Common Waterfowl Heath Issues and Treatments

Issue	Cause	Treatment
Bumblefoot	Hard, rough walking surfaces, dirty litter cases wound or ulceration to bottom of the foot, which then gets infected with bacteria.	Clean wound with an antiseptic such as Vetericyn Wound Spray. Severe cases may require wrapping the foot with a medicated wrap and prevent swimming, or oral antibiotics.
Prolapsed phallus in male ducks	Overbreeding, trauma during breeding, less commonly caused by venereal disease	Apply a water-based lubricant such as Veterycin HydroGel and help phallus retract back into the duck’s body. Separate drake from the rest of the flock to allow healing.
Angel Wing	Nutritional deficiency	Prevent by feeding waterfowl diet appropriate for age. Avoid treats. Difficult to treat once it develops, but bandaging wings close to the body with vet wrap may lessen the severity.
Lameness in young ducks	Niacin deficiency is the most common cause	Prevent by feeding waterfowl diet appropriate for age. Supplement water with crushed niacin tablets daily, or top dress feed with Brewers yeast.
Avian Cholera	Bacterial illness caused by poor husbandry and dirty water, the duck has labored breathing and nasal discharge	Thoroughly scrub and sanitize the swimming container, change all bedding. Antibiotics may be needed.
Duck Viral Hepatitis	A viral disease that causes incoordination, listlessness, and sudden death in very young ducks	Treatment is supportive: isolate duck, keep warm and dry, make sure it is eating and drinking. If duck recovers, it can shed the virus for up to 8 weeks.
New Duck Disease also called Duck Septicemia	Bacterial illness causes diarrhea, eye and nasal discharge, lethargy	Antibiotics: isolate sick duck and seek veterinary help immediately