Wobbly duck

[Galaxyfalcon]

About 5 or 6 days ago I saw one of my young ducks (3mo) limping a bit and took a look at her feet. She had a small wound on one of the feet that looked like early bumblefoot so I started treating her and keeping her in the duck run on soft ground. On Monday, I noticed her falling down while preening/cleaning and stumbling a bit. I took her to a local vet and the vet isn't sure what is wrong with her. They tried treating her for inflammation/pain but nothing seems to have helped. No broken bones, fractures, or foreign bodies (e.g. ingested metal). They said to just try to make her comfortable and see how she does over the next 5 days or so. I feel really bad for her, she's young and was healthy and perky until recently. Today she is even more unsteady and is waddling around like she is drunk. I tried to capture her on film,

No one else is sick or showing any other signs of illness. I'm wondering if she had some kind of infection (vet doesn't think so) or if she got exposed to something toxic. Initially when I saw her falling down I thought something like botulism, but if it was that I think she would just be dead already. I'm tempted to try a charcoal flush to see if its a toxin she ingested, but I also wonder if maybe she fell and hit her head while playing or something.

Any ideas? I feel awful for her and am not sure what to do. Don't think it's niacin deficiency due to sudden onset and we give them vitamins/and a bit of yeast with their food.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

This is a good write up: http://herouxpotager.com/wry-neck/
If it were me, in addition to the vitamins mentioned, I would also give a liquid vitamin b complex to give a boost to your girl.

 

[Galaxyfalcon]

Just a quick update. She seems a slight bit better but still definitely wobbly. She was able to follow her flock mates around for a bit (I let them out for some supervised yard time) and she was able to get in and out of her water, clean, eat, etc. She's just really wobbly/weak still although it's not as bad as the video I posted. We're continuing to treat her feet and giving her extra nutrition (nutridrench/vitamin b) but not sure what else to try at this point.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

What feed is she on? Did the vet run blood work for deficiencies? Her legs look unstable like a niacin deficiency especially since she appears to be a larger breed and is only 3 months. If it were my duck I would go get vitamin B from Duravet or Poultry cell and give orally asap.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Ducks need anywhere from 100-125 mg of niacin a day. This could have been coming on gradually to where you didn't notice it.
I'd give her another day before doing the flush. Just to see if the B-complex is doing it for her. Some larger breeds just need that extra even if on duck specific feed like Poppy.
Glad to hear she seems to be improving.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Well it may take more than one day so patience. Hopefully tomorrow you'll even notice she is better than today. Your giving her 1 ml b complex?
I say improvemnt even a small amount is good.

 

[sowNreap]

They also get greens (peas and spinach etc).

I'm a duck caregiver newbie so I've been doing lot of reading of what ducks can/can't or should/shouldn't eat. Now this may not have anything to do with your ducks problem, but I've read not to feed them spinach or some say at least not very often as it interferes with calcium absorption I guess.

Maybe someone more knowledgeable will know if that could cause other health issues or problems, maybe like your duck has.

 

[Miss Lydia]

This is a good article about Spinach
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/spinach-and-oxalic-acid.1327080/

 

[sowNreap]

Thank you so much @Miss Lydia for that article.

Puts my mind at ease. I like to eat spinach so it's something I buy sometimes anyway. I use it like lettuce in salads. Put it on pizza. Even used it on taco's. lol

I don't eat it every week, but when I buy a bag I use it a lot before it goes bad. Now I don't have to worry I can give some to my ducks.

I kinda figured calcium absorption wasn't as much of an issue with drakes who forage & get varied diet but I wasn't sure it there was any other health issues with it besides that.

Sorry to kinda go off topic from original post.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Your very welcome I like raw spinach too and share with my birds once in a while.