Seizures

[sferle]

one of my ducks died last night and now the second duck is having seizures , I started the epsom salt drink .

I have been feeding them the chick feeder/grower , unmedicated

I got them April 6th

I believe both died of dehydration

 

[Miss Lydia]

one of my ducks died last night and now the second duck is having seizures , I started the epsom salt drink .

I have been feeding them the chick feeder/grower , unmedicated

I got them April 6th

I'm so sorry but why Epsom salt do you think they ate something poisonous or moldy feed?

 

[Amiga]

Can you please tell us more about their environment? Food and water 24/7? Temperature in the brooder? Bedding?

 

[sferle]

I have the duck in a open top 105 qt sterlite tub with pine bedding , the food is dumor chick starter/feed non medicated , they have a bowel of water at all times and a heat lamp during the night , its about 80 in the daytime in the sun room
Since giving it the epsom salt drink and no food it has stopped it seizures and is drinking.. slowly giving it food .. I noticed on the duck that died its neck area was full but not sure if there was something blocking it

Since I don't have a thermostat on the heat lamp I am not sure what the temp is in there , the duck can move away from the warmer area

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have the duck in a open top 105 qt sterlite tub with pine bedding , the food is dumor chick starter/feed non medicated , they have a bowel of water at all times and a heat lamp during the night , its about 80 in the daytime in the sun room
Since giving it the epsom salt drink and no food it has stopped it seizures and is drinking.. slowly giving it food .. I noticed on the duck that died its neck area was full but not sure if there was something blocking it

Since I don't have a thermostat on the heat lamp I am not sure what the temp is in there , the duck can move away from the warmer area

I'm glad to hear your seeing improvement. did the ducklings have water continually when they were eating before the first one died, it may have chocked. they always need to have water when eating. Reason I questioned about the Epsom salt ifs it can cause dehydration.

 

[Buck Oakes]

Is it hot? Bright light? Anything along those lines?

 

[sferle]

one step forward one step back ugh so baby duck is weak and floppy it was doing great yesterday , we came home from town prob about 2 hrs away and I thought I would lose him .. I got him to drink water after a hour and he started to drink on his own but this morning he is still weak , how do you get a duck to eat when it won't eat

 

[Miss Lydia]

one step forward one step back ugh so baby duck is weak and floppy it was doing great yesterday , we came home from town prob about 2 hrs away and I thought I would lose him .. I got him to drink water after a hour and he started to drink on his own but this morning he is still weak , how do you get a duck to eat when it won't eat

About the only thing you can do is tube feeding, their on links on you tube about how to do it. You have to be so careful what ever you put in doesn't go into their lungs. Vitamins into his drinking water with a small stopper and just place right at front of bill inside of mouth Poultry Nutri Drench can be given straight. I hope the lil one makes it.

 

[sferle]

Since no one knows the cause .. this I found on here which describes everything the duck has gone through.. before I could get any pedialite in him , he died just now
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/678722/dehydration-symptoms-cure-and-prevention

How to Recognize Dehydration:

-Before dehydration sets in, birds may pant, open their wings, and fluff out their feathers. These are the first warning signs.

-The first symptom that tends to turn up is paleness of the face. Bear in mind that paleness does not always indicate dehydration; it might mean your birds are ill. Pullets are often rather pale prior to laying as well. You can distinguish this from illness or dehydration through further examination of symptoms.

-Breathing becomes heavy and labored.

-After a while the chicken will develop diarrhea.

-If you gently pinch the back of the shank (lower leg) the skin will not spring back as usual, much like the test performed on dehydrated humans.

-Shortly after the diarrhea, the bird will become listless, limp or even completely unreactive.

-If the dehydration goes too far the bird will go into convulsions. These involve unconscious twitching of the muscles, backward arching of the neck and paddling of the feet. This is broken by periods of general limpness and unreactivity.

-Shortly after, unless immediate action is taken, comes death.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Since no one knows the cause .. this I found on here which describes everything the duck has gone through.. before I could get any pedialite in him , he died just now
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/678722/dehydration-symptoms-cure-and-prevention

How to Recognize Dehydration:

-Before dehydration sets in, birds may pant, open their wings, and fluff out their feathers. These are the first warning signs.

-The first symptom that tends to turn up is paleness of the face. Bear in mind that paleness does not always indicate dehydration; it might mean your birds are ill. Pullets are often rather pale prior to laying as well. You can distinguish this from illness or dehydration through further examination of symptoms.

-Breathing becomes heavy and labored.

-After a while the chicken will develop diarrhea.

-If you gently pinch the back of the shank (lower leg) the skin will not spring back as usual, much like the test performed on dehydrated humans.

-Shortly after the diarrhea, the bird will become listless, limp or even completely unreactive.

-If the dehydration goes too far the bird will go into convulsions. These involve unconscious twitching of the muscles, backward arching of the neck and paddling of the feet. This is broken by periods of general limpness and unreactivity.

-Shortly after, unless immediate action is taken, comes death.

So very sorry, what do you think caused the dehydration?