Sick duckie

[cb-man]

I thought I would post this up in Ducks too.
It's over in Emergency too.
We have a problem with one of our ducks. I believe he is about 5 weeks old.
Friday we noticed he was having trouble walking and leaning to one side in the pool and falling over trying to preen.
It has escalated to hardly walking falling over and flailing around. He is very wobbly and twists his neck.
Initially I thought Niacin deficiency. So I started giving niacin in water and brewers yeast also Vit B complex drops.
Worried about him we took him to the vet.
The vet seemed to think Botulism.
She gave us Amoxicilian to give him and gave him a Vit B shot.
So he is home isolated from the others and still getting niacin and brewers yeast.
Gave the first dose of amox tonight.

I'm hoping he comes out of it.
Plan on giving him swim time in warm water every day after work.

Wondering if I should bring him inside in the basement with a heat lamp. But it's chilly in the basement.
Right now he is in the pole barn near the others. Right by the door in a baby play pen with a cover over it. I open the door during the day so they can see each other.

Any thoughts?

 

[duck4u]

Take him inside and give him time to heal with a heat lamp.
Keep feeding him, it also sounds like niacin defiency.
He is pratically helpless and easy prey for any animals because 5 weeks is relatively young so he is a duckling.
Just keep doing what your doing.
But if you can, make it warmer in the garage or keep him inside the house.

 

[cb-man]

I thought about bringing him inside but it is cool in the house. Specially the basement. I have heard some say with botulism you don't want them too warm.
I was also worried about bringing him inside and away from the flock afraid they might reject him.

Right now he is in the barn and can see the coop from the door way then I close the barn up at night.

I could keep him in the basement with a heat lamp. The pen he has would be big enough to get away from the light if needed

 

[Miss Lydia]

I thought about bringing him inside but it is cool in the house. Specially the basement. I have heard some say with botulism you don't want them too warm.
I was also worried about bringing him inside and away from the flock afraid they might reject him.

Right now he is in the barn and can see the coop from the door way then I close the barn up at night.

I could keep him in the basement with a heat lamp. The pen he has would be big enough to get away from the light if needed

Sounds like you have him in a good place being able to see the other ducks and them him is very important. As long as you don't see decline, if you do then you should bring him inside. in the stickies there is a link about how to treat botulism Keep us updated on how he is doing, and swim time is very good but stay with him and make sure he doesn't chill. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/700526/flushes-for-aiding-in-toxin-removal#post_9508213 if this is botulism have you found the culprit? watch the rest of your flock closely.

 

[cb-man]

The symptoms are very close to botulism but also niacin/vitamin deficiency. We took him to the vet and they seemed to think botulism.

I don't know what to look for as the culprit.
There are two small chicks in with them that we are trying to find homes for.
The duck house is an old chicken coop I fixed up and we cleaned and bleached.
Rubber horse mats on the floor with pine wood shavings, they have a 8x8 outside pen attached free to go in and out. The first week we put a tub of water for them to play in and I didn't change the water for a week not knowing how nasty it would get. Now it gets changed almost every other day. They are let out for 2-3 hours in the evening.

 

[Miss Lydia]

The symptoms are very close to botulism but also niacin/vitamin deficiency. We took him to the vet and they seemed to think botulism.

I don't know what to look for as the culprit.
There are two small chicks in with them that we are trying to find homes for.
The duck house is an old chicken coop I fixed up and we cleaned and bleached.
Rubber horse mats on the floor with pine wood shavings, they have a 8x8 outside pen attached free to go in and out. The first week we put a tub of water for them to play in and I didn't change the water for a week not knowing how nasty it would get. Now it gets changed almost every other day. They are let out for 2-3 hours in the evening.

Have you looked around the yard real good, rotting vegetation or something nasty part of a dead animal? and even nasty water can cause it if left to sit in sun for any length of time. also moldy feed. Every one else is okay but this one then maybe it is a niacin dif. if so then you should see it make a recovery pretty quick. How is it doing today?. Hope you can find homes for the chicks but I doubt they are the problem.

 

[cb-man]

I will search the yard good tonight.
It was a week or so after I dumped their pool the first time. After that I started changing it every other day. If it was from the nasty water left in for a week I think he would have showed signs sooner. How knows. I need to mow grass tonight anyway.
I will see what I can find.
Thanks for all the replies.
I'm worried about the little guy specially being new to ducks or birds in general.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I will search the yard good tonight.
It was a week or so after I dumped their pool the first time. After that I started changing it every other day. If it was from the nasty water left in for a week I think he would have showed signs sooner. How knows. I need to mow grass tonight anyway.
I will see what I can find.
Thanks for all the replies.
I'm worried about the little guy specially being new to ducks or birds in general.

I doubt water then especially if the others are okay since they probably all were in it and drank from it. I hope you see the lil one making good progress towards getting over this. They sure can worry us.

 

[cb-man]

Thank you. It's hard to see the little guy like this.
I'm thinking about trying a flush but he is on antibiotic. Would a flush affect treatment?

Watching him swim in a warm bath now and he keeps falling over.

Since he isn't doing well should I put niacin on his water every day?
He has a one gallon watered now.

Thanks everyone

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thank you. It's hard to see the little guy like this.
I'm thinking about trying a flush but he is on antibiotic. Would a flush affect treatment?

Watching him swim in a warm bath now and he keeps falling over.

Since he isn't doing well should I put niacin on his water every day?
He has a one gallon watered now.

Thanks everyone

Yes put Niacin in his water daily, at 5 weeks he can have 500 mgs per gal. once you see him making comeback drop dosage to 250-350 megs till 10 weeks old. your giving him plain niacin right? Not sure about the antibiotic and flush together. Maybe call and ask vet. and I'll see if I can find out too.