Urgent help needed : Duckling coughing / sneezing and can't peep

[Shivakumar]

I found my duckling sneezing / coughing today. He can't peep normal. It seems that he got throat infection or something got stuck in his throat. Yesterday, I found a little different voice, while peeing and I thought that he is getting his adult voice. Now i have separated him from another duckling and kept indoor. No running nose nor watery eyes. He was actively eating and drinking, while brought him indoor. Now he is scared as being separated and have more trouble in peeps. Sometimes, he opens his mouth, but the sound hardly comes out.

Any advice? any antibiotics? how to give it to him? Can I add turmeric powder in his water, until I get the antibiotics? We add turmeric powder to milk to cure throat infection on people.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I found my duckling sneezing / coughing today. He can't peep normal. It seems that he got throat infection or something got stuck in his throat. Yesterday, I found a little different voice, while peeing and I thought that he is getting his adult voice. Now i have separated him from another duckling and kept indoor. No running nose nor watery eyes. He was actively eating and drinking, while brought him indoor. Now he is scared as being separated and have more trouble in peeps. Sometimes, he opens his mouth, but the sound hardly comes out.

Any advice? any antibiotics? how to give it to him? Can I add turmeric powder in his water, until I get the antibiotics? We add turmeric powder to milk to cure throat infection on people.

Thanks in advance.

I wouldn't separate the 2 from each other, it may make the situation worse being alone. and the other one has already been around the one anyway. as far as an antibiotic you have to be very careful what you give to water fowl. especially if you don't know what is the problem. till you know what the best course of trearment is put some ACV into their water 1 Tab; to 1 gallon you can also do 2 tab. to one gallon and give them tepid water. make sure the ACV has Mother in it. {Braggs} I take Tumeric for pain but never heard of giving it to a duckling. If he is actively eating and drinking then probably nothing caught in it throat. make sure they have heat but are able to get away from it too. and very fresh bedding during this. wet bedding can cause brooder pneumonia. Let us know how it goes.

 

[Amiga]

Hi, Shivakumar,

Just making a guess you may not be in the U.S., or familiar with ACV. It's apple cider vinegar. I don't know if that is easily obtained where you are. It is a tonic. Perhaps there is another fermented fruit with vitamins and enzymes that you use when someone is not feeling well.

According to World's Poultry Journal online, http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=8490640, the turmeric should be just fine, and may be the best thing. Thanks for suggesting it . . . nice to know of an herbal antibiotic that seems safe for poultry. Do your own research, I have not tried this myself, but it looks like you would be okay.

I wonder, still, if duckling may have something small stuck in its throat. One of Nettie's ducks had throat problems after eating some seeds that had little hairs on them.

And my feeling is similar to Miss Lydia, that the stress of being alone may do more harm than keeping the ducks separate. I would give both of them extra vitamins and tonic (in whatever form you usually use, just check to see it's duck-safe).

Thanks for your patience, and caring for your ducks.

 

[Shivakumar]

I don't want to separate them. I just wanted to keep regular check on him during the night. It is also raining now outside and warm indoor. He will make louder peeps, if he misses the other duck for even a minute. He made some sounds in the evening and no sounds at all now. It seems it hurts him, while making sounds. He is sitting quietly and actively responds to the sounds. I will let him free range with the other duck in the morning, if it is not raining.

I checked her poop and it contains unusual amount of sands and some solid white substances. There is also a drop of white-green foamy liquid near him. I saw him once coughing up something to his mouth and swallowing it back. I don't know what it is.

Thank you Lydia for your advice. I will look for the ACV in the morning and update the progress. Shall I add electrolyte powder in his water.

 

[Amiga]

What is the feeding setup? Some silly ducks will eat way too much grit.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I don't want to separate them. I just wanted to keep regular check on him during the night. It is also raining now outside and warm indoor. He will make louder peeps, if he misses the other duck for even a minute. He made some sounds in the evening and no sounds at all now. It seems it hurts him, while making sounds. He is sitting quietly and actively responds to the sounds. I will let him free range with the other duck in the morning, if it is not raining.

I checked her poop and it contains unusual amount of sands and some solid white substances. There is also a drop of white-green foamy liquid near him. I saw him once coughing up something to his mouth and swallowing it back. I don't know what it is.

Thank you Lydia for your advice. I will look for the ACV in the morning and update the progress. Shall I add electrolyte powder in his water.

I'm sorry i didn't realize you weren't in the USA, Can you get Apple Cider Vinegar, great tonic. You may try giving your little one a small amount of bread if there is something stuck it may help to get it down and out the other end. and if you have honey maybe adding a little to the bread would make it a little more slippery. Not much honey though. I know you don't want to separate them i was just thinking the stress might make him feel worse. the white green foamy stuff probably isn't too much concern my ducks poop strange looking stuff quite a bit since they free range. I'm always stopping and taking a look and wondering okay what have they eaten now. lol Give the electrolyte powder if you have it and then alternate between that and the ACV I wouldn't put both in same waterer though. I will look and see if honey is safe for ducks and post back... And yes updates will be appreciated.

 

[Shivakumar]

I am from India. I have heard ACV is available here, though I am not sure about my town. I will try to get it or use other vitamin supplements.

I just let him outdoor with the other duck and he is doing fine. I saw him happily foraging and hunting some bugs. He also ate some rice and drank water.

We feed them rice and they don't eat too much. Few days back, they ate some of the fish remains from our kitchen, some of it might stuck?

I will give some piece of bread with honey and check the progress.

Thank you all very much for your help

 

[Amiga]

Shivakumar, I think you may have identified a possibility for the problem. A fish bone might just do that. And the bread and honey might help, since that is what my mom gave me when I got a small fishbone stuck in my throat when I was a little kid.

Thanks again for writing about the turmeric. Apparently it is used quite a bit for poultry, and now I have discovered (though I ought not be surprised) ayurvedic approach to veterinary medicine!!!

Please keep us updated on how the duck is doing.

 

[Shivakumar]

I wasw not able to update yesterday. He is fully active and happily hunting bugs and playing in water. Still his barking voice and mild cough is there. I have added turmeric powder to his water. I can't find ACV here. I tried him giving bread pieces soaked in honey and they refused to eat it. I tried to hand feed him, he got frightened and refused to open his beak. I will give another try today.

He is normal except for the cough and the abnormal sound. I will check him today and post the updates. I hope he will cough it up or push it down, if something got stuck in his throat.

Thanks everyone here.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I wasw not able to update yesterday. He is fully active and happily hunting bugs and playing in water. Still his barking voice and mild cough is there. I have added turmeric powder to his water. I can't find ACV here. I tried him giving bread pieces soaked in honey and they refused to eat it. I tried to hand feed him, he got frightened and refused to open his beak. I will give another try today.

He is normal except for the cough and the abnormal sound. I will check him today and post the updates. I hope he will cough it up or push it down, if something got stuck in his throat.

Thanks everyone here.

I'm with Amiga about the fish bone. I hope he can get rid of it because it must be causing some irritation. Just try the bread without honey. he make take it that way. So your ducks mostly forage? and you supplement with rice? try tossing the bread on the ground that way he can check it out before eating it. Hope he gets rid of it whatever it maybe.