unballanced duckling

[eganl1996]

Hello,
I rescued a duckling off of the side of the road. My friend saw the family get hit by a car and go flying. I found four squashed babies and one who looked absolutely fine, no obvious injury. I found him on his back kicking his feet. I bought him home and have been feeding him chick starter, electrolytes, and some Caro syrup for three days. He seems to be doing better, he can flip himself over and kick his legs. However, he is very lopsided. He can't really walk because he falls to one side and when he swims he droops to one side. I'm pretty sure the legs isn't broken/ dislocated as he can move is all around. Not sure if you have seen this before? maybe its neurological from when he got hit by the car? I think I'll try brewers yeast in addition, but any more suggestions? maybe some way to rehab his leg back to normal?
thank you,
Laura Egan
PS i don't think his air sac is punctured judging by the pictures on the internet, he is not swollen like that.

 

[LadyIsadora]

Hello,
I rescued a duckling off of the side of the road. My friend saw the family get hit by a car and go flying. I found four squashed babies and one who looked absolutely fine, no obvious injury. I found him on his back kicking his feet. I bought him home and have been feeding him chick starter, electrolytes, and some Caro syrup for three days. He seems to be doing better, he can flip himself over and kick his legs. However, he is very lopsided. He can't really walk because he falls to one side and when he swims he droops to one side. I'm pretty sure the legs isn't broken/ dislocated as he can move is all around. Not sure if you have seen this before? maybe its neurological from when he got hit by the car? I think I'll try brewers yeast in addition, but any more suggestions? maybe some way to rehab his leg back to normal?
thank you,
Laura Egan
PS i don't think his air sac is punctured judging by the pictures on the internet, he is not swollen like that.

Bless your heart! What a sweet human.

Wild birds, especially injured ones, usually need specialists here is a link to a great resource:
http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/find-a-wildlife-rehabilitator.html
Or google Wild bird rehabilitation or wild bird rescue. for something else in your area.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hello,
I rescued a duckling off of the side of the road. My friend saw the family get hit by a car and go flying. I found four squashed babies and one who looked absolutely fine, no obvious injury. I found him on his back kicking his feet. I bought him home and have been feeding him chick starter, electrolytes, and some Caro syrup for three days. He seems to be doing better, he can flip himself over and kick his legs. However, he is very lopsided. He can't really walk because he falls to one side and when he swims he droops to one side. I'm pretty sure the legs isn't broken/ dislocated as he can move is all around. Not sure if you have seen this before? maybe its neurological from when he got hit by the car? I think I'll try brewers yeast in addition, but any more suggestions? maybe some way to rehab his leg back to normal?
thank you,
Laura Egan
PS i don't think his air sac is punctured judging by the pictures on the internet, he is not swollen like that.

Welcome to BYC,
gosh how awful for that little duck family thankfully you happen to be there to rescue the duckling. I wonder if it got grazed or if another of the duckling may have hit it in the head when the car hit them, seems if it had gotten hit by the actual car it wouldn't have made it. So may just more time and TLC will help. Don't leave it in water though it could drown. and instead of karo syrup[thinking that may interfer with blood sugar after a while] see if you can get some Poultry Nutri Drench and begin adding it to the water it's drinking water some feed stores have and most TSC call and ask it's great stuff. Adding Brewers yeast would be a good idea because the chick starter don't have near the amount of niacin ducklings need, Is the duckling Mallard or Wood Duck? Have you thought about looking into a rehabber in your area, That lil duckling if it makes it through this trauma won't make it in the wild.

 

[eganl1996]

Thank you for the advice! I got brewers yeast. How much/ how often should i give the ducking brewers yeast?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thank you for the advice! I got brewers yeast. How much/ how often should i give the ducking brewers yeast?

Every day till 10 weeks old put 1 Tab to 1 cup of feed. How is he/she doing today?

 

[eganl1996]

thanks again! He is alright but still cannot walk/swim. I have to hold him while he eats, but he is eating every three hours. Sometimes he throws his head back, this is new and I'm not sure why he is doing this. Hopefully, he cant walk because of a niacin deficiency. If his imbalance is due to brain trauma, have you ever heard of ducklings learning to walk again? I'm wondering if he might have like a concussion of sorts, he sleeps all day. If it is a niacin deficiency, when will I start to see improvements?

 

[Amiga]

It could be a brain injury - as I wrote recently on another thread, researchers are seeing more rapid improvement in a number of cases with very good nutrition. So vitamins once a week, some fresh chopped greens, good quality feed, the brewer's yeast . . . some time and some TLC are probably the best things going.

The head throwing could be a minor seizure.