Pet Health: What You Need to Know

Does Your Pet Duck Need A Visit To The Animal Hospital?

13 April 2021

Connor Hawkins

While a pet duck may not be the most common pet in the average American household, a pet of any sort requires regular professional veterinary care to keep them healthy. Even a pet duck can fall victim to illness, disease, or parasites, and it's up to you as the responsible pet owner to know when it's time to take your pet duck to the animal hospital for care.

Here are signs your pet duck needs to go to the veterinary clinic right away. The sooner you can get your pet duck care, the healthier and more comfortable they can be.

Your duck has watery or foaming eyes

Foamy eye is a relatively common bacterial infection that can happen in pet ducks of any age. Often caused by dirty water, foamy eye is caused by the duck's natural immune system response to the infection. Foamy eye can also be caused by an eye injury, so take your pet duck to the animal hospital if you see foam coming from their inner eye. They can receive treatment and possible medications to help them heal faster.

Your duck is losing feathers

If you have more than one duck, then your pet duck can be losing feathers due to trauma caused by other ducks. They might be fighting for a mate — if you have both drakes and hens — or be suffering from gang breeding.

Lost feathers can also be a sign of parasites or illness, so take your duck to the animal hospital if your duck is missing enough feathers to expose skin, has weeping eyes or mucous membranes, is rapidly losing weight, or is losing interest in food and water. If you have both genders of duck, consider separating males from females or upping the female-to-male ratio to help alleviate fighting and over-breeding.

Your duck has an injury

Your pet duck can get an injury at any time, from being stepped on because they follow you too closely, flapping their wings in an enclosed space, or being attacked by another animal. Ducks are on the larger side for domestic birds and can be known to chase cats and other curious pets, but they can get injured just like any other pet can. Take them to the animal hospital if they are limping, have a cut in their skin, cannot walk, prefer to stand on just one foot, or if they show other signs of injury.  

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