these days she has with you all.

x2

 

[3bird]

Yesterday was a pretty good day for Mouse. After I last wrote, she spent most of the morning outside with her buddies. It was still warm but much cooler than the previous few days, and it was also a bit overcast. We brought her in during the hottest part of the day for a swim in the tub and her midday meds. She is really remarkable--still so strong, although getting her to eat is near impossible now. She loves her swims and swims from one end of the tub with gusto. She loves putting her head under the faucet, and we are so thankful she is drinking!

We kept her in for longer than usual yesterday because of the heat, but when we brought her back out, we let her hang with her friends supervised (no fence between them). We made a luck "Soup for Ducks," and she got excited and put her head in with Stella and Angus a couple times, although we're not really sure what she ate (if anything). She did nip at Stella when Stella was eating the soup on her side of the bowl...lol. After soup, we gave everyone a shower and made a mud muddle between them. She foraged a little in the muddy grass with Stella and Angus, and then she did an amazing job preening.

We brought her back in for her evening meds and bath, but he made it pretty quick so she could get back out and into her crate in the run. Angus slept slammed up against the crate all night.

Although it was a pretty good day in that she interacted with her buddies and seemed to enjoy her swims, she didn't eat much of anything.

This morning it was cool and raining, and we debated whether we should go out early and get her. We assume thermoregulation is a challenge with so little food on board. We decided to wait until about 7am though as everyone seemed quiet and content on the cameras.

She greeted us with a little quack and tail wag. She was alert and seemed comfortable. We brought her in and let her swim in a warmer-than-room-temperature bath, which she seemed to really enjoy! She dunked her head a lot and drank lots. We tempted her with different kinds of cat food, and she actually really perked up with the pate variety. She seemed most excited if we offered it to her in a cupped hand just below the water surface while she was swimming. She kind of nibbled at it each time, although she did not consume any significant amount.

With it cool and wet out, we decided to keep her inside after her bath and meds were done. She wandered into her indoor crate and has been resting there. While she was quite animated in the tub this morning, now she seems as relaxed and quiet as we have seen her. She is standing but with her bill tucked under her wing and her eyes mostly closing. She seems aware of us, but she seems very, very tired. Her breathing is normal, and she seems comfortable. It's in the mid-50s, and so we brought a small electric space heater into the bathroom where she is hanging out.

She is such a sweet girl. We told her it was okay to head off to find Piglet (Piglet was our other white silver Appleyard who died a couple years ago--they were great friends!) whenever she was ready. Here are some pictures of Mouse and Piglet together. They were inseparable and will be again!