Sick duck - Mareck disease?

[Becweb]

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Hi, I live in PA and just had my duck to vet yesterday. Several days she was not herself then in the middle of night her legs became paralyzed so straight to vet. Hs said he feels Marick disease and there's no treatment. I had started activated charcoal hours prior when she lost leg ability. He gave me feeding tube and said to give charcoal 2×'s a day. Said she'll get better. As of today no sign of improvement. As well, everything I read seems to refer to chickens with marick & states they will die!?!? I also had another duck days prior start to lay her head way back and roll it in circle. I started her on charcoal and nutridrench immediately and her head rolling is all but done. Vet said to give her charcoal thru tube too. She is going to have hatched ducklings this week. All I'm reading they should be seperated. Vet knows eggs will hatch but said nothing about seperating!? At first I thought they had botulism with probable cause. Vet seemed to think that at first but said she doesn't have all he'd expect if it were botulism. I'm at a lost and wondering if my girl will get better! If she will gain her legs back? Do I need to seperate for ducklings to be? As anyone experienced this???

 

[sourland]

I do not believe that ducks are susceptible to Marek's disease. Perhaps someone with more knowledge will respond.

 

[casportpony]

I don't think ducks can get Marek's, just Galliformes (chickens, turkeys, peafowl, quail, etc.) can get it.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Your vet seems to be playing the guessing game and at your expense.

-How old is your duck?

-What breed is your duck?

-What are you feeding them (brand/type, treats, scratch etc.)?

-Any new changes to environment?

-Any possible exposure to mold (have you checked your feed?)?

-Any possible exposure to poisonous plants (even algea when swimming), rat poison, pesticides?

-What does your ducks poop look like is it normal or is it abnormal is color, shape and texture?

-Has your duck shown any signs of leg weakness before this? (Sitting a lot, warm or swollen hocks, limping, legs bowed)

 

[sourland]

Your vet seems to be playing the guessing game and at your expense.

Something that happens all too frequently with veterinarians and birds.

 

[Gone]

Hi, I live in PA and just had my duck to vet yesterday. Several days she was not herself then in the middle of night her legs became paralyzed so straight to vet. Hs said he feels Marick disease and there's no treatment. I had started activated charcoal hours prior when she lost leg ability. He gave me feeding tube and said to give charcoal 2×'s a day. Said she'll get better. As of today no sign of improvement. As well, everything I read seems to refer to chickens with marick & states they will die!?!? I also had another duck days prior start to lay her head way back and roll it in circle. I started her on charcoal and nutridrench immediately and her head rolling is all but done. Vet said to give her charcoal thru tube too. She is going to have hatched ducklings this week. All I'm reading they should be seperated. Vet knows eggs will hatch but said nothing about seperating!? At first I thought they had botulism with probable cause. Vet seemed to think that at first but said she doesn't have all he'd expect if it were botulism. I'm at a lost and wondering if my girl will get better! If she will gain her legs back? Do I need to seperate for ducklings to be? As anyone experienced this???

I am disheartened because I have had an experience similar to this. I had a chicken a little over two years old who lost her appetite, would only eat her favorites and wander around picking at the ground. After two days of this she stumbled out of the coup and fell over. She couldn't get up. I isolated her and called the vet. I brought her to the vet. He said she had a virus. He gave her a shot and said if she got better, it was a common virus, if she didn't, it was probably Marek's disease with the peralisis she has. Well, the shot didn't work and I gave her everything she loved for the one week she lived after that. I get my chicks from a chick farm that mails them to me. For a little more, $3 per chick, the hatchlings are vaccinated immediately after their born. That's the only way I will buy them now. I got my older chickens from Rural King and I don't think they come vaccinated. They have to be vaccinated as soon as their born. Thus, I have another chicken I bought at the same time as the one with marecks disease that is displaying the same symptoms. So I guess I will be losing at least two more to this disease. Marecks disease is a form of the herpies virus in chickens and they are born with it the vet said. Some chickens are affected by it and some are not. There are probably a lot of chickens that live a short life because of it. I will NEVER buy another chicken that is not vaccinated for Marecks disease before I receive it. It is too heartbreaking. I love my chickens too much to have that happen to them.