adult pekin female with splayed legs and difficulty walking -- ideas, advice?

[micaelasducks]

Hi all!
I took in a female pekin this past september (so 5 months ago). She was adopted from the SPCA and the only information I had is that it was some kind of animal hoarder situation. I assume her diet was probably not ideal. She started laying eggs in early January -- so that makes us think she is a very young duck, perhaps less than a year old still, but we really don't know. She has walked with a limp since we got her but has steadily improved up until this past week where she has regressed in her walking. She is sitting with her legs totally splayed out -- more splayed than usual -- and is having trouble getting herself to a standing position. I wanted to share some videos and pictures to see if anyone had any ideas on how to best support her. We are making sure to include brewers yeast in her diet and we also have been giving her some meloxicam for the last couple days in case there is a new injury. Any other thoughts from the way her legs are presenting?


Older photo from about October to show her easily standing/supporting weight on legs.

Photo from about a week ago showing preference/lean towards one leg and large hock joints. BUT still easily supporting weight.

https://imgur.com/PwRyNDq

Video showing her hips/legs splayed out and difficulty getting to feet (taken tonight)

https://imgur.com/Fe5k2Ih

Video showing her instability on her legs/feet.

 

[Jenbirdee]

she’s beautiful and how kind of you to rescue her. Get her started on liquid vitamin B complex. In addition to the yeast the extra niacin can work wonders I buy Durvet brand liquid vitamin B complex at tractor supply or online. it will say it’s injectable for cattle but you give it orally to a duck. You can put it on some treats like mealworms. Make sure she gets it all .. I usually give it with a syringe with no needle if you know how to give medication orally to waterfall without aspirating them, if not read the article in here in the learning center titled how to give medicine to all poultry and waterfowl . Pekin ducks are notorious for leg problems and need continued extra niacin throughout their life.

 

[micaelasducks]

she’s beautiful and how kind of you to rescue her. Get her started on liquid vitamin B complex. In addition to the yeast the extra niacin can work wonders I buy Durvet brand liquid vitamin B complex at tractor supply or online. it will say it’s injectable for cattle but you give it orally to a duck. You can put it on some treats like mealworms. Make sure she gets it all .. I usually give it with a syringe with no needle if you know how to give medication orally to waterfall without aspirating them, if not read the article in here in the learning center titled how to give medicine to all poultry and waterfowl . Pekin ducks are notorious for leg problems and need continued extra niacin throughout their life.

Thank you!!! We will get some. She is still struggling today but hoping for the best.

 

[Jenbirdee]

Im just going to tag @Miss Lydia on here in case she has something else to advise. And heres link to the thread I mentioned https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/

 

[Jenbirdee]

Oh ! and also give her therapy time in the water> swimming time if its too cold outside (below freezing) I would bring her inside to the tub with lukewarm water and you can even give her a soak in epsom salts water but if u do that then don't let her drink any she'll get diarrhea

 

[my spoiled chickens]

Oh ! and also give her therapy time in the water> swimming time if its too cold outside (below freezing) I would bring her inside to the tub with lukewarm water and you can even give her a soak in epsom salts water but if u do that then don't let her drink any she'll get diarrhea

sound like you've experienced this before do you ducks like salty water?

 

[Jenbirdee]

sound like you've experienced this before do you ducks like salty water?

they do try to drink it yes lol
I now use a 5 gallon bucket with a lid and about 1/4 of the lid cut out for them to stick their head out , but not to be able to jump out. this way the legs and feet get soaked but they cant bend down to drink any.... that is just for epsom water soaking but not for swim therapy

 

[my spoiled chickens]

they do try to drink it yes lol
I now use a 5 gallon bucket with a lid and about 1/4 of the lid cut out for them to stick their head out , but not to be able to jump out. this way the legs and feet get soaked but they cant bend down to drink any.... that is just for epsom water soaking but not for swim therapy

I've heard of a similar treatment for bumble foot in chickens

 

[Miss Lydia]

I've heard of a similar treatment for bumble foot in chickens

Perfect for soaking for bumble foot.

 

[micaelasducks]

Hi everyone! upping my own thread about this issue. We treated Rosie with meloxicam and vit b complex for several weeks and she eventually started running again. Unfortunately, she has taken another step back and it seems like an injury... This yesterday, she was really struggling to bring herself to stand. I picked her up and noticed it seemed like her left foot was "dangling" and limp seeming. I was convinced it must be broken seeing it like that. To see, I placed her down so that her feet were under her just right, and she CAN bear weight and stand on the leg. However, she seems to get it stuck behind her and have trouble with the motion of rotating it in front of her to walk. I am not including the VERY pathetic views of her desperately crawl/limping using her wings to get around since she is struggling to get the leg out from in back of her to stand.

We have re-started the medication regimen (perhaps we should not have stopped with the extra b-complex in her diet..) Any ideas what could be going on? The floppy/limp seeming foot really concerned me, but it seems promising that she can stand on it. I am thinking some sort of joint/tendon issue I have read is common in pekins? Anything else to do other than try to keep her calm and dose with meloxicam and the vitamin b? She is incredibly feisty and does not seem sick, ill, or in pain at all, but she is really struggling to get up from a laying down position.

https://imgur.com/9KgSanX