This morning, as I was leaving for work, I was delighted to see one of my erstwhile broody muscovy ducks, sitting with her dozen or so new babies. I came over to look, and mama jumped up, and led her babies away... all except one. The last was the littlest, but not by much, and seemed unable to pull itself together to walk. I watched for a minute, but quickly decided that our abundant hawks, cats, etc. made its survival unlikely, so I picked it up, and took it with me.
It did fine all day, except that it wouldn't eat or drink. This evening I put mama and the rest in a large hutch, for safety, and put the little one back, now that it didn't need to follow mom around. He went right under mom. Good, I thought.
I checked snout an hour later, and my little friend was on his back, all alone, very cold. I brought him inside, and tried to give him warm water with save-a-chick electrolytes in it. He is very resistant to this, and when I kept pressing the issue, teeny drop at a time, he developed either the hiccoughs, or a sneezing fit that lasted 5-10 minutes, but has subsided.
All day long, he has had a crackling in his chest when he breathes. Now, he has a clicking in his upper respiratory tract. I don't know if he had it before the water episode or not.
What can I do to save this guy? I am already attached, and wish I had never tried to put him back with Mom! He is so much weaker now, than before he got all cold out there.
By the way, as I have been writing, the hiccoughs, or whatever, have started again.
I will be grateful for any suggestions! I have some antibiotics, but no tube thin enough to tube feed.
Thank you!!!
It did fine all day, except that it wouldn't eat or drink. This evening I put mama and the rest in a large hutch, for safety, and put the little one back, now that it didn't need to follow mom around. He went right under mom. Good, I thought.
I checked snout an hour later, and my little friend was on his back, all alone, very cold. I brought him inside, and tried to give him warm water with save-a-chick electrolytes in it. He is very resistant to this, and when I kept pressing the issue, teeny drop at a time, he developed either the hiccoughs, or a sneezing fit that lasted 5-10 minutes, but has subsided.
All day long, he has had a crackling in his chest when he breathes. Now, he has a clicking in his upper respiratory tract. I don't know if he had it before the water episode or not.
What can I do to save this guy? I am already attached, and wish I had never tried to put him back with Mom! He is so much weaker now, than before he got all cold out there.
By the way, as I have been writing, the hiccoughs, or whatever, have started again.
I will be grateful for any suggestions! I have some antibiotics, but no tube thin enough to tube feed.
Thank you!!!
