Help! Baby duck with eye problems...

[beautorn4u]

I am trying to help a baby duck out, but I don't know what to do. This duck is retaining fluid in his face. One eye is sealed shut - the eyelid only opens in the corner. The other eyelid is open, but there is fluid and tissue occluding the eye, so he is essentially blind. I have moved the eyelid around a bit, and there is an eye in there. Both eyes have tons of fluid under the skin below the eyes. He does not appear to have infection (yet). He is eating and drinking. I am worried that the fluid will continue to put pressure on his head, and that he will die from it, or that he will get an infection as he can't open/close his eyelids. I have been trying a warm compress every few hours, but very little fluid is drawn out, and it only comes out of the "open" eye. I also am giving him ophthalmic eye drops twice a day, but I don't really know if these are in the least bit appropriate or effective. I don't have any antibiotics for eye application (ie. terramycin) at the moment.

Does anyone have any experience/suggestions?

I have attached pics.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I am trying to help a baby duck out, but I don't know what to do. This duck is retaining fluid in his face. One eye is sealed shut - the eyelid only opens in the corner. The other eyelid is open, but there is fluid and tissue occluding the eye, so he is essentially blind. I have moved the eyelid around a bit, and there is an eye in there. Both eyes have tons of fluid under the skin below the eyes. He does not appear to have infection (yet). He is eating and drinking. I am worried that the fluid will continue to put pressure on his head, and that he will die from it, or that he will get an infection as he can't open/close his eyelids. I have been trying a warm compress every few hours, but very little fluid is drawn out, and it only comes out of the "open" eye. I also am giving him ophthalmic eye drops twice a day, but I don't really know if these are in the least bit appropriate or effective. I don't have any antibiotics for eye application (ie. terramycin) at the moment.

Does anyone have any experience/suggestions?

I have attached pics.

Your duckling needs veterinary care asap, how long has it been like this? also make a saline wash out of warm water and rinse it's eyes out the best you can, also there is a product called Veterycin which is a spray that can be sprayed into the eyes to keep infection out. and also the terrimycin eye ointment would be good to have. But looking at these pics I'd say a Vet should be on top of list.

 

[Amiga]

I agree a vet is needed.

In the meantime, lukewarm bath, closely monitored, warm (90F) water, just up to the belly, hope he can rinse off a bit there. Just for maybe five minutes.

What is he being fed?

Any chance he could have been stung? Cortisone is sometimes used for swelling, however it is very risky and I would not do it without a veterinarian's guidance.

Could it be that the tear ducts blocked? (do ducks have them?) I would let the duckling dunk its head in warm water five or six or more times a day. If it cannot manage that, since it cannot see, I would spritz the duck's eyes thoroughly with mild saline solution six times a day.

I found a reference online to someone whose duck had swelling around the eye, and the veterinarian lanced it to release fluid. That's why I feel a vet is needed.

 

[beautorn4u]

I believe the duckling arrived/hatched on Tuesday or Wednesday, and had this condition (he was shipped from a hatchery to the feed store as is). I first saw the duckling on Friday, but I did not have the supplies necessary to take him (no heat lamp). I picked him up yesterday. I am trying to get a vet, but it has been difficult to do on a weekend, and the local feed store is out of terramycin. On Friday, the one eyelid seemed to be completely sealed, but has opened a little since then, and at first, it looked like the eyelids never formed. One of the employees at the feed store said that he was barely alive when he got there, and that they worked to make sure that he warmed up, ate and drank. That employee bought the heat lamp for him - I don't have $$, so I am working with a few people trying to find a vet to take him (which again is quite difficult on the weekend here.)

 

[Miss Lydia]

I believe the duckling arrived/hatched on Tuesday or Wednesday, and had this condition (he was shipped from a hatchery to the feed store as is). I first saw the duckling on Friday, but I did not have the supplies necessary to take him (no heat lamp). I picked him up yesterday. I am trying to get a vet, but it has been difficult to do on a weekend, and the local feed store is out of terramycin. On Friday, the one eyelid seemed to be completely sealed, but has opened a little since then, and at first, it looked like the eyelids never formed. One of the employees at the feed store said that he was barely alive when he got there, and that they worked to make sure that he warmed up, ate and drank. That employee bought the heat lamp for him - I don't have $$, so I am working with a few people trying to find a vet to take him (which again is quite difficult on the weekend here.)

Bless your heart for taking it in, I have honestly not ever seen anything like this, do you know if you have any water fowl rescues in your area they maybe able to help you with vetinary care.Have you tried letting it be in very warm water to wash it head real well like Amiga suggested. make sure it doesn't get chilled and gets put straight back under heat lamp after it swims. ducks/ducklings need to be able to wash out their nares and eyes to keep out infection.

 

[beautorn4u]

Thank you Miss Lydia! Actually I do, I never even thought of them! I will try and get a hold of them!

 

[Amiga]

I want to say thank you for caring for the little one, please know I like duck people as well as ducks, and often when something this acute and urgent comes up, I go into problem solving mode. I feel helpless as I also have not seen the likes of this before.

So I'm thinking, nutritional deficiency? Those take some bizarre twists, showing up in strange ways. Perhaps some poultry vitamins with electrolytes and probiotics, at least for some overall health support. The saline rinses, as often as possible, would address bacterial and perhaps even fungal infections. Warm water might improve circulation and help him move some of the fluid away.

How is his or her breathing?

Appetite? Drinking? Poop?

 

[beautorn4u]

Everything on this guy seems to be normal except the eyes...He is perhaps less energetic that his peers (he is not throwing water all over the place). But this may be because he can't see where he is going. Appetite is good, as is drinking, and the evidence is in the poop that he is leaving all over. I will check my supplies and see if I have any vitamins (this is my first duck, so my med cabinet is not exactly ideal for this poor baby. The only other poultry babies I have dealt with were two Canada goslings that we found wandering, and they only needed food, water, and warmth.)

Thank you for your help! I have contacted the local waterfowl sanctuary and am waiting for a reply. Here's hoping!

 

[Amiga]

 

[Miss Lydia]

Any news yet?

In case you want a good idea on making a waterer for duckling that they can dunk their heads into but not climb into.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/313746/larger-face-wash-bucket-for-ducklings