Sick Duckling I would appreciate some Help Please

[MellamoJuan]

Hello everyone,
I am reaching out because ideally I would like to help this duckling out but don’t know how.
A friend of mine owns some birds and when this little guy was born he was small and would just not move around. My friend decided that he would just let it pass but my mom (having a big heart) decided to take him home to try and help him and see what could be done she had some experience watching animals from growing up in Ecuador but she hasn’t dealt with something like this.

He looks alot healthier then before and hes growing quite fast but the issue is he still can’t walk. He kicks around a bunch. It appears he suffered a head injury when he tried to get out of his shell. My mom also helps him bathe every day as to keep his feathers fresh. He sometimes turns his neck like that other times he’s just kicking around with his neck in a normal position. He’ll also sometimes when hes laying down start kicking and flip onto his back. He turns 2 weeks on Sunday.

I have been going through some posts and bought some PolyVisol without Iron to make up for any Vitamin B or Niacin deficiency and have been feeding it to him 1 drop a day on top of some feed we took from my friends place. I am attaching a link to a video of him and well I hope you guys can help me out.
I’m new to this so if I’m directing my questions to the wrong forum please let me know so I can post it somewhere accordingly.
Thank you!

 

[SolarDuck]

I'm very sorry for your duckling, I'm not sure what it is but it looks pretty bad, maybe @Isaac 0 can help

 

[MellamoJuan]

Hey @SolarDuck thank you for the response. I’m hoping we’re able to help the little guy out.

 

[RosemaryDuck]

I saw a video some time ago of a goose with the same issue. The owner ended up making a neck brace to hold the gooses head up straight and it eventually corrected itself, though sometimes she still had to push her head forward.

I don't know that it would correct the issue but it may allow him to eat and drink properly for a little while. I'm sorry I don't know what's causing this. It's very kind of you to help the little guy.

Isaac is very knowledgeable so can likely help you out here.

 

[Weeg]

Looks somewhat similar to a chick I've seen before with sever wry neck. Could this be the case? It does look bad. It could be neurological, @Isaac 0 any suggestions? @KaleIAm and @Miss Lydia will also have suggestions.
Great job taking him in! Hopefully the experts will chime in soon to help.
A few questions-
What are you feeding him? Brand as well.
How would he have gotten a head injury getting out of his shell? Can you elaborate on that?
Is his appetite okay? Can he eat and drink?
Is he alone?
Ducklings don't to good alone since they are flock animals. If he's by himself, you can add a stuffed animal, or warm bag of rice for him to snuggle with.

 

[casportpony]

Is a vet an option? If not, can you go to the feed store and get some B complex for cattle? I don't think the PolyVisol has enough thiamine in it, and that's what is needed, not niacin. I would give it some of that and a vitamin E capsule.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Here is some good info on how to give the B complex https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/niacin-deficiency-in-waterfowl.1367557/

Vit E capsule just nip the tip and squeeze out the liquid put over feed or tiny bits into the mouth till all is taken. Always just inside and never shot down the throat.

Bless you for taking him in and wanting to help.

 

[KaleIAm]

Thanks for the tag @Weeg

@MellamoJuan I'm sorry your duckling is unwell. I've never seen anything like this, so I'm not sure what to recommend. If he were my ducking I would take him to an avian veterinarian. I hope Isaac will be on soon and can give you better advice.

 

[Isaac 0]

I agree with what the others have had to say.
Thiamine (B1), Pyridoxine (B6), B12, and vitamin E and majorly important vitamins for neurological health in birds. I would try administering all mentioned for a week or so, and see if there is any improvement. Ensuring adequate heat, administering electrotlyes, and offering feed often are all important measures as well.

If the problem is nutritional related you should notice improvement within a few hours, to a few days. If no form of improvement is seen, it is likely there is something else at play. You have mentioned the duckling received head tramua so that could very well be the culprit. If that is the case it would be best to see a veterinarian familiar with birds as it is hard to form a diagnosis over the internet.

 

[Peas4Ducks]

Ah, poor duckling. Are you able move or straighten his head/neck without hurting him?