URGENT: Sick male duck

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Hi @Pasqual how is your drake doing today?
Yes, @Miss Lydia is right, Nutritional Yeast is a good source for B-vitamins. But i have discovered that feeding NY also makes their poop more smelly. Way more… Probably not what you want with an indoor duck…

 

[Pasqual]

Hi @Pasqual how is your drake doing today?
Yes, @Miss Lydia is right, Nutritional Yeast is a good source for B-vitamins. But i have discovered that feeding NY also makes their poop more smelly. Way more… Probably not what you want with an indoor duck…

Hello!
His eyes are better, but his neck is the same. He is generally more active and happy.
Thanks for asking
About his neck, he doesn’t seem willing to turn his head to the left side. When I try to let him look up by moving something in the air, he would just take a glance on the left side then he would return to his position. Also I have noticed that his breath gets heavy when he tries to move his head to the left. I actually don’t think I can do for him anything.
About the nutritional yeast, thanks for the note! Actually I have lost my sense of smell so I can’t know if it became smellier. I’ll ask my sister and if it’s true I’ll switch him to the b-complex. Thanks!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Since mine are outside haven’t noticed smell worse. Mine to like the taste of NY. Maybe this is a birth defect that has shown up more as he has matured. Scoliosis is found in ducks.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Encourage him to look more to the left, but don't force him. If he breaths heavier when moving his head to the left it means he is experiencing pain. Like we suck air in when we experience pain. I agree with you, there is probably not too much you can do for him it is very likely that his spinal cord is deformed. Could be bones or tendons, if it is the tendons, it might become better over time, but it will take a looong time.
And if he is a happy duck, who cares? He doesn't need to be able to turn his head to the left and watch out for predators, he is safe inside!

 

[Pasqual]

Since mine are outside haven’t noticed smell worse. Mine to like the taste of NY. Maybe this is a birth defect that has shown up more as he has matured. Scoliosis is found in ducks.

The thing is it’s very odd it appeared now, after he has been an adult for around 8 months now. If it’s scoliosis what can I do for him? Does he need vitamins?

 

[Pasqual]

Encourage him to look more to the left, but don't force him. If he breaths heavier when moving his head to the left it means he is experiencing pain. Like we suck air in when we experience pain. I agree with you, there is probably not too much you can do for him it is very likely that his spinal cord is deformed. Could be bones or tendons, if it is the tendons, it might become better over time, but it will take a looong time.
And if he is a happy duck, who cares? He doesn't need to be able to turn his head to the left and watch out for predators, he is safe inside!

Thanks for your kind words! I just feel sad seeing him try to clean his left wing and rub it but doesn’t manage to. He finished his course of antibiotic, the good news is that today he didn’t foam
I will do my best to make him happy, I try sometimes to turn his head to the left with my hand but he fast resists and almost panicked so I stopped doing it with my hand. I know scoliosis needs stretches but of course I can’t stretch him if you can recommend any vitamins or special food I can give him for bones/tendons I’d be grateful.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

We need to figure out if that is scoliosis or wry neck:
Was he a normal duckling first and developed the symptom later? That would mean it is scoliosis, caused by a gene defect. That would be very hard to improve.
Did he had problems right from the get-go? That would point more to wry neck, caused by a Vitamin E deficiency. Just as a precaution you could add some sunflower seed to his diet, those are rich in vitamin E - and ducks usually love them.

 

[Pasqual]

We need to figure out if that is scoliosis or wry neck:
Was he a normal duckling first and developed the symptom later? That would mean it is scoliosis, caused by a gene defect. That would be very hard to improve.
Did he had problems right from the get-go? That would point more to wry neck, caused by a Vitamin E deficiency. Just as a precaution you could add some sunflower seed to his diet, those are rich in vitamin E - and ducks usually love them.

He was a very normal duckling. Specifically, he was born on last year November, and this November 2/11 his symptoms appeared, so he obviously has scoliosis, no? I shall provide him with sunflower seeds.

 

[Isaac 0]

It is hard to tell the underlying cause of the loss of range movement in her neck without a thorough physical exam, and radiograph. I can speak from the experience saying sometimes abnormalities that occurred during the hatch, can oftentimes appear unnoticeable until the bird ages in which then, there is more stress on the deformed ligaments, and bones.

The problem may have originated during hatch where there was a great muscle pull of the neck, there may have been an injury at some time in his life that you were unaware of, or as @Miss Lydia suggested it could be a genetic deformity like scoliosis. There may very well be a misalignment in his lower cervical vertebrae, but without a radiograph, it's had to tell. Nutritional and any other condition that may affect neurological function are all possibilities.

Whether the condition be, sadly, with older birds the prognosis is less favorable as the muscles tend to become more set, and hard in place to correct as easily. That doesn't mean you can't provide the bird with a few vitamins for neurological health, like vitamin E, and thiamine (B1), just don't expect a full range of movement in his neck thereafter.

Looking at your video, the duck does seem to do well regardless, so I would focus, as of now, just making sure he's on a good diet and getting bathing time each day. Throwing scattered treats into the water while he's bathing, may improve the way his necks moves by exercise.

 

[Miss Lydia]

It is hard to tell the underlying cause of the loss of range movement in her neck without a thorough physical exam, and radiograph. I can speak from the experience saying sometimes abnormalities that occurred during the hatch, can oftentimes appear unnoticeable until the bird ages in which then, there is more stress on the deformed ligaments, and bones.

The problem may have originated during hatch where there was a great muscle pull of the neck, there may have been an injury at some time in his life that you were unaware of, or as @Miss Lydia suggested it could be a genetic deformity like scoliosis. There may very well be a misalignment in his lower cervical vertebrae, but without a radiograph, it's had to tell. Nutritional and any other condition that may affect neurological function are all possibilities.

Whether the condition be, sadly, with older birds the prognosis is less favorable as the muscles tend to become more set, and hard in place to correct as easily. That doesn't mean you can't provide the bird with a few vitamins for neurological health, like vitamin E, and thiamine (B1), just don't expect a full range of movement in his neck thereafter.

Looking at your video, the duck does seem to do well regardless, so I would focus, as of now, just making sure he's on a good diet and getting bathing time each day. Throwing scattered treats into the water while he's bathing, may improve the way his necks moves by exercise.

Very good ideas!