Sick runner duck...HELP

[justplucky]

OSCAR IS NOT WELL! i DON'T KNOW WHATS WRONG WITH HIM

1YR OLD RUNNER,,,2 DAY AGO HE GOT SLUGGISH, NOT EATING BUT STILL DRINKING, VERY ALERT BUT IS VERY WEAK AND SEEMS TO BE HAVING TROUBLE WALKING.
NOT INJURED, CLOSED PEN NO PREDATORS, I CAUGHT HIMAND LOOKED HIM OVER AND THERES NOT A MARK ON HIM AND YET WHEN HE GET UP HE WALKS NORMALLY FOR ABOUT 3 FEET AND THEN LOSES STRENGTH AND GOES DOWN. THE DAY BEFORE THIS HAPENED THE FEED STORE GAVE US THE WRONG FEED (FLATTENED OATS) AND SINCE I WAS OUT I GAVE THEM IT ANYWAY...COULD THIS HAVE DONE ANYTHING????

ANY HELP OR SUGGESTIONS GREATLY APPRECIATED!

 

[veronicasmom]

I don't know if this is of any help. But last summer two of my females got into a patch of deadly nightshade. First the runner mix ate some of the leaves. She exhibited behavior very similar to what you described. I am sorry to say that after trying to get her better for a week, we ended up having her euthanized.
I didn't know that the nightshade was there, it came up in an area that it never had before. I was layed up due to foot surgery, so I didn't realize it was there until the second duck got sick. She apparently ate the berries, which are more toxic, and was having what looked like a seizure. I took her right to the vet. She too was euthanized.
So, my point is that those behaviors in my ducks were related to ingesting toxins. Maybe the feed that you have is bad. Moldy? Botuslim?
Do you have a vet you can take the duck to? I would try to find out what your may have eaten and if it is something that can be fixed.
Hopefully, your duck is not suffering.
Good luck, I wish I had a better answer and outcome for you.
Maybe this isn't the case with yours, I hope so.

 

[veronicasmom]

Also try posting this under the Emergency section of BYC

 

[nettie]

the oats did not hurt him... I give mine oats all the time. they do need to go back onto a regular feed. If they stay on only oats, they'll become deficient in protein/vitamins/etc. What else do you feed him? Most problems with strength as you described and the legs being weak are caused by dietary issues. Usually a lack of enough protein. What does he eat on a normal basis?

And for now you can do a couple of things that should help....

Give him some dry cat food/scrambled eggs/earth worms/ etc for some extra protein. You can also give him some treats like lettuce/peas/fresh corn to help whet his appetite. If he still won't eat, mix dog food (dry) with some water and make a mashed up soup out of it and give it to him to drink. Make sure you change this mash/soup every 2 hours or so because it can spoil easily.

If possible, put him in a place where he can get warm and rest. You can also give him some "spa" therapy by letting him swim in a luke warm water in the tub. Make sure you keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't have balance problems, as he could drown if he falls over. If you think he's pulled or strained something in his legs, you can give him a mini soak in water mixed with some epsom salt. If you do that, use a small tub (mine is the size of a shoe box) and make sure he doesn't drink the water.

 

[Wifezilla]

A splash of raw apple cider vinegar in the drinking water might help too. I have used this on listless ducks on more than one occasion. Really seems to help them.

 

[CityChicker]

I agree with Nettie that it is probably dietary, but not that the oats hurt him per se. We really need more information though. Are you saying he was on oats before and they just gave you a different type of oats or was he never on oats before at all? If the latter, that is probably the problem. Of all the grains, Oats are probably their least favorite and they can be sensitive to sudden feed changes as well. If they were raised on added oats since they were ducklings, they will usually gobble them right up. If not though, sometimes they will refuse them. I am not sure if this is what happened, but it is never a good idea with adult ducks to suddenly switch to all oats. Is that what happened?

If that is not the what happened, then it probably is a deficiency of some sort (although of course, it could be a toxin or something disease related as well). Make sure to put a lot of high quality feeds in front of him- hard broiled eggs, fresh greens, a commercial poultry feed (not just grain), maybe even some corn in case he has stopped eating all together, and either a multivitamin in the water or at a minimum, a source of B-Vitamins/Niacin like Brewer's yeast.

 

[justplucky]

Thank You!!!!!!!!!!!
No Nightshade Plants. The Oats Are Not Moldy But Who Knows If There Is Something Else Wrong With Them (they Ate The Oats For 2 Days Only) And The Other Ducks Are All Fine. I Usually Feed Wide Variety, Hen Scratch And Layer Pellets, Cooked Rice And Pasta, And Veggies. Definately Seems Like Poisoning Though ???? Its A Fairly New Pen Built This Past Summer I Wonder If He Found A Dropped Somethinsomethin????
Oscar Has No Diarhea, Blood Or Nasal Discharge, His Eyes Are Clear And Bright, I Don't Think He Has Sprains It Seems To Be A Loss Of Strength And Co-ordination.
I Will Go Try A Luke Warm Bath And Mush Up Some Food And Saringe Feed Him.
Should I Try And Antibiotics Etc....if So What?

I Appreciate The Help Soooo Much Thank You Again!

 

[justplucky]

Yes Citychicker It Was A Sudden Change In Diet...oh My!!! I Feel So Bad, I Live Out In The Boons And By The Time I Found Out I Had The Wrong Feed I Tried To Call The Feed Store Back But They Had Closed For The Day.

 

[CityChicker]

If they only ate the oats for two days and are now back on the regular feed and he is still doing it, there is probably something else wrong, like he got into something. An adult duck can go completely without food for a couple days if they have to (although it should go without saying, that is very bad, still though they regularly go without feed for example when they are shipped). Once they are back on feed and water, they rebound very quickly, like usually within a matter of hours. I had some that were shipped to us last Fall that took three days to get to us (got to love Express mail). They were so dehydrated, they could barely stand up or hold their wings up (typical dehydration signs) and yet they were completely back to normal within just a few hours of food and water. That is how quickly they can rebound. Prolonged symptoms like you are describing probably would indicate another problem or perhaps the sudden change in feed stressed him and brought out some latent illness that he had yet to show signs of.

 

[justplucky]

Yes I Don't Know....he Ate The Oats Monday Afternoon And Tuesday Morning But Hasn't Eaten Since. I Got Thier Regular Feed On Tuesday Afternoon But He Was Already Down And Out. I Also Gave The Oats To My Chickens And Two Of Them Were A Little Lethargic On Tuesday But Are All Normal Again. Seems Unlikely That It Would Be The Feed But The Timing Is Right...i Will Call The Feed Store To Ask If There Were Any Other Reported Problems.


I Just Gave Him A Luke Warm Bath And Tried To Feed Him But He Wouldn't Swallow The Mush. Gave Him A Little Sugar Water, Toweled Him Dry And Put Him In A Small Dog Crate With Straw, His Water And Food. This Evening I Will Drive To Town And Pick Up Some Vitamins. He Doesn't Seem To Be In Any Pain Just Weak And Uncoordinated.

Will Also Post On Emergency Board

Thanks For All Your Help.....keep Your Fingers Crossed For My Oscar