Worried about Katharina Duck

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Hi Friends,

back here in the forum with some probably bad news in the future…

For about a week i must observe how my beloved Katharina Duck is getting weaker and weaker every day. Yesterday, when i brought the ducks to bed, she and Limpy stopped at the door and looked at me. Then Katharina walked towards me, quacked and nibbled at my fingers, something she never ever did before.
It somehow felt like she wanted to say good-bye…

So this morning she dragged herself out of the duck-run and is now resting in the shade under the big ol' pine-tree:

I gave her a small container with fresh water, so that she can drink without having to get up and she drank a lot.

This year has not been kind to her. In early spring she stepped into a thorn, then she went through a very hard molt. About a month ago she suddenly started to limp, almost in the same way as Mr. Limpy. The limp healed up pretty well, she is almost walking normal, but her energy levels are decreasing. Most of the day she spends resting in the shade, sleeping the days away. Oh, and there was that eye infection too.

Katharina is now four years old and i have observed her body undergo changes since fall last year. Her feathers weren't as shiny as they had been. She stopped laying eggs and grew something like a drake feather. She stopped stuffing herself at the supper bowl and ate more like the drakes do.

Her old friend Limpy never leaves her alone, here they are resting side by side:

I sure hope that Kathy recovers, but i must prepare for the worst...

 

[GermanKennhuhn]

I’m so sorry! I hope she recovers.

 

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

While I’m happy to see you posting again, I’m sorry that it is due to such circumstances. It’s good to hear that Limpy is keeping her company! Any ideas to what might be going on? Do you think it’s reproductive in nature? Daphne limps badly when she has a “flare-up” as the stuck egg presses on a nerve (I assume). How were her eggs before she stopped laying? Also, how’s the rest of your crew and how have you been?

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

While I’m happy to see you posting again, I’m sorry that it is due to such circumstances. It’s good to hear that Limpy is keeping her company! Any ideas to what might be going on? Do you think it’s reproductive in nature? Daphne limps badly when she has a “flare-up” as the stuck egg presses on a nerve (I assume). How were her eggs before she stopped laying? Also, how’s the rest of your crew and how have you been?

I guess it was last year when my »snowflake allergy« forced me to take a break from BYC, i turned into a lurker for some time, shaking my head in disbelief. As Albert said »Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results«…

Anyways, i also went through some difficult times and there was simply not enough day left to keep up with social media. I did upload, however a couple of videos to my YT-channel…

The crew, i don't remember what i have posted and what not:

• Curiosity Duck, one of my first ducks was found dead on a cold January morning of last year.
• Olivia Duck, from the 2019 spring ducklings crew, died in my lap last year in May.
• I found Pomponel Drake in a puddle of blood last year in November and he died in my arms shortly after. He was one of the fall dumped ducklings of 2020…
• Pommes Duck, also from the 2019 spring ducklings crew, went awol in April this year.
• And so far worst: Nona Duck disappeared shortly after Pommes, also in April this year.
• One nameless Runner Duck from the 2020 fall ducklings disappeared together with Nona

As @Miss Lydia once asked "Does it hurt less to loose a duck when you have so many?«
Yes and no: If you have a large(r) flock, you won't be able to name all your ducks. But there are always some big personalities that earn themselves a name and when they die it hurts... a lot!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I am so sorry To hear of so much sadness since you have been missing @WannaBeHillBilly. It's heartbreaking to lose so many of your flock. Very sorry to hear Katrina isn't doing well. Have you tried an antibiotic just in case there is an infection? Baytril would be a good one to try. It can be ordered from All Bird Products online.
https://allbirdproducts.com/products/baytril-10
Do you only have Limpy and Katrina left out of your flock?

 

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

I’m so sorry for your multiple losses and I hope that Katharina can pull through. I can also understand why you took a break.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I am so sorry To hear of so much sadness since you have been missing @WannaBeHillBilly. It's heartbreaking to lose so many of your flock. Very sorry to hear Katrina isn't doing well. Have you tried an antibiotic just in case there is an infection? Baytril would be a good one to try. It can be ordered from All Bird Products online.
https://allbirdproducts.com/products/baytril-10
Do you only have Limpy and Katrina left out of your flock?

Thank you very much @Miss Lydia! - Tried to find a local supplier, but the three stores here don't have BayTril on stock. If i order at the link you gave me it will be delivered on Monday next week. Nobody on Amazon sells it. I might crunch up an amoxicillin tablet tomorrow and make my own...

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Update on Katharina Duck:

TLDR:

• She enjoyed wiggly worms and grubs
• She is wobbly, walks uneasy and suddenly collapses
• She pooped watery white slime
• She might be in for a hard molt
• She is drooling
• She enjoyed some diced tomato

Long Version:
Katharina is hanging in, weak and wobbly and there is good news and bad news.
I promised her some »wiggly worms« this morning and as you must keep your promises, so late this afternoon i grabbed the garden fork and started digging here and there and everywhere and collected a bunch of earthworms and white grubs. This is what happened:

So she is eating wiggly worms and grubs with joy! - That's the good news.
But if you look in the video above at 2:15 you can see her pooping and that does not look good. - I mean duck poop never looks pretty, but what cam out of her at that moment was pure white slime. And at 3:20 she just collapses where she stood.

This evening she was too weak to walk into the duck house on her own, so i picked her up and sat her down in front of the supper bowl, but she didn't want to eat, just walked to the waterer and then was too weak to reach up into the pipe to drink.
That's when i decided to re-open the duck hospital and keep her separate for at least this night:

Before setting her down in her bed, she was sitting comfortable on my lap, almost falling asleep. And she is loosing feathers like crazy, maybe it is her turn this year with the hard molt?

However i also noticed that she is drooling, which makes me wonder if she is suffering from some poisoning? Maybe she has swallowed a led-pellet (from the previous owners) or she might have found a magic shroom - we had a lot of rain recently and there's mushrooms everywhere. Would that white slimy poop also match as symptom for poisoning? @casportpony

Anyways, she seems to like her new bed and tucked her head under her wing and is sleeping now. Crossing my fingers…

Y'all have a good night! And thank you all for everything!

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Here are two Katharina videos, recorded during better times, first this is Katharina and me, digging for wiggly worms, definitely not planting potatoes:

We are such a good team, not planting potatoes!
​

And this is Katharina Duck, proving that she can fly to the upper level in the duck-house! … Now how do i get back down?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Whatever is going on sounds like she is pretty sick.
Some type of infection most likely.