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- #11
DuckMyLife8
Chirping
- Apr 7, 2020
- 45
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Happy Update: Salem is on the mend!
She napped hard and I think the IV fluids helped and she was able to hold her head up so we tried syringe feeding her, which was difficult and really traumatized her so we backed off. Worked on giving her peas which she tried to eat but had a really hard time opening her mouth and when she would get one in, she would flail her head around violently and end up spitting half of it out. Same thing with the water. We realized she wasn't really able to swallow. A vet tech friend suggested it could be botulism which seems like a strong possibility given her symptoms. We just kept it up, I cuddled her all day and worked getting a little food and water and syringe in her. Each time she was able to keep a little more food and water in. I held her all day long just keeping her warm and hoping my heartbeat would give her strength.
She refused anything besides shelled peas and pure water so we weren't able to add anything else as we just wanted to get something inside of her. Eventually she started pooping but it was still pasty thick white, but then came some pieces of peas. She got brighter and ate and drank more. Then she slowly started trying to use her legs to readjust herself. She tried to preen but couldn't reach back. By the end of the day she was able to stand on her own, shakily and I was so happy to see that I was in tears. By nightfall, she was standing up, flapping her wings, able to preen a little and taking a few wobbly steps. I was able to start adding some pieces of kale, B vitamin, electrolytes and a sprinkle of her duckling feed into a slurry and she was eating it, chirping so happily while she did. She was pooping much more often and it was finally coming out normal looking
We set her up in a box next to the bed to sleep because she screamed when she couldn't see me and it was a restless night for us both but she woke us up at 430 screaming for food, standing up for a much longer time. She ate more of the mixture and snuggled on my chest for a few hours. She was up and moving around on her own, although she tired quickly. We let her swim in a shallow pool of Epsom salt to clean off since she was filthy from not preening and she was so happy, cleaning herself off, standing tall and flapping her wings. She's been gradually improving all day today also, walking around and eating and drinking. She still seems to have a little difficulty swallowing and she's picky about eating but it keeps getting better. Her legs get tired and shaky and sometimes she can't stand as much as she wants but she's getting back to normal and I'm hopeful she's going to make it if she keeps going in a positive direction. For now she's loving being a couch potato and getting lots of special attention
She napped hard and I think the IV fluids helped and she was able to hold her head up so we tried syringe feeding her, which was difficult and really traumatized her so we backed off. Worked on giving her peas which she tried to eat but had a really hard time opening her mouth and when she would get one in, she would flail her head around violently and end up spitting half of it out. Same thing with the water. We realized she wasn't really able to swallow. A vet tech friend suggested it could be botulism which seems like a strong possibility given her symptoms. We just kept it up, I cuddled her all day and worked getting a little food and water and syringe in her. Each time she was able to keep a little more food and water in. I held her all day long just keeping her warm and hoping my heartbeat would give her strength.
She refused anything besides shelled peas and pure water so we weren't able to add anything else as we just wanted to get something inside of her. Eventually she started pooping but it was still pasty thick white, but then came some pieces of peas. She got brighter and ate and drank more. Then she slowly started trying to use her legs to readjust herself. She tried to preen but couldn't reach back. By the end of the day she was able to stand on her own, shakily and I was so happy to see that I was in tears. By nightfall, she was standing up, flapping her wings, able to preen a little and taking a few wobbly steps. I was able to start adding some pieces of kale, B vitamin, electrolytes and a sprinkle of her duckling feed into a slurry and she was eating it, chirping so happily while she did. She was pooping much more often and it was finally coming out normal looking
We set her up in a box next to the bed to sleep because she screamed when she couldn't see me and it was a restless night for us both but she woke us up at 430 screaming for food, standing up for a much longer time. She ate more of the mixture and snuggled on my chest for a few hours. She was up and moving around on her own, although she tired quickly. We let her swim in a shallow pool of Epsom salt to clean off since she was filthy from not preening and she was so happy, cleaning herself off, standing tall and flapping her wings. She's been gradually improving all day today also, walking around and eating and drinking. She still seems to have a little difficulty swallowing and she's picky about eating but it keeps getting better. Her legs get tired and shaky and sometimes she can't stand as much as she wants but she's getting back to normal and I'm hopeful she's going to make it if she keeps going in a positive direction. For now she's loving being a couch potato and getting lots of special attention
