Hi from West Virginia to all Duck lovers!
We have a situation with one of our Indian-Runner Ducks here since Friday late afternoon:
End of June we bought six larger ducklings at the local Farmers-Store here in Charleston - i don't know if Store-Names are permitted? - anyway we were told that they had no clue what kind of duck or gender the ducklings were, but if they weren't sold within the next three days they would be »recycled« - couldn't let this happen…
As said, the ducklings turned out to be Indian-Runners (Fawn & White), no idea about boys or girls yet, everything was fine until two weekends ago, when we lost the little straggler ducky due to two really cold nights. "Fieps" is now resting peacefully in the West Virginia soil under a large Tulip tree.
Now this Friday, i bought a large Kiddie-Pool from a local store for an apple and'n egg and set it up in the running area of the Duckies, filled it with water then observed the Ducks unsuccessfully trying to get in. The rim is a little too high so i grabbed some large rocks from the yard and built a rock stairway to Duck Heaven. Also dropped some stepping stones in the pool to help the ducks to get out again. Minutes later five happy Ducks were enjoying their first full size pool experience…
Went back into the house to drink something when just five minutes later heart a loud commotion from the Ducks, ran out and found one of the five sitting on its belly, unable to walk and moaning vividly! Under loud protest of the other four took her in with me and examined the legs. No scratches or signs of an injury, both legs could be moved without problems and the bird did not seem to be in pain. Just the left leg was without power. All the ducks were quacking out of the tops of her lungs, thinking it might be just a sprain, i set the "dysfunctional" bird back to her/his sisters and brothers who gathered around her/him and spent the night together in the grass. - They usually sleep outside in the grass, only when it is really cold or raining cats and dogs they go inside their house.
Saturday morning the Duck was still not able to walk again, so i took her to the nearest Vet, who admitted that she had no experience with Ducks, but could confirm that there were no signs of fractures in the legs, feet or hip, but now the Ducky was not able to use both legs.
Doc injected steroids and recommended to keep the Duck separated from the others, apply extra vitamins and let her/him rest. Until Saturday evening we took care of the Duck, fed her with fruits and crushed wheat cereals, she/he was drinking and eating well and showed signs of improvement - and began to smell really bad because of the impossibility to reach its underside and the rear end.
Today (Sunday) morning the bird refused everything, no food, no water, it stuck its beak under its chest when anything was offered and smelled really bad. Finally after it farted, driving tears to my eyes i had enough, filled a plastic box with luke-warm water, deep enough for the bird to not be able to stay and dropped it in. She/he enjoyed it, started to clean itself, tried to dive and after "venting" itself drank the poopie water.
I could not let her/him in the water for too long, the feathers weren't treated right for over a day, so Ducky go soaking wet and started to play "Ducktanic" after about 10 minutes. Got it out of the Water and had it resting on the warm wooden porch floor in the sun when she/he heart her/his brothers and sisters - It was such a picture of misery as the bird tried to move forward with beak and wings! I felt so sorry, picked it up and sat it into the grass, outside of the fenced area close to the fence. These Indian-Runners are somewhat reckless and trample down smaller or injured siblings if they get scared.
What i observed while the Duck was in the grass was that it is crawling on its upper legs, they seem to be strong enough, just the lower part of the legs, below the - "knee" - looks paralyzed.
In the evening we took her back in (loud protest from all Ducks!) and stuffed a Vitamin D-complex, Multi-Vitamin and a Calcium/Magnesium/Zink tablet down its throat she/he delivered a fierce fight, but the Vitamins went in and stayed in. Half an hour later she/he began drinking water and eating cereals again but still the legs aren't working.
Any idea what this could be?
Anybody has an idea how to help "Limpy"?
My plan is to give her/him another bath tomorrow noon, run her/him through the porch floor dryer and grant a hospital-visit for the siblings. But what if that condition is permanent?
Thank you very much in advance for your help.
---
This is "Limpy" with its siblings
And this is "Limpy" trying to move forward, you can see she/he is using the beak, the tail feathers and the upper legs. Looks heart-breaking!
And this is "Limpy" in the "hospital-bed" before applying the vitamin and mineral tablets…
We have a situation with one of our Indian-Runner Ducks here since Friday late afternoon:
End of June we bought six larger ducklings at the local Farmers-Store here in Charleston - i don't know if Store-Names are permitted? - anyway we were told that they had no clue what kind of duck or gender the ducklings were, but if they weren't sold within the next three days they would be »recycled« - couldn't let this happen…
As said, the ducklings turned out to be Indian-Runners (Fawn & White), no idea about boys or girls yet, everything was fine until two weekends ago, when we lost the little straggler ducky due to two really cold nights. "Fieps" is now resting peacefully in the West Virginia soil under a large Tulip tree.
Now this Friday, i bought a large Kiddie-Pool from a local store for an apple and'n egg and set it up in the running area of the Duckies, filled it with water then observed the Ducks unsuccessfully trying to get in. The rim is a little too high so i grabbed some large rocks from the yard and built a rock stairway to Duck Heaven. Also dropped some stepping stones in the pool to help the ducks to get out again. Minutes later five happy Ducks were enjoying their first full size pool experience…
Went back into the house to drink something when just five minutes later heart a loud commotion from the Ducks, ran out and found one of the five sitting on its belly, unable to walk and moaning vividly! Under loud protest of the other four took her in with me and examined the legs. No scratches or signs of an injury, both legs could be moved without problems and the bird did not seem to be in pain. Just the left leg was without power. All the ducks were quacking out of the tops of her lungs, thinking it might be just a sprain, i set the "dysfunctional" bird back to her/his sisters and brothers who gathered around her/him and spent the night together in the grass. - They usually sleep outside in the grass, only when it is really cold or raining cats and dogs they go inside their house.
Saturday morning the Duck was still not able to walk again, so i took her to the nearest Vet, who admitted that she had no experience with Ducks, but could confirm that there were no signs of fractures in the legs, feet or hip, but now the Ducky was not able to use both legs.
Doc injected steroids and recommended to keep the Duck separated from the others, apply extra vitamins and let her/him rest. Until Saturday evening we took care of the Duck, fed her with fruits and crushed wheat cereals, she/he was drinking and eating well and showed signs of improvement - and began to smell really bad because of the impossibility to reach its underside and the rear end.Today (Sunday) morning the bird refused everything, no food, no water, it stuck its beak under its chest when anything was offered and smelled really bad. Finally after it farted, driving tears to my eyes i had enough, filled a plastic box with luke-warm water, deep enough for the bird to not be able to stay and dropped it in. She/he enjoyed it, started to clean itself, tried to dive and after "venting" itself drank the poopie water.
I could not let her/him in the water for too long, the feathers weren't treated right for over a day, so Ducky go soaking wet and started to play "Ducktanic" after about 10 minutes. Got it out of the Water and had it resting on the warm wooden porch floor in the sun when she/he heart her/his brothers and sisters - It was such a picture of misery as the bird tried to move forward with beak and wings! I felt so sorry, picked it up and sat it into the grass, outside of the fenced area close to the fence. These Indian-Runners are somewhat reckless and trample down smaller or injured siblings if they get scared.
What i observed while the Duck was in the grass was that it is crawling on its upper legs, they seem to be strong enough, just the lower part of the legs, below the - "knee" - looks paralyzed.
In the evening we took her back in (loud protest from all Ducks!) and stuffed a Vitamin D-complex, Multi-Vitamin and a Calcium/Magnesium/Zink tablet down its throat she/he delivered a fierce fight, but the Vitamins went in and stayed in. Half an hour later she/he began drinking water and eating cereals again but still the legs aren't working.
Any idea what this could be?
- First we thought an injury, but the lameness spread from the left to the right leg and there were no signs of an injury.
- Vitamin or Calcium deficiency can be ruled out, the other four birds are fine and they enjoy a healthy diet of duck crumbles from the local store, whatever they find in 100sqm of grass and Kitchen scraps like egg-shells, vegetable and fruit cuttings
- I looked it up, poliomyelitis occurs only in mammals, not in birds
- The duck is free of mites, flees, ticks or other parasites, i examined very thoroughly before i took her/him in, don't like unwelcomed guests in the house.
Anybody has an idea how to help "Limpy"?
My plan is to give her/him another bath tomorrow noon, run her/him through the porch floor dryer and grant a hospital-visit for the siblings. But what if that condition is permanent?
Thank you very much in advance for your help.
---
This is "Limpy" with its siblings
And this is "Limpy" trying to move forward, you can see she/he is using the beak, the tail feathers and the upper legs. Looks heart-breaking!
And this is "Limpy" in the "hospital-bed" before applying the vitamin and mineral tablets…
