Unwell duck... What's going on?

[Jlw0903]

Update: she's seem to have a little more energy but isn't eating her regular duck food. Will still eat treats. Poops are "bigger" but still mostly water with green in it. Still more quiet.

Continung to give her what ever she will eat.
Continung to give nutridrench in water.
Considering activated charcoal just in case?
Contemplating tube feeding.
Waiting for the generic baytril to come but that won't be until Wednesday....
What else can I do?
I don't think I could bear to loose another animal so soon after loosing my dog (he was 13 so had a good life) and I've very fond of Darla... And all my ducks. I hate that I didn't catch her condition sooner... It's been at least a week since I first noticed her weight was low but she seemed other wise okay....

 

[Jlw0903]

Here’s one of the YouTube videos I found helpful when I first learned how to tube Feed

What kind of tubing is that? He didn't say what type of lubricant he used either..

 

[Goosebaby]

What kind of tubing is that? He didn't say what type of lubricant he used either..

This is what I use

https://www.amazon.com/HealthAndYog...837507&sprefix=colon+tube,aps,222&sr=8-8&th=1

As for lubricant you can use just water or even some of the feed mixture itself, just make sure to get the whole tube wet just before sending it down the hatch.

 

[Goosebaby]

Update: she's seem to have a little more energy but isn't eating her regular duck food. Will still eat treats. Poops are "bigger" but still mostly water with green in it. Still more quiet.

Continung to give her what ever she will eat.
Continung to give nutridrench in water.
Considering activated charcoal just in case?
Contemplating tube feeding.
Waiting for the generic baytril to come but that won't be until Wednesday....
What else can I do?
I don't think I could bear to loose another animal so soon after loosing my dog (he was 13 so had a good life) and I've very fond of Darla... And all my ducks. I hate that I didn't catch her condition sooner... It's been at least a week since I first noticed her weight was low but she seemed other wise okay....

I’m so sorry for you dog, I lost mine to old age recently too and it’s definitely not easy dealing with an illness so close to loss.

For now you’re doing all you can which is just fine, just keep doing what you’re doing keeping her comfortable and feeding her whatever she is willing to eat.

Something else you might try is offering her some banana, it’s fattening and can strengthen the heart. It can take a few tries getting them to want to eat it, they dint really like the texture, but once I’ve managed to get most of my geese and ducks to try it they’re instantly addicted.

 

[Jenbirdee]

This is what I use

https://www.amazon.com/HealthAndYoga-TM-Rubber-Colon-Tube/dp/B008RKFZ6Y/ref=sr_1_8?crid=1J5B5JJE5N2N2&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.kmrrdfgU8QDUqgCKfawMFKCgDQP01u0wGxuagUJI8WvNVNpJvUM3R1WMY-H9yEeqKikpYZYZrMYPTB2Vw_t3hTSVSN0yQg8lEAGZNrMd61HZtjpyYJSrTXjIchxYp8_rd9mK6EgHl-WUxMMgUBQlJiXnoafCf4VBeuVa_dCWu08_3ilZfyZQXCW8Kcry8rhDggChmJ3jr15nBgK5jAdM20YkF0w3xs0tCzDMxK1C0yyPzJ2akNmkZgsx0edrE8YVN2YxjF4gJt1x4WvJgZEia3tllVSAmVUo2nuH_yPpZio.nyEl4zG2JkWFNKPqAquwvgvK3oDqqKLgUS4W63RFmFI&dib_tag=se&keywords=Colon+tube&qid=1769837507&sprefix=colon+tube,aps,222&sr=8-8&th=1

As for lubricant you can use just water or even some of the feed mixture itself, just make sure to get the whole tube wet just before sending it down the hatch.

@Goosebaby what syringe do you use with that? I always have trouble with the connection point from syringe to tube being a a choke point for the feed unless I make it so watery they’re barely getting any nutrition.

 

[Goosebaby]

@Goosebaby what syringe do you use with that? I always have trouble with the connection point from syringe to tube being a a choke point for the feed unless I make it so watery they’re barely getting any nutrition.

60ml catheter tip syringe, a 30ml will work too and will probably be less cumbersome when feeding a duck rather than a goose.

My vet glued the tube to the syringe but I found that harder to clean that way and had the same issues with getting plugged up. Removing the tube to clear blockages is kinda a necessity.

Overall the mixture should be kinda soupy, they are getting less nutrition than they would eating normally, when they’re eating on their own the feed expands in their crop so they’re getting a lot more calories than when they’re being fed watered down already expanded feed through the tube, but there’s really no way to get around that physics issue, it’s got to be wet and runny enough that it doesn’t clog and it has to be warm so it doesn’t shock their already stressed health situation but if it’s still warm it probably hasn’t fully expanded yet, meaning it’s still expanding while it’s in the tube and still getting gummy and potentially clogging the tube, but if it’s left to fully expand then it’s even more diluted, and also cold by then.

Inevitably because of this one has to feed a sick bird more often at a higher protein concentration. A bird that has an acceptable condition that’s just recently stopped eating can be fed once or twice a day, a thin bird can be fed 3 or 4 times a day. An emaciated bird should be fed every two hours 6 to 8 times a day.

Tube feeding usually doesn’t give them as much nutrition as they would be getting eating on their own, but what it does when done enough with a recovery formula or a 30% protein feed is stabilize them, they won’t put weight on quickly on it but they’ll get enough to keep them alive and start recovering.

 

[Jlw0903]

.... I haven't taken her in the the vet yet. I tried taking her to an emergency vet they essentially refused to do anything for her. Wouldnt even do a dang X-ray. I thought maybe she was in pain for some reason and did get Meloxicam.

I now suspect a different diagnosis... Ive never heard of water belly before. But I noticed that her abdomen seems hard. I know it can't be an egg as it's too early in the year for that. Her symptoms match up near perfectly. And what I've read says that cold stress can trigger it.

Is it possible to get it drained and her to be okay or even if we get it drained would she continue to degrade and suffer? I want to do the right thing for her even if it means putting her down.... She's eating her meal worms pretty well right now but not much else. She's pretty lethargic still though and won't eat the duck food. She hasn't seems to really worse except for being a bit more waddly/tottering when she walks but she's also not getting better....

I just need to know what the right call will be for her. Can I take her in and get it drained and be able to bring her home or do I need to prepare to say goodbye? Please I trust you all to help with the right answer more so than a vet.

 

[Goosebaby]

.... I haven't taken her in the the vet yet. I tried taking her to an emergency vet they essentially refused to do anything for her. Wouldnt even do a dang X-ray. I thought maybe she was in pain for some reason and did get Meloxicam.

I now suspect a different diagnosis... Ive never heard of water belly before. But I noticed that her abdomen seems hard. I know it can't be an egg as it's too early in the year for that. Her symptoms match up near perfectly. And what I've read says that cold stress can trigger it.

Is it possible to get it drained and her to be okay or even if we get it drained would she continue to degrade and suffer? I want to do the right thing for her even if it means putting her down.... She's eating her meal worms pretty well right now but not much else. She's pretty lethargic still though and won't eat the duck food. She hasn't seems to really worse except for being a bit more waddly/tottering when she walks but she's also not getting better....

I just need to know what the right call will be for her. Can I take her in and get it drained and be able to bring her home or do I need to prepare to say goodbye? Please I trust you all to help with the right answer more so than a vet.

Water belly “ascites” isn’t a good sign, I’m very sorry. It can be caused by a few different things, some conditions are manageable, for a time at least, in most situations it’s a symptom of organ failure.

In female birds it can be a symptom of reproductive problems like internal laying or salpingitis. These conditions have a guarded prognosis. Quick intervention is key to a better outcome. Treatment usually involves antibiotics and removing the excess fluid and egg material from the abdomen.
In the worst cases removal of the oviduct and placing a suprelorin implant to stop egg production is sometimes necessary because removal of the ovaries is too dangerous.
A vet that’s experienced with doing this with chickens is your best bet for doing this procedure on a duck.

The other possibilities are a tumor, or heart, liver, or kidney failure. If those are the cause it’s likely she only has a few more weeks but she could pass on at any time.

Another possibility is chronic liver disease, pancreatic problems, or a benign tumor pressing on the pancreas. If that’s what’s going on it can be managed. The ascites will need to be periodically removed, how long between each draining depends on how quickly it builds up.
Liver support supplements like milk thistle or denamarin as well as grapefruit, leafy greens, and lemon juice can calm the liver and pancreas.
Her quality of life will improve with careful management but her lifespan won’t be as long. How long she lives exactly is impossible to say, but she may have a few more years in her.
My gander Parsnip had pancreatic problems and despite developing ascites he lived another five years.

 

[Cloverfluff]

60ml catheter tip syringe, a 30ml will work too and will probably be less cumbersome when feeding a duck rather than a goose.

My vet glued the tube to the syringe but I found that harder to clean that way and had the same issues with getting plugged up. Removing the tube to clear blockages is kinda a necessity.

Overall the mixture should be kinda soupy, they are getting less nutrition than they would eating normally, when they’re eating on their own the feed expands in their crop so they’re getting a lot more calories than when they’re being fed watered down already expanded feed through the tube, but there’s really no way to get around that physics issue, it’s got to be wet and runny enough that it doesn’t clog and it has to be warm so it doesn’t shock their already stressed health situation but if it’s still warm it probably hasn’t fully expanded yet, meaning it’s still expanding while it’s in the tube and still getting gummy and potentially clogging the tube, but if it’s left to fully expand then it’s even more diluted, and also cold by then.

Inevitably because of this one has to feed a sick bird more often at a higher protein concentration. A bird that has an acceptable condition that’s just recently stopped eating can be fed once or twice a day, a thin bird can be fed 3 or 4 times a day. An emaciated bird should be fed every two hours 6 to 8 times a day.

Tube feeding usually doesn’t give them as much nutrition as they would be getting eating on their own, but what it does when done enough with a recovery formula or a 30% protein feed is stabilize them, they won’t put weight on quickly on it but they’ll get enough to keep them alive and start recovering.

I'm sorry to hear of Darla's issues and I wish you luck in pulling her through. I'm more used to larger companion animals but I recently had to write a research paper on tube feeding. I copy pasted some of the information I found in regards to canine tube feeding. Please take that into account with substances and amounts used.

"The most common mechanical complication with use of an assisted feeding method is obstruction of the tube. This is usually caused by food or medications that have not been diluted enough to pass through the tube. In many cases, the clog can be removed by flushing the tubing with warm water, using gentle pressure and suction to shift and move the offending substance. In the event that this preliminary method is not effective, a small amount of carbonated water or enzyme slurry can be instilled and left for approximately an hour before attempting the original again. Prevention of obstructions can be accomplished by straining blenderized food prior to administration to remove any substantial lumps in the slurry. A pre-flush of ten to twenty mls of warm water can be used to lubricate the tubing and allow easier deliverance of the prescribed diet, followed by a second flush of the same amount to prevent food from staying in the tube and drying out."