Treatment of ducklings for various diseases

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Diseases of ducks make any farmer or breeder nervous. If you have decided to have birds in your household, namely ducks, it is worth learning about what diseases of ducklings are considered the most common, what treatment can be taken to help sick ducklings in time.

Diseases of ducks

What causes diseases in ducks

In addition to the fact that the owner of the birds must treat the pets with love, it is necessary to provide them with constant care, create normal conditions for keeping the birds, and also pay due attention to preventive measures for their characteristic diseases. Let's find out what reasons most often cause diseases of ducklings:

Errors in the conditions of detention (incorrect temperature, the presence of drafts, insufficient ventilation, rare and poor-quality cleaning, etc.).
Poor quality food (unbalanced food, spoiled food, stale water).
Insufficient medical care (lack of prevention, vaccinations and regular check-ups).

We have listed the main reasons followed by the development of certain diseases. It's time to start describing the characteristic ailments that ducks suffer, regardless of whether they are kept at home or in the natural environment. First, we describe a group of ailments that combine non-infectious diseases of ducks, that is, those that are not transmitted from a duck to other birds and vice versa.

Non-communicable diseases

Lack of vitamins (vitamin deficiency)

Lack of vitamins, or vitamin deficiency, is quite common in domestic birds, including ducks. How to recognize a disease? The fact that the duck needs additional fortified nutrition can be indicated by the following signs:

Chicks gain body weight poorly.
Young growth is slowing down.
The survival rate of chicks is low.
The appetite of young animals and adults is low.
Ducks began to carry eggs less.

It is quite simple to solve these problems, you just need to make some adjustments to the diet of the ducks by introducing the missing vitamins into the feed. One of the options is to switch to ready-made compound feeds, which take into account the need of the bird for certain vitamins or minerals. It is worth paying attention to ingredients such as:

fish fat;
herbal ground flour;
fresh green grass;
duckweed, etc.

Rickets (rickets)

Unfortunately, ducks suffer from rickets. The disease occurs due to the fact that the duck does not receive enough vitamin D. This is due to two reasons:

lack of walks in the fresh air;
poor food.

Symptoms and treatment of ducklings and adults:

slow mass growth;
Frequent injuries to the paws due to the bones becoming brittle and the paws are no longer as strong;
the egg shell loses its density, often breaks;
the beak becomes noticeably less firm;
paws are bent (this is noticeable in many photos and videos of birds).

To avoid the development of rickets, you need to carefully monitor the diet of the duck. It is recommended to add fish oil, bread yeast to the menu and purchase feeds with a high content of vitamins. In parallel with this, you need to drive the mute on walks in good weather, it is advisable not to miss a single sunny day.

Stool disorder (diarrhea)

Diarrhea in ducklings is a common occurrence. In many cases, stool disturbance occurs due to the fact that the poultry menu lacks vitamins, more precisely, vitamin B. In parallel with diarrhea, the following symptoms can be observed:

convulsions, involuntary twitching;
paralysis (most often one or second leg, less often two);
a noticeable slowdown in weight gain;
ruffled feathers (this is how ducks do when feathers freeze or dry).

In order to prevent the development of diarrhea due to a lack of vitamin B, it is worth adding bran, fresh grass and high-quality grain to food.

Cannibalism

Cannibalism is a condition where ducks can peck at their own skin or the skin of another bird before wounds form. Why is this happening? Cannibalism among ducks occurs due to a violation of the conditions of detention: too bright light in the poultry house, saving space, as a result of which the ducks and ducklings become cramped. Mistakes can also be in nutrition: a low protein content in food.

Cannibalism can be predicted by the following signs:

the duck behaves unusually, showing anxiety
cleans feathers more often than usual;
some individuals show broken feathers and blood flowing through them.

If one of the ducks has such symptoms, it is necessary to analyze the bird's diet and introduce an increased amount of protein into it, as well as reconsider the conditions of detention: it may be time to increase the territory of the poultry house.

Esophageal pathology

Pathological changes in the esophagus in ducks are manifested by its obstruction, especially often the disease is diagnosed in young animals. In most cases, the reason is the predominance of dry food over wet, as well as a small amount of drinking water. In this case, the following symptoms are observed:

shortness of breath is observed in birds when swimming or moving;
the beak is in a slightly open state;
the gait changes, the steps are uncertain, the bird staggers, limps and falls to its feet.

If you do not begin to provide assistance in a timely manner, there is a risk of losing all of the livestock. It is worth saying that you can help the duck at home, it is quite simple to do it: you should open its throat wide and pour 15-30 ml of sunflower oil into it. After that, it is important to wait 2-5 minutes and squeeze the food plug through your mouth.

Stomatitis in ducks

This disease is more common in geese and young ducks, but, based on statistics, it is rare and does not become widespread. A feature of the disease can be called seasonality, since the peak usually occurs in spring or autumn. The symptoms of ducks disease are as follows:

redness of the mouth;
the tongue may slightly increase in size, become inflamed;
the bird eats poorly, since it cannot chew and swallow food.

It is important to start treatment in a timely manner so that stomatitis does not develop into a chronic stage. The owner must reconsider the diet, make up for the possible deficiency of vitamins. To relieve inflammation, you need to rinse the duck's throat with any antiseptic, you can buy it at the pharmacy.

Non-infectious enteritis

The disease also affects young ducks more often. The cause of non-infectious viral enteritis can be poor-quality nutrition, stagnant water. Enteritis is often confused with food poisoning or paratyphoid fever, as their symptoms overlap:

diarrhea (may be green or yellow stools);
general weakness;
weight loss;
poor egg production.

To normalize the condition of the duck, you need to pour a weak solution of potassium permanganate into the throat for several days in parallel with water, so viral enteritis can be overcome in a short time.

What diseases are found in the genital area

Peritonitis in ducks

In the reproductive system of ducks, peritonitis is most common. The disease affects females, it is much less common in drakes. What can cause the development of the disease:

cruelty when dealing with a bird;
excess protein in the diet.

A duck with peritonitis experiences sharp cutting pains in the abdomen. The bird behaves restlessly, twitches, there are rarely convulsions. It should be said that peritonitis is not always cured, so more attention should be paid to prevention - to keep the house clean, to treat the ducks with love.

Diseases of the oviduct

In ducks, there is a disease such as prolapse of the oviduct from the anus, it is diagnosed only in females. The cause of the development of the disease is the birth of too large eggs, which damages the structure of the oviduct. The onset of the disease is indicated by diarrhea or, conversely, constipation, after which the oviduct gradually falls out. The owner can help the bird on his own at home, you just need to adjust the oviduct to its normal position.

To relieve pain, you can put a small piece of ice into the opening of the oviduct. This will reduce swelling, remove bleeding, if any. If after this it is difficult for the duck to rush, the hole is lubricated with any ointment, for example, petroleum jelly.

Infectious diseases of ducks

Coccidiosis

Coccidiosis in adult ducks is quite common. However, in this bird, the disease proceeds in a more severe form, affecting not only the digestive system, but also the urinary system, which often leads to the fact that kidneys or liver fail in ducks, as in hepatitis. The disease most often flares up in those farms where birds are kept in unsuitable conditions, in dirty and cramped poultry houses. It is worth saying that coccidiosis is rapidly spreading among the household, because the transmission routes are drinking water, reservoirs, common food. In addition, a person can also transfer oocysts, for example, on the soles of shoes, by using cleaning products in rooms with animals and birds.

Symptoms of the disease:

The bird becomes lethargic, weak, prefers not to move at all, sits down and does not get up.
Appetite worsens, soon disappearing altogether, while thirst, on the contrary, grows.
Feathered diarrhea (frothy stools mixed with blood).
The skin and mucous membranes turn pale, the eyes too.
The duck's goiter is stretched and does not shrink.
The plumage is in a consistently tousled state.
Ducks, especially ducklings, lose weight quickly.
In the terminal stage of coccidiosis, the bird falls, complete paralysis sets in 4-7 days after infection and ends in inevitable death, the birds die a painful death.

What should be the treatment for coccidiosis? First, the diseased bird should be moved to a separate house to prevent further spread of the oocysts. From the moment the first signs appear, norsulfazole therapy is started, adding it to the drink. In parallel with this, a second antibiotic is given - osarsol.

It is important to correctly calculate the dose of the drug in accordance with the instructions.

Quite good results were shown by another drug with an antimicrobial effect - furazolidone. Its difference is that it is not bred for drinking, but in feed.

However, as with any disease, prevention is still the best treatment. In order to prevent the development of coccidiosis in your household, you need to follow these recommendations:

Keep young animals separate from adults.
Clean rooms with animals and poultry in time.
Periodically decontaminate poultry houses completely.
Use a separate cleaning product for each room.
Feed adult ducks in a balanced way, they should receive a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals.
For prophylaxis, at the age of 14 days, give the ducklings one dose of norsulfazole, repeat the course every 2-3 months.
Do not forget to give dairy food to the food of the chicks: kefir, yogurt, yogurt, whey, etc.

Colibacillosis in ducks

Ducklings often suffer from colibacillosis, or white muscle disease. Outwardly, the disease will manifest itself with symptoms of toxicosis, namely, weakness, lethargy, an increase in apathy, diarrhea and vomiting, accompanied by an increase in temperature and a constant feeling of thirst.

What causes the development of colibacillosis:

Room humidity is too high.
Poor or no ventilation.
Errors in duck nutrition.

Despite the fact that the disease initially seems harmless, in 70% of cases it leads to the fact that the bird dies. Unfortunately, there is no adequate treatment for colibacillosis, therefore, in order to prevent the spread of the disease among the livestock, the diseased individuals will have to be killed and their carcasses burned.

Aspergillosis

The causative agent of duck aspergillosis is a fungus. When it enters the body of a bird, the health of the winged sharply worsens, the mass decreases, breathing problems appear, and an irreplaceable feeling of thirst appears. In rare cases, the disease develops into a chronic form, and the duck at this time becomes a distributor of a dangerous fungus.

This ailment is difficult to treat, since at the very beginning there may be no symptoms at all. It is much easier to carry out preventive measures: you just need to monitor the humidity indicators in the room where the ducks live, then the chances of getting aspergillosis will be reduced.

Salmonellosis in ducklings

Salmonellosis is an infectious disease that affects almost all birds, including ducks. The symptoms of the disease are as follows:

general malaise;
constant desire to drink;
swelling of the mucous membranes and eyes, possible inflammation (a similar symptom with hepatitis of the liver);
the bird prefers not to get up if it falls;
loose stools with blood and foam;
the wings are constantly lowered;
white discharge from the eyes, feathered sneezes often.

Despite the treatment, the duck or drake can remain carriers of the infection, therefore, in 99% of cases, the bird is slaughtered and the carcass is disposed of so as not to carry the pathogens further.

Pasteurellosis in ducks

This disease is caused by pasteurella, which enters the body of a bird due to contact with a sick or dead bird, rodents, and also due to errors in keeping. Unfortunately, most often young animals have such a disease, because their unsettled immunity does not have the strength to fight the pathogen.

Symptoms:

Ducks constantly strive to hide their heads in their wings.
Feathers become sloppy, stick out.
Appetite disappears or worsens.
The nature of breathing changes - it becomes more frequent.
There is a frothy discharge from the nose, less often from the eyes.
Diarrhea.
Increase in temperature indicators.

How to treat birds? Duck cholera, pasteurellosis, or bird flu are bad, but still treatable. For more effective treatment, ducklings need to be prescribed several antibiotics of different groups at once, although the easiest way is to carry out preventive measures in the form of mandatory vaccinations at one month of age and then every 3.

Parasites in the body of a duck

Duck echinostomatidosis

The disease is caused by the ingestion of parasites in the body of a duck - trematodes (less often - echinostomatods). Most often, a duck becomes infected with these parasites, feeding in its natural environment, namely, in ponds, rivers or reservoirs, because their inhabitants carry the parasites. Find out about the symptoms:

lethargic behavior;
frequent diarrhea in ducklings;
violation of appetite.

Treatment is selected depending on the age and weight of the bird. Most often, veterinarians prescribe phenosalol drops, which are added to food or drink.If the farm has at least one case of parasite infestation, it is necessary to thoroughly disinfect the premises with birds in order to destroy the parasites once and for all.

Skin parasites

Ducks often suffer from skin parasites, which cause a lot of trouble for their owners. These parasites are called lice, as they parasitize under feathers, feeding on down. These pests are the answer to the question of why ducklings go bald. Their number increases so quickly that after a few days the duck is not able to eat, walk or swim normally.

You can help the duck on your own, for this you need to purchase antiparasitic sprays or ointments that are applied as close to the skin as possible. If this is not enough, you can add the tablets by mouth.

Worms in ducks

Ducks often suffer from worms. This is due to contact with poultry droppings if they are not removed in a timely manner. Symptoms of worm infestation are:

decreased immunity, which leads to frequent diseases of ducks
poor weight gain in small ducklings.

Despite the fact that worms are not considered to be a serious illness, getting rid of it is not so easy. Once again, it must be said that prevention is the best treatment. It is necessary to monitor the cleanliness of the poultry houses, carry out periodic disinfection. The same applies to the surrounding area and water bodies.

Conclusion

You have learned what diseases are typical for ducks and ducklings, you are aware of what symptoms may indicate the onset of the disease and what treatment can be. However, it is important not to forget that prevention is the most important part of caring for a livestock, you should not neglect it, so as not to incur financial losses later. It is necessary to pay attention to the brood, and if the pet has a sluggish gait, he sat down and does not get up - you must immediately understand that this is a symptom of one of the circle of diseases with similar manifestations. To determine which one, you should immediately contact your veterinarian. It is better not to take any action until his conclusion and the appointment of treatment, because this can only harm.