Help - my duck can't walk or stand!

[AmberCamilia]

Hey everyone. My little male Pekin duck (6 weeks old) cannot walk or even stand up. I keep him inside the house in a pet playpen so he's safe from other wildlife and such, and I've been giving him water and food. I'm using Nutridrench in the water (only a little bit - he won't drink it if it has the recommended amount) and I just started adding brewers yeast to the food again. I felt his leg and foot and didn't feel anything abnormal but this is my first set of pet ducks so I have no idea what to look out for.

Please - any advice will help. Thank you all in advance.

 

[pomnovice]

Hey everyone. My little male Pekin duck (6 weeks old) cannot walk or even stand up. I keep him inside the house in a pet playpen so he's safe from other wildlife and such, and I've been giving him water and food. I'm using Nutridrench in the water (only a little bit - he won't drink it if it has the recommended amount) and I just started adding brewers yeast to the food again. I felt his leg and foot and didn't feel anything abnormal but this is my first set of pet ducks so I have no idea what to look out for.

Please - any advice will help. Thank you all in advance.

I'd say that your duckling most likely has a niacin deficiency if he can't stand upright. Supplementing him was a good thing to do, it usually takes three days to a week for him to show improvement, and it was also a good idea to separate him. If he isn't better after, you can rule out the deficiency. Just be sure he's getting enough.

 

[AmberCamilia]

I'd say that your duckling most likely has a niacin deficiency if he can't stand upright. Supplementing him was a good thing to do, it usually takes three days to a week for him to show improvement, and it was also a good idea to separate him. If he isn't better after, you can rule out the deficiency. Just be sure he's getting enough.

Thank you for taking the time to reply. He's not showing any signs of improvement, but I do have him a vet appointment tomorrow. I read that giving ducks with leg problems a warm bath can help, should I try this or should I just let him rest?

 

[pomnovice]

Thank you for taking the time to reply. He's not showing any signs of improvement, but I do have him a vet appointment tomorrow. I read that giving ducks with leg problems a warm bath can help, should I try this or should I just let him rest?

I certainly think a warm bath wouldn't hurt at all. Even if it didn't make his legs better, he'd be in a happier mood!

 

[AmberCamilia]

I certainly think a warm bath wouldn't hurt at all. Even if it didn't make his legs better, he'd be in a happier mood!

alright I will try that now, thank you so much!

 

[Amiga]

How many other ducks do you have? Good idea to get him to the vet. I want to say something I feel is important but I do not want you to think I am saying your duckling has a really big problem. We don't know yet. But just in case the vet gets really concerned, remember, ducks have a strong will to live, so just in case you have a pessimistic vet, the duckling will let you know if he wants to give up or not. I always try to give the little ones a chance to recover.

And probably, it's a niacin deficiency and you can boost the levels and little will be just fine!

Something else to think about is whether there may be some kind of obstruction in the digestive tract. How's the little one's poop?

Yes, a warm bath (same temperature as the brooder) sounds like a great idea! Just stay with the wee one the whole time - they can get themselves into trouble quickly.

 

[AmberCamilia]

Hey everyone. I brought Jasper into the vet today and it seems as though he'll be just fine! The doctor believes it's a niacin deficiency and gave him an injection.

He told me to pick up a supplement/vitamin powder/gel/liquid from the farm store but, when I looked, I had no idea what to buy. I purchased a poultry electrolyte/vitamin solution but I'm worried that it's the wrong thing. Does anyone know if there's a certain "niacin-only" supplement I should buy instead? I believe he mentioned something about "B-3" or "D-3." Oh, I wish I had of asked him to repeat himself!

 

[TLWR]

You want B3 - Niacin
You can buy niacin at the pharmacy, health store, walmart, etc - you don't want the time released stuff


Or you can use brewers yeast and sprinkle it on the food.

 

[AmberCamilia]

Thank you TLWR. I did purchase some niacin tablets not too long ago, but I'm not sure if they will work. Here's the link: https://www.amazon.com/Solaray-Niac...8&qid=1487731835&sr=1-12&keywords=niacin&th=1

They are "Solaray Niacin Capsules. 500mg."

 

[etorres]

Did the niacin tablets work? Did your duck improve?