Muscovy Duck Limping/Off her legs & crackly sound coming from stomach

[Jess995]

Hi everyone!

I’m wondering if anyone can help with my 2 year old female Muscovy. She has been limping/off her legs for around 3/4 days now and I don’t think she has been laying, but I’m not certain. She’s eating and drinking fine and doesn’t seem to be in any pain. Both of her legs look perfectly normal and the same as one another and I don’t see any physical sign of injury.

I have been bringing her inside for a warm bath every day and I have seen a small amount of improvement but nothing major. When she is in her bath inside I can hear a weird crackly/crunchy sound coming from inside her?

She was wormed 2/3 weeks ago so I am not worried about that.

Does anyone have any advice? I am going to call the vets at the weekend if there has been so improvement by then.

Thanks!

 

[Runner duck mom]

I am not sure about the leg issue but there are plenty of folks here who may have some good advice.
I'm pretty new to ducks but maybe you can seperate her to see if she is laying eggs or not.
I have heard a crackling noise in our ducks when they were younger...i had assumed it was their gizzard working or their food digesting. Such a strange sound for sure.
Sorry I'm not more help. Warm baths always seem to help if I'm worried about any of my girls, they love it. If you have a vet that will see your duck its a huge help as they are hard to find.

 

[DuckyDonna]

We definitely need to get @Miss Lydia here on this but I bet she will say B-Complex to start with. She knows alot about muscovys too.

 

[Cayuga momma]

Sounds like she needs B complex and Calcuim Citrate.
The B complex should help with the limping and the Calcium Citrate should help if she is egg bound.

Can you feel her vent area and belly to see if you can feel an egg inside.

Hopefully @Miss Lydia will pop in soon

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yes your right on @Cayuga momma I'd start both since she is older. And neither will harm her. If you can get her to take it over something yummy she likes like meal worms or peas that way you know she is getting full strength. I believe @DuckyDonna gives it to hers over tomatoes. Depending on the B complex you get and liquid would be best, human dose is 3 ml daily, TSC cattle dept is 1 ml daily [more concentrated] Cal citrate is 250mgs daily. A vet if you have one is always best route to take.

 

[DuckyDonna]

Yes your right on @Cayuga momma I'd start both since she is older. And neither will harm her. If you can get her to take it over something yummy she likes like meal worms or peas that way you know she is getting full strength. I believe @DuckyDonna gives it to hers over tomatoes. Depending on the B complex you get and liquid would be best, human dose is 3 ml daily TSC cattle dept is 1 ml daily [more concentrated] Cal citrate is 250mgs daily. A vet if you have one is always best route to take.

I could only find calcium citrate in the pill form so I use my coffee bean grinder and grind them to a powder then sprinkle it over tomatoes. My pills are 600mg. from Walmart. I've got 7 ducks so I've been advised to use 2 pills a day.

 

[DuckyDonna]

I need to know what are the indications for using calcium gluconate vs calcium citrate?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Well @Amiga was the first I believe who introduced us to cal gluconate seems her vet rec for her duck when she was egg bound helps with contractions to get the egg out. Calcium citrate is a good one for egg shell not sure why it works so well although of all calcium’s the cal citrate seems to be the highest rec for humans too. Possibly out bodies absorb it best ducks too?

 

[Jess995]

Hi Everyone! Thank you to all of you for the advice. I managed to get her in to the vet this week, he checked her over and there doesn’t appear to be any serious leg injuries such as fractures or bone infections which is good news! He thinks it is most likely a ligament/tendon issue which could take a while to heal or may never do. However she is doing a little better from when I first posted and is eating, drinking and flying herself around!

Do you think that the B Complex would help her out still with the limp? It can’t do any harm can it?

Thanks!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Can’t harm at all. Hope she continues to recover. Best way is to pen her up so she rests her legs. And water therapy. Thanks for update.