Sick Duckling

[DuckMyLife8]

I posted before about my 2.5 week old Cayuga duckling Salem who was laying down a lot more than the others. However shes been doing great lately! We've been spending a lot of outside time and shes been running around and swimming and seemed to be back to normal.

Last night they all seemed a little more tired than usual, settling down outside insteaf of playing and eating so much. I checked them last at 1am and again at 5am and they seemed fine and had been moving around the brooder. When I came in at 730, Salem was laying down and wont get up. I lift her up and she just plops down again. I cuddled her in a towel and shes jist laying still, no trying to get up. Shes sipping water from a bowl in front of her but not dunking her head and she doesnt want food and shes just not very reactionary.

The brooder was a little cool when I came in (75) but theyve been not wanting to be under the heat lamp if its any warmer in here lately. The others are loud and bopping about. They did seem to have more watery poop than usual last night but theyve also been playing in the water more. I was playing with them last night at around midnight and they were all acting totally normal, she was cuddling in my lap and walking around just fine.

Is there anything I can do for her?

 

[MGG]

I posted before about my 2.5 week old Cayuga duckling Salem who was laying down a lot more than the others. However shes been doing great lately! We've been spending a lot of outside time and shes been running around and swimming and seemed to be back to normal.

Last night they all seemed a little more tired than usual, settling down outside insteaf of playing and eating so much. I checked them last at 1am and again at 5am and they seemed fine and had been moving around the brooder. When I came in at 730, Salem was laying down and wont get up. I lift her up and she just plops down again. I cuddled her in a towel and shes jist laying still, no trying to get up. Shes sipping water from a bowl in front of her but not dunking her head and she doesnt want food and shes just not very reactionary.

The brooder was a little cool when I came in (75) but theyve been not wanting to be under the heat lamp if its any warmer in here lately. The others are loud and bopping about. They did seem to have more watery poop than usual last night but theyve also been playing in the water more. I was playing with them last night at around midnight and they were all acting totally normal, she was cuddling in my lap and walking around just fine.

Is there anything I can do for her?

Sorry about your duckling! Will she eat any food? If she's drinking can you get some poultry cell or nutridrench to put in the water? Even just some electrolytes would probably help. I would set up a second brooder for her with a warmer heat source. If she's not well she won't be able to maintain her body temp and will need supplemental heat. Any other symptoms?
@Miss Lydia @Eggcessive

 

[DuckMyLife8]

I don't think she can open her mouth. I tried giving her some crumble but she didn't want it, gave her some peas and she attacked them but shes not actually opening her mouth to eat them, shes chasing pieces around her water bowl but cant open her mouth to eat them, so idk if shes even able to drink either.

When I lift her up, her legs are totally limp. When I set her back down, she makes no attempt to put her feet down to even try and stand.

 

[DuckMyLife8]

Got her mouth to open on her own but not much. She got a couplr pieces of pea down but seemed to have a really hard time swallowing and then wouldn't open her mouth again to eat them, just keeps mashing them around trying to eat

 

[Miss Lydia]

Could she have gotten into anything toxic when out side? Is a vet an option?

 

[DuckMyLife8]

Its possible, I keep a close on on them when theyre out but idk if she could have grabbed something.

There is a tiny smear of bright white tick pasty stuff on the towel shes laying on that must be poop? Shes currently dunking her nose every few seconds in a bowl of eletrolytes and B vitamin but idk how much shes even taking in.

I also noticed a dark splotch on her tongue near the back when I was able to look inside her mouth. Idk if that means anything.

Trying to find an avian vet now

 

[Miss Lydia]

I see she’s 2.5 weeks old if you can get an avian vet to examine her that would be best just keep her warm and offer the vitamin water often.

 

[DuckMyLife8]

Luckily found an avian vet that was able to get her in, no diagnosis but believes its a bacterial or viral infection and said her
prognosis doesnt look good Gave her a shot of Doxycycline and IV fluids, took a stool sample and send us home with probiotics and a bag of sick bird food called Emerald Omnivore that im supposed to mix with water and syringe her (nervous about doing that so will read up on it since I know it is risky). Told me to separate her from the rest of the ducklings in case its something contagious so Im scared they all might get sick now. Theyre gonna run a fecal exam and see if they csn find anything on there that might indicate whats wrong.

Im a mess right now, I am so afraid shes not going to pull through this. Shes so weak she cant even hold her head up. Idk how this happened so quickly, she was fine last night. I have her laying on my chest sleeping just hoping the fluids and meds kick in soon to at least get her feeling well enough to lift her head. Please send good thoughts

 

[Linewife]

Sorry to hear your going through this. It's hard to see them sick when they can't communicate. Keep us updated when you can!

 

[Miss Lydia]

When trying to syringe food you just put a tiny amount right under her tongue wait for her to swallow then again it’s going to be slow going but it’s the only way to keep her from aspirating. Then there is tube feeding which if you decide to try that we’ll help you with that too. Sure hope she pulls through.