[robbiegrant]

We have 5 Runner ducklings. 2 of them are less than a month old. one of them ( Bali ) needed force fed at the beginning before she/he/it got the idea. A fair bit smaller compared to her/his sibling even tho she/he eats well now. They have a varied died of boiled rice, duckling crum, lettuce, growers pellets and even the odd grape ( a wee titbit when i visit them last thing. )

Bali seems to have thinner down than the rest and today we noticed the area around the eyes look " dirty "
They live in a new wooden wendy house. They get a new layer of super bedding ( dust extracted chopped straw ) daily and mucked out weekly. I looked tonight and it looks a little tender. Her sibling and our other "adolesant" girls are perfect.

Is it maybe because she has a thinner coat?
does anyone recognise this.?
Should we take her to the vet?
Not sure about putting anticeptic cream around the eye.

I will clean carefully around her/his eye with sterile water in the morning and have close look with a magnifying glass.

Thanks in advance

Robbie

   

[Mammyshaz]

Poor Bali, she really is having a rough start. Hope it's something simple to put right for you 

[robbiegrant]

Bathed her/his eyes with warm water last night.
Our duck book says it might have "sticky eyes"
She/he does not want to splash and play like the others.
We will just have to encourage her/him.
Think it'll be a few sessions in the bath till she gets the habit.

[robbiegrant]

Hi Mama.
Looks like it was sticky eye. We had them in the bath today and after a tepid showering Bali got the idea of dunking her head in the water like ducks do...( She liked the shower spray ) I just checked them and she looks much better tonight.   

I have to say our two trout girls ( Kroshka and Bigyin ) are very sharp, the whites seem to take a while to get the idea of things. The trouts can spot me coming with a handful of worms from the other end of the yard and get into ambush positions Whereas Vasilly is dipit even when they are dangling right in front of her.

Silly Billy

[maryb]

Hope she gets better soon - my staple treatment for washing anything is saline solution - 1 tablespoon of salt to 1 pint of boiled water, dissolve, allow it to cool and keep it in a sealed bottle.

[robbiegrant]

Hope she gets better soon - my staple treatment for washing anything is saline solution - 1 tablespoon of salt to 1 pint of boiled water, dissolve, allow it to cool and keep it in a sealed bottle.

Good tip. Thanks

[robbiegrant]

Since teatime she/he/it is keeping it closed most of the time.
We are keeping a close eye on her eye and cleaning with a saline solution.
We have some human eyedrops ( optrex ) and eye cream but prefer not to try anything like that just yet.
She/he/it seems to be eating fine but we are concerned it might be a nutrient/vitamin deficiency.
gonna suppliment her with fish oils and make sure she gets some boiled egg down her neck tonight.
I no improvement she/he it is off to the ducktors ( sorry couldn't help it ) tomorrow. 

[Mammyshaz]

  all goes ok. Hopefully it's just a bit of conjunctivitis and will clear soon, perhaps with help from antibiotic drops. Good idea to get it checked if no improvement by tomorrow.

[robbiegrant]

Just come back from feeding Ooty and Bali a boiled egg with cod liver oil in it....They didn't take long to scoff it...
...and judging from the HUGE poo Bali did on my lap ( much to the amusement of my wife ) she is healthy and feeding well.  ( the duck not my wife )

[jaykay]

Glad she's eating well 

You can get eye drops that have antibiotic in them, sounds like a good plan if the eye is gummy like that.

[robbiegrant]

Hi Jay kay
Conjunctivitis may well be the problem. She ( we hope its a she! ) didn't get a good start.
We have started using a type of golden eye ointment.
Where can you buy the medicated drops ewe talk of?
Although it early days she seems to be responding.
Her eye is open again but she  is not out of the woods.
All the other Ducks are fine, so far, which is a relief....
I'm keeping a close eye.
Bali and Ooty are enjoying there special treatment in the bath   
Rubadubdub in a tub!
Robbie

[jaykay]

You can get them at the chemists, you may need to fib about them being for a young child and describe the gummed up eyes, some pharmacists are more finicky than others.

I used to say, quite honestly, that they were for Arran who was 12, and neglect to mention that Arran is my golden retriever not my son 

Or from the vets of course!