Sick runner

[Stamper]

I have a runner duck who has been hanging back from the rest of the flock for probably about 2 weeks now. The rest of them go in the coop and she stays out, they go in the yard, she stays in the pen. I'm pretty convinced that she is sick now and I'm sorry that it took me so long to realize it The problem is, I have no idea where to start. How do I get to the bottom of it? Worms? Hardware disease? Something else? How do I trouble shoot this.

I have some supplies:
DE
Needles/syringes
injectable B complex
pen G
save a chick
and more...

 

[Goose and Fig]

Is she eating? Have a nest hidden somewhere? I would look for a nest and if that isn't it, isolate and observe to get a better idea of what's going on.

 

[Amiga]

If you can get a vet's help, that's good.

Meanwhile and if not, I would give her a bath in a lukewarm tub of water deep enough to float in and watch, listen and sniff for odd odors. Look her over. Any bumbles? Feel her tummy. Lumps? Bloated or squishy? Egg?

How is her breathing? Nares are clear?

Does she eat well? Pooping normally? Color of the poop?

Could be so many things.

But if her breathing isn't right, it could be a respiratory infection requiring antibiotics.
She could have intestinal parasites, or a bacterial infection. For the first, an appropriate worm medicine. For the second, antibiotics.

If it's hardware disease, that's really tough. I understand that there is chelation treatment, http://www.majesticwaterfowl.org/mmissue78.htm here is an article on zinc toxicity and treatment.

If she's ingested something toxic, you could consider a flush (directions in the Stickies) and-or a round of food grade activated charcoal powder in the water.

Poultry vitamins with electrolytes and probiotics might help strengthen her.

 

[Stamper]

she died

I shouldn't have been in denial for so long. Most of them are molting and I thought maybe she was starting, which sometimes makes them act "off" too. No strange breathing. No lumps. Very skinny. I never isolated her. I have never really found that to be an effective way to observe anything because they are just SO anxious away from the rest. I wish I had a way to see of her poop was normal.

 

[Amiga]

So difficult, so sad.

Perhaps you can get a necropsy done. It may well have been nothing you could have helped. Ducks are like that. Shelly seemed off, we checked her over thoroughly, found nothing, and then we lost her to egg yolk peritonitis.

I think I understand your feelings, at least in part. Take it easy on yourself. Let yourself grieve.

 

[Goose and Fig]

So sorry

 

[Stamper]

how did you find out it was egg yolk peritonitis?

 

[Amiga]

The state university does necropsies, and I brought her body to them. I had to keep it cool, not frozen, but that was not hard with some freezer blocks, a towel, in a cardboard box.