Very sick duck

[MamaDuck1985]

Help! No vets in our area treat ducks. I called all of them. The only avian vets are closed on weekends.

Our adult male duck sounds like he may have aspergillosis. What can I do to save him?

 

[Pyxis]

Why do you suspect aspergillosis? What are the symptoms?

 

[MamaDuck1985]

Why do you suspect aspergillosis? What are the symptoms?

Very labored, loud breathing, he's using his whole body to breathe. It stormed here recently and the bedding and food got wet. The other duck is not exhibiting any symptoms. I watched videos of chicks with aspergillosis and he looks and acts the same. No blockage visible. Lives next to a pond and has water to flush daily. I just feel helpless. It's painful to watch and we do not have a vet available to go to.

 

[Pyxis]

If it is aspergillosis, then you will need to see a vet to get medication to treat it. Even if the vets in your area do not see ducks, they may be willing to give you a prescription for Nystatin, which can be used to treat it.

Any chance you can post a video of what you're seeing? Is he doing any 'gaping' - open mouth breathing while stretching his neck up?

 

[MamaDuck1985]

If it is aspergillosis, then you will need to see a vet to get medication to treat it. Even if the vets in your area do not see ducks, they may be willing to give you a prescription for Nystatin, which can be used to treat it.

Any chance you can post a video of what you're seeing? Is he doing any 'gaping' - open mouth breathing while stretching his neck up?

It won't let me upload the video, but yes open gaping mouth breathing

 

[Pyxis]

I'm thinking this may be gapeworm, and it wouldn't hurt anything to try treating for it. The treatment is safeguard given at a dose of 0.23cc/mL per pound for 5 consecutive days, or valbazen at 0.08cc/mL per pound for 3 consecutive days.

Worming will not hurt anything if he doesn't have it, so it's worth a shot. If it is gapeworm you need to start treatment ASAP.

 

[Ravynscroft]

I'm thinking this may be gapeworm, and it wouldn't hurt anything to try treating for it. The treatment is safeguard given at a dose of 0.23cc/mL per pound for 5 consecutive days, or valbazen at 0.08cc/mL per pound for 3 consecutive days.

Worming will not hurt anything if he doesn't have it, so it's worth a shot. If it is gapeworm you need to start treatment ASAP.

X2

I deal with gapeworm here and since it is carried by earthworms, snails and slugs, a good rain precedes an overload easily...

Those dosages are what I use to treat gapes and they're very effective... but stress the ASAP Pyxis said... and do not leave him swimming in water or with access to it unsupervised...

Safeguard is labeled "for goats" in liquid form... that or horse paste is what you want...

 

[casportpony]

It won't let me upload the video, but yes open gaping mouth breathing

Welcome to BYC! Can you upload the video to youtube or vimeo then paste the link here?

 

[MamaDuck1985]

We took him to an emergency vet last night. The vet didn't know much about ducks, but thought he had pneumonia. He sent us home with some antibiotics and a feeding tube.

Can you treat for gape worm at the same time? I didn't see a worm when I look down his throat, but I've never seen a gape worm so I wouldn't know what to look for.

 

[Ravynscroft]

We took him to an emergency vet last night. The vet didn't know much about ducks, but thought he had pneumonia. He sent us home with some antibiotics and a feeding tube.

Can you treat for gape worm at the same time? I didn't see a worm when I look down his throat, but I've never seen a gape worm so I wouldn't know what to look for.

You will not see them looking down his throat, that is a myth... did your vet take a fecal sample to do a fecal float? That is how you find worm eggs and can tell what kinds of worms they have...

And yes, you can deworm and it won't interfere with antibiotics whatsoever... since vet is not familiar with ducks, I would go ahead and deworm... high wormload is often mistaken for a respiratory issue, it shows very similar symptoms, minus mucus/runny nares...