Week old duckling with bad eye

[AmyA248]

She can't walk at all? what niacin are you using? As for being blind in one eye. They can adapt to having eyesight only in one eye.

Hi Miss Lydia,

Thank you so much for always replying to me. I know I must be annoying, but I’m a first timer and can’t always find the answers I need.

First, I don’t know if she’s blind, he eye is cloudy and had a ton of goo in in for the first 2 days. She’s 4 days old today. I was her eye several times a day with warm water only.
As for her leg, I’m not giving her Niacin, I didn’t know, so thank you! Can I get it at Truck and Tractor Supply? And could you suggest what kind to get?
A lot of this product do not have directions.
I read that ducklings don’t do well alone, and I’ve been keeping her separated from her siblings because I don’t know if ducks are like chickens and will peck a lame one to death.. but I felt so sorry for her just being with me, (I’m a teacher so I’m home with my 2 young children during the summer) I’ve been “wearing” her in a little home made sling so she’s not alone. Lol!
This morning I took a chance and put her in with her 3 siblings. She’s literally half their size, but they took to her right away!! The only problem is she cannot settle down!! She’s VERY active and keeps the others awake with her constant chirping and moving about. She just can’t seem to relax and I don’t know why, and it’s just another thing that worries me. Ugh, first it was “Pip” who was premature and born with his entire yolk sac attached and was so weak he couldn’t even lift his neck! I nursed him back to health and now he’s doing perfect!
Then this little one was born with all her issues. I’m exhausted and at a loss on what to do.
When she drinks it’s like a FRENZY, shaking her head all over and the same thing when she eats! I hand feed her hard boiled egg yolk with watered down starter chick food that I mush together with the yolk. I have “Save a Chick” electrolytes and vitamins but the expiration date is 2020, and I JUST bought it. I’m not sure if it’s safe..
Anyway, that’s the story. I wish I knew WHY she can’t settle down, it makes me very nervous. She’s never content.

Thank you so much for listening to my whole story ma’am. I truly appreciate all your advice and kindness.

Here are some pictures from this morning. You can clearly see which is her bad eye.

Love & Hugs,
Amy

 

[Miss Lydia]

She's precious. If the other ducklings don't mind Id let her have time with them daily. Maybe it will help her. Was she an assisted hatch?
I would get her some liquid B complex TSC usually carries it. It will say injectable but we give it by mouth or over a small amount of treat of feed just to make sure they get all the dose.
I'm going to give you the info on niacin deficiency so you can see the dose for her age.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/niacin-deficiency-in-waterfowl.1367557/ get your duckling on this asap. start doing water therapy with her starting with nice warm water up to top of her legs it will support her and hopefully she'll be able to move around and exercise some. Always stay with the little ones but she may even enjoy being in the tub with the rest of the ducklings.
I know it's hard to have a special needs duckling when you have small children Hopefully the B complex and some exercises will help. Have you tried Terramycin eye ointment on her eye?

 

[AmyA248]

She's precious. If the other ducklings don't mind Id let her have time with them daily. Maybe it will help her. Was she an assisted hatch?
I would get her some liquid B complex TSC usually carries it. It will say injectable but we give it by mouth or over a small amount of treat of feed just to make sure they get all the dose.
I'm going to give you the info on niacin deficiency so you can see the dose for her age.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/niacin-deficiency-in-waterfowl.1367557/ get your duckling on this asap. start doing water therapy with her starting with nice warm water up to top of her legs it will support her and hopefully she'll be able to move around and exercise some. Always stay with the little ones but she may even enjoy being in the tub with the rest of the ducklings.
I know it's hard to have a special needs duckling when you have small children Hopefully the B complex and some exercises will help. Have you tried Terramycin eye ointment on her eye?

Hi, and thank you again for your helpful information!

I’ll go to TTS as soon as my sister gets here to babysit.
I’ll get the Niacin and the B vitamins.
We’ve been doing water therapy but she won’t use her leg still.
I’ll have to order the eye ointment from Amazon because I don’t think a pharmacy will sell it.

I’m having a BIG problem with her inability to SETTLE DOWN! Her siblings want to snuggle and she literally can’t stop CHIRPING and manages to squirm away! I can’t figure it out. She’s eating and drinking and when I stretch her leg it doesn’t hurt her. She honestly only stops if she’s with me.
I keep her brooder box by my bed on a chair so I can talk to her, but it takes her over 2 hours to settle!! What’s going on?
Also, the others get overheated in the brooder box, they prefer their large, small animal playpen. We use our air conditioner very sparingly, but if I’m going to keep her with her siblings there is no heat lamp and I know she gets cold, the others do not. So now again I have another situation! I’m still going to keep her in her brooder at night. The others go in the guest bathroom and I turn on the heat because we can’t sleep with it so hot. Even right now she’s chirping away like crazy and I don’t know how to soothe her..

Love & Hugs
Amy

 

[Galaxyfalcon]

What cute babies, and what a nice playpen setup. At this stage I think they all "need" access to the heat lamp even during the day in case they get cold, but more experienced folk might be able to chime in on that bit.

I think the peeping could be separation anxiety, if she has spent most of her time with you that last couple of days she might just want her momma. I've raised a couple of ducklings who were extra needy if I was out of sight.

 

[Hollyskins]

Hiya,

Just an update on the duckling with the bad eye.
I took it to the vets in the end as was so worried. She said it is an ulcer on its eye so gave me eye drops intended for a dog. Used these three times a day and within two days the ducklings eye is basically normal.
They are antibiotic eye drops.

Pictures attached if duckling now.

 

[Miss Lydia]

That is great the eye is good now. What is the name of the eye drops please for anyone else who may have this problem? Thank you.

 

[Hollyskins]

Sorry I wasn’t inside earlier and couldn’t remember the name of them!

They are called “isathal, 10mg/g”

Attached is a pic of them x

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thank you!