sick duck help please

[TajMaChicken]

1 of my six Rouen ducklings had a Niacin definciency. At first I thought she had a broke foot, but I really didn't know. I researched and read and thought I would give it a chance. I didn't know any thing about game bird starter crumbles, so I will have to remember that. I went to Walgreen's and bought niacin in caplets. I crushed it to a fine powder and mixed it into the water at the ratio I found in a Raising Ducks book. I can look it it up for you if you'd like. Anyway within three days she was showing major improvements and that was Easter Sunday so I named her Easter.

One other thing, crickets are high in niacin, I read, so you might try giving those to her as snacks.

Good luck with your duckie!

Easter was a bit smaller than the other ducks and grew slower but seemed to have no more problems once they were big enough to free range and forage for bugs and such creepy crawlies!

 

[mogrl840]

i went and got some liquid B complex with B12. this is what the vet said to get but in liquid. I got it when i first went to the vet but it was a different brand in pill form. I just got the liquid today so im going to try this for a few more days.

It has

100% Ribonflavin (b-2)
niacin 20mg 100%
b-6 2mg 100%
b-12 1.2mg 20,000%

Iv been putting it in its water and put some in its bill when i first got it but she didnt seem to like that so i just let her drink it.

 

[The Duck ABC's]

Here is what Dave Holderread in his book "Raising Ducks" says about Crested ducks. It is on page 71 .

 

[mogrl840]

ok update. Its 24 hours after i have been giving my duck the new brand of vitamin b and niacin. I see no improvement and when i woke up this morning she was on her back. since i cant be there with her the whole time she has been rubbing her wings raw from trying to get up on her own. I really hate seeing her like this and its been a lot of hard work. She woke me up at 6am this morning for food. I have to hold her up while she eats. She does try to stand on her own if i balance her. She will clean herself as im holding her up. I paid $3.00 for this duck and i am now in over $80 trying to save it. I really dont know what i should do at this point. Keep trying for a few more days or end both our suffering. Please let me know what you duck lovers would do.

 

[duckyfromoz]

I had a little one hatch from a friends eggs 18 months ago that was extremely vitamin deficient- and despite a regime of vitamins was not improving into her second week of life. I took to my vet- who is an avian and exotic animal vet- and she gave the duckling a needle ( dose of thiamine ) - as well as prescribed huge doses of vitamins- much more than the little one had been getting. I did think I was taking the duckling in to be told the best thing would be to put her to sleep - but the vet was adamant that " Flippy " could still recover and have some kind of quality life. I hadnt planned on keeping white Runners at the time-as I had only hatched the eggs for a friend - but was happy to know that there was hope- and now Flippy is one of my favourites in the yard. I dont breed from her- but she is a very sweet girl. I stayed up nights - slept propped up on the lounge so I could hold her upright- and also had to take her to work with me for a week. The following week I came home every lunch break to check on her. It was a lot of work keeping her alive- and improvement was very slow. She has nerve damage and slight muscular problems now- but lives completely fine outside with the flock.

She is your duck - and really- only you can make the decision on what is right for both of you, you are the one that has to live with the decision you make. Caring for disabled ducks can be very time consuming- and quality of life is a huge issue for you to consider. One day on the new vitamins is not enough time to see results- but if it is something neurological - all the vitamins or time on the world wont help. I dont envy your position right now- So sorry you have this to deal with...it would have been so much nicer for your first experience with ducks to be more possitive.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Quote:
x 2


Really, only you can decide. DO NOT beat yourself up over what you decide. The duckling has lived much longer than it would have if you did not pick it out from the bin.

ETA: I have had to cull two chicks that I hatched, both due to severe cross-beak. The first one, I worried about for two days - hoping and trying to help the chick adjust - before I did what was best for the chick. The second one was easier (not easy, but I did not dither like I did with the first). Last spring one of my call ducks hatched a clutch, and one duckling had a slipped tendon - I could not fix it. Duckling got around wonderful for about 2 weeks - even did great swimming - but did not grow hardly at all compared to the others. Then one day, mid-day, I found the little one drowned in the water, next to the ramp to get out. I do not know what happened - did the others push the duckling around and it tired? I felt really bad. Given it to do over, I would probably (probably, who knows for sure) cull the duckling to begin with. I worried over it so, so much. Checking every hour on mom and her duckling.

 

[mogrl840]

thank you very much for your comments. I am willing to keep working with her and i might call the vet and see if i could get another shot. I believe the vet gave a vitamin b shot the day i went. I work at petsmart and i dont think it would be a problem taking the duck to work with me. I guess I just want to make sure I am doing the right thing and not making the duck suffer

 

[mogrl840]

ok so i went to check on the duck when i got back from the restroom and she was on her back with her head throw back and when i went to pick her up she was very limp. she gave my a very sad look then started shaking her head like she was having a seizure. I decided to make the call and put her down. I now know this was just more then a vitamin problem. I did everything i could for my duck. Her name was footloose and she will be very much missed. Thanks everyone for the help and comments. I am now looking for a new friend for my other duck "Japer Yaper" since he is going crazy looking for his friend footloose

 

[MissusDee]

Sorry about your loss. It happens, sometimes for the best.

 

[desertdarlene]

Sorry that you had to go through all of that. It sounds like it was really bad.