Help needed!s Duck hasn’t eaten on her own in over a week and a half, vets have no answers

[Dmira91]

Hi everyone, I need your help. The vets have no answers and I was hoping someone in here would.

So about a week and a half ago, I noticed my Muscovy wasn’t eating. She had just finished laying eggs and it seemed like she was picking at her feathers so we assumed she was molting and just in a mood. I eventually take her to an avian vet and he suspects it’s parasites, gives me antibiotics and sends me on my way.

The next day she was still not eating so k started giving her a little bit of food via syringe which was working but the amount of food was veryyyy small. I then started to notice she was losing her balance and her left foot was giving out. I brushed it off and assumed it was her medicine making her drowsy.

Three/four days later, still not eating on her own, I decided to take her to the vet again to get her tube fed. This time, she was seen by a second doctor. Doctor #2 gave performed blood work and found her kidneys were a little off (most likely from her not getting up to drink enough water even though she has been drinking water on her own) and doctor #2 gave her fluids. Aside from the kidneys being off, everything else seemed perfectly fine.

The next day she was great, but the day after she was down again. So I take her back and she’s seen by doctor #3. Who tube feeds her again and teaches me how to do it so that I can do it from home. He also performs an X-ray thinking she might have an egg stuck somehow, but nope, nothing. So he too, sends me on my way with more food in hopes that me tube feeding her would help.

The following day she was great, but the day after she was down again and leaning her entire body on one leg. The day after that I took her back to her follow up with doctor #1 (he was out of town which is why I had visits with doctors 2 & 3) and he also performed more blood work. This time it showed that everything was great. Her kidneys were fine, calcium fine etc. doctor #2 originally had suspected botulism, but doctor #3 ruled it out because my duck has perfect mobility of her neck. He sends me home with ibuprofen and so we went.

So here we are, a week and a half later. My duck has still not eaten on her own. Id like to note that since day one she’s been super irritated with her feathers and won’t stop plucking them. What we thought was molting could be something else. Also, not once has this duck lost her energy tough. The entire time she’s been extremely alert and chirpy. But still, can’t fully walk without losing her balance, is plucking her feathers and refuses to eat. Please, I’m losing my mind with the lack of answers and it breaks my heart to tube feed her daily. If anyone has answers to what is going on, please let me know asap. Or if something similar has happened to you.

Thank you!
-D

Oh, she was also given cream for maybe having bumble foot, but if she does it’s super early on.

 

[azygous]

Give her some sugar water with electrolytes. If it causes her to behave normally within an hour or two, then she has a problem with glucose and electrolyte balance. This can cause the symptoms you're seeing - weakness, lameness, poor balance. Weakness affects appetite, as well.

Tube feeding is something I only do for one day, two max, because the bird gets used to having a full crop without needing to eat. It's almost like they forget how. Once I get the bird acting strong again, I feed them things they can't resist to get them into the habit of eating again.

I start with attractive foods like boiled rice with a few raisins floating on it. Yogurt or buttermilk poured over the top is usually a winner, too, and it will help establish good microbes in the digestive tract. I've heard that floating peas in a bowl of water will get ducks to want to drink. Dehydration can also cause weakness and lameness and poor balance.

Since you've been to the vet numerous times and had numerous tests, it may be something as simple as being too weak to eat and then losing interest in eating that may just need to be rekindled.

 

[sniper338]

Buy more ducks. Cheaper than a vet.

 

[Dmira91]

Give her some sugar water with electrolytes. If it causes her to behave normally within an hour or two, then she has a problem with glucose and electrolyte balance. This can cause the symptoms you're seeing - weakness, lameness, poor balance. Weakness affects appetite, as well.

Tube feeding is something I only do for one day, two max, because the bird gets used to having a full crop without needing to eat. It's almost like they forget how. Once I get the bird acting strong again, I feed them things they can't resist to get them into the habit of eating again.

I start with attractive foods like boiled rice with a few raisins floating on it. Yogurt or buttermilk poured over the top is usually a winner, too, and it will help establish good microbes in the digestive tract. I've heard that floating peas in a bowl of water will get ducks to want to drink. Dehydration can also cause weakness and lameness and poor balance.

Since you've been to the vet numerous times and had numerous tests, it may be something as simple as being too weak to eat and then losing interest in eating that may just need to be rekindled.

Hi! Thank you so much for replying!

I took her again yesterday, blood work just shows everything is fine except her kidneys again, they were slightly elevated. She’s still not walking properly but is extremely alert and still not eating on her own.

I also think she might be getting a bit too comfortable with the crop feeding since it’s been a week. I’ll try everything you’ve told me and let you know how it goes.

Thank you and merry Christmas!