sick(poisoned?) duckling needs help

Jun 7, 2023
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So, the other day when I let the duck gang of 16 out to gambol in the yard while I did my gardening, I noticed most of the ducks snacking on my rhubarb plant. Ugh, they were eating the leaves, which are loaded with oxalic acid which is pretty darn toxic. I shooed them away and put a chicken wire cage around my rhubarb. It looked like they had been eating this plant for awhile. But all my ducks seemed fine, except one 6 week old Appleyard girl who has become very lethargic and won't go swimming, and I haven't seen her eat or drink for two days. I decided to catch her - and she ran away from me pretty fast ( a good sign, I guess) but I am still worried about her not eating/drinking aside from the freaking possible poisoning, so I have put her in one of my old chicken tractors with food, water, a little straw nest and a fortiflex rubber pan "mini pool." She just sits there. I might try to force some electrolytes (well, water and organic apple cider vinegar) down her gullet with a dosing syringe. Other than that I don't know what to do. Suggestions?
 

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Thanks Miss Lydia,
My girl is now in the kitchen in a big clean dog crate, lots of starw and newpaper bedding and water. I'm going to try the oats and egg diet. I gave her a "salad" of shredded bib lettuce and watermelon chunks (my ducks all go mad for melons) but little girl is not interested.<<sigh>>
Not sure which drench/flush, tho and how much. The recipe is for geese, so I am thinking I am going to do a half dose to start? I have human grade epsom salts and activated charcoal on hand. Decisions, decisions. (I have used epsom salts on one of my horses, like, 30 years ago when she had a horrible impaction colic and that was a last ditch, hail mary idea by my vet. It worked, somehow.)
 
My ducks have never eaten enough of my abundant rhubarb plants to cause any problems. Could it possibly be something else?
Calcium binds oxalates, which is good to know if you are oxalate sensitive.
 
True, Pollo, All my ducks were eating the leaves, especially the Pekin ducklings who are super greedy/grabby about anything that might be edible and NOBODY reacted except this one Appleyard. All 8 ducklings are same age from the same clutch (mixed parentage from appleyard, harlequin and Pekin.) I dosed the sick one with a couple of large syringes of Epsom salt water just now. It was tedious and slow, waiting for her to drink each mouthful before I gave her more and I got about half of it on her and me, I fear. She is now fastidiously grooming, so maybe more will get inside her. She felt a bit warm. I am going to go in the pen and catch one of her sibling and see if that is normal or elevated temp.
 

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