*~*Runner Duck Club*~*

[Miss Lydia]

My runner duck was behaving strangely the other day. They sounded like theywere running around. When I looked over at their pin, he (runner Drake) had laid down, but not like he wanted to sleep. He had his neck stretched out so that he was completely flat. He made me think of a rubber chicken or something. Then a second later he jumps up and ruffles his feathers - he looked the size on my pekin for a second. Then he went back to normal and I haven't seen him do it since.

Hopefully what ever was causing you drake to act this way won't happen again.

 

[Duck Hill]

The vet doesn't think they can get what ever is causing the infection out of her sinuses?

I know this is very hard so sorry you might have to make that decision. @Duck Hill

Your doing all you can for Cinnamon.

She has a swelling in her bill, on each side, just under the nasal opening. On the outside it is a protruding circle. On the inside, well, I can't see, but it is blocking her breathing passage. The vet did a tissue sample and looked under the microscope and found some bacteria. The swelling is hard. She thought it might also be fungal in nature, so we have been treating for both bacteria and fungus just in case (I can't afford lab tests). Other than the swelling, her breathing is fine! When I (forcefully) open her bill, she breathes freely and easily through her mouth. I asked the vet about a tracheotomy but she said that was not a possibility. She is showing some slight response to amphotericin (the swelling gets less hard but does not lessen in size) and not to anything else. But meanwhile the swelling still seems to be growing, so she's in distress. I wish I knew what to do. If there was hope, I know Cinnamon would do her best to hang in there. But I don't want to ask that of her for no reason. Such a hard decision to make. I wish I understood better what is wrong with her.

 

[casportpony]

She has a swelling in her bill, on each side, just under the nasal opening. On the outside it is a protruding circle. On the inside, well, I can't see, but it is blocking her breathing passage. The vet did a tissue sample and looked under the microscope and found some bacteria. The swelling is hard. She thought it might also be fungal in nature, so we have been treating for both bacteria and fungus just in case (I can't afford lab tests). Other than the swelling, her breathing is fine! When I (forcefully) open her bill, she breathes freely and easily through her mouth. I asked the vet about a tracheotomy but she said that was not a possibility. She is showing some slight response to amphotericin (the swelling gets less hard but does not lessen in size) and not to anything else. But meanwhile the swelling still seems to be growing, so she's in distress. I wish I knew what to do. If there was hope, I know Cinnamon would do her best to hang in there. But I don't want to ask that of her for no reason. Such a hard decision to make. I wish I understood better what is wrong with her.

Is this the one that I suggested might need to have the pus surgically removed?

 

[Miss Lydia]

It is K.

 

[casportpony]

It is K.

What little I know about sinus infection is that once the pus hardens it has to be removed.

 

[Miss Lydia]

@Duck Hill

 

[Ravynscroft]

She has a swelling in her bill, on each side, just under the nasal opening. On the outside it is a protruding circle. On the inside, well, I can't see, but it is blocking her breathing passage. The vet did a tissue sample and looked under the microscope and found some bacteria. The swelling is hard. She thought it might also be fungal in nature, so we have been treating for both bacteria and fungus just in case (I can't afford lab tests). Other than the swelling, her breathing is fine! When I (forcefully) open her bill, she breathes freely and easily through her mouth. I asked the vet about a tracheotomy but she said that was not a possibility. She is showing some slight response to amphotericin (the swelling gets less hard but does not lessen in size) and not to anything else. But meanwhile the swelling still seems to be growing, so she's in distress. I wish I knew what to do. If there was hope, I know Cinnamon would do her best to hang in there. But I don't want to ask that of her for no reason. Such a hard decision to make. I wish I understood better what is wrong with her.

What little I know about sinus infection is that once the pus hardens it has to be removed.

X2

Please, talk to your vet again... their body systems do not break down and absorb infection once it is hard like mammals can do... if the vet can reach it for biopsy, then they should be able to remove the chunk completely...

Bill will go back to proper shape once that is removed and swelling goes down, but antibiotics alone won't fix her...

I have pics of a Call drake, similar issue... before and after I treated him... I will dig them up if you'd like to see the difference it makes to physically remove the infection...

 

[Duck Hill]

X2

Please, talk to your vet again... their body systems do not break down and absorb infection once it is hard like mammals can do... if the vet can reach it for biopsy, then they should be able to remove the chunk completely...

Bill will go back to proper shape once that is removed and swelling goes down, but antibiotics alone won't fix her...

I have pics of a Call drake, similar issue... before and after I treated him... I will dig them up if you'd like to see the difference it makes to physically remove the infection...

My vet said she could not operate, that it was not an option. I don't know why she said that. But on my end, I see the swelling right under her bill tissue, and I don't see why we can't cut it out. But... I'm not familiar with the anatomy of the upper bill and sinuses. There is a swelling on both sides and the swelling begins under the bill skin and continues into the sinuses which are also swollen.

My worry is that the infection is so close to the brain. To pay for a probably extremely expensive operation, then to have so much pain (I hear bill injuries are very painful) only to have the infection spread to the brain? But if I knew she had a chance... she is healthy other than the bill issue.

The reality is that today she is much worse... her swelling is increasing daily and she can barely breathe.

I am at the point of having to make a euthanasia decision because she is suffering - her inability to breathe is frightening to her. Unless I can fix the breathing I cannot wait. I asked the vet about a breathing tube, (she said that for birds they did a "tracheotomy" into one of the air sacks) but again she said that was not an option in this case.

She did not explain why surgery was not an option, but she is an experienced vet.

Any last minute advice? I have been crying all day.

 

[casportpony]

Can you ask the vet why they can't remove the pus?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I am so sorry, you have a very hard decision to make.