Wobbly duck who doesn't preen

[Amiga]

Yes, forgive me, these are human supplements.

 

[TwoDogFarm]

Thanks. I'll have to see if I can pick up some when I'm out tomorrow. We've brought her inside tonight because she's just not acting right. She seemed to be shivering outside and stayed away from most of the rest of the flock. I'm worried she may be sick...

 

[Amiga]

She may be. Do yo have any apple cider vinegar? I might put a teaspoon of that in a pint of water to see if she'll take it. It is said to be a tonic. Or, poultry vitamins? A little immune system boost. Inside is a help - she won't have to try to stay warm, that will preserve her energies.

 

[TwoDogFarm]

I noticed a little bit of clear discharge from her nose when I picked her up to bring her inside. I'm wondering if she caught a respiratory infection. With all the brutally cold weather lately, I wouldn't be surprised. We've started her on some Duramycin-10. Good thing is she's eating and drinking just fine. Can vitamins be put in the same water as antibiotic?

 

[Amiga]

I am not sure they are recommended to be mixed together, actually.

Sometimes healthy ducks have a little water drippy from their nares off and on - how is her breathing?

 

[TwoDogFarm]

She seems to be breathing okay as far as I can tell.

 

[Amiga]

She may be okay in that department. I hesitate to use antibiotics too much. And at the same time, with ducks, we may not notice problems till they are advanced. But if she's breathing okay, still, you say she's wobbly.

Worst case she could have egg yolk peritonitis. It is a systemic infection and often fatal. I generally don't jump to that conclusion off the bat when a duck is feeling off. If you have a vet sometimes they can diagnose it, but it is not easy. Treatment is with antibiotics.

 

[TwoDogFarm]

It feels like she has an egg in there but it feels low. I don't believe she's egg bound. I noticed yesterday, her stomach looked a little bloated, but when I looked at some of the others, it didn't seem too out of the ordinary so I feel like it's normal and I just haven't noticed it because they usually won't let me pick them up. Not sure.

 

[Amiga]

Might not hurt to give her a little extra calcium. What forms do you have, I forgot.

 

[TwoDogFarm]

We have a hanging feeder full of oyster shells in the coop and the girls have been really eating a lot of those lately. I'm not sure about her though. Other than that, we have some Rolaids that we crushed up the last time we dealt with egg binding. Can that be put in with antibiotic water though? Or should we try to do something different?