Ducks!

19 years ago

Hi, my girlfriend and I have 2 pet ducks named Duckie and Minnie. Duckie is about 2 1/2 mos old, and i have a question about her panting. we have a huge pen for them, a big pool that they enjoy swimming in, and when we come home from work we take them inside and they lay on the couch with us for a few hours (and then the bed) and we snuggle with them and kiss their heads (which is beside the point). We feed them good natural non-medicated feed, and clean out their pool daily. My question is, even when she's been drinking plenty of water and it's nice and cool inside the house, Duckie will be laying beside us, drifting asleep, and she inevitably starts to pant heavily. She will continue to pant, sleeping or not, with her mouth wide open, moving her head around like Stevie Wonder. This normally wouldn't worry me a whole lot, and we think it's cute, but Minnie doesn't do this, and when i looked up panting ducks, all i found is that they're either hot or thirsty (which mine isn't). any idea what this could be? any help would be appreciated, as we love these ducks like they are our kids.

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Comments (5)

jdkj1383
Original Author
19 years ago
In case you wanted to see Duckie in action

http://photos.gardenweb.com/home/galleries/2007/08/duckie.html

Here is a link that might be useful: http://photos.gardenweb.com/home/galleries/2007/08/duckie.html
jdkj1383
Original Author
19 years ago
i know it may be overkill, and i still need to know what may be wrong with Duckie, i wanted you to see the serious cuteness of the situation

http://photos.gardenweb.com/home/galleries/2007/08/duckie2.html

Here is a link that might be useful: http://photos.gardenweb.com/home/galleries/2007/08/duckie2.html
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GennyM
19 years ago
I have many ducks and even after I've cleaned their pools out and given them fresh water they will still pant like that. The only thing that seems funny is that one of your ducks does this, not the other one, right?

Could she have something stuck in her throat???
jdkj1383
Original Author
19 years ago
well we've thought that before, but she's been doing this since she was young... maybe the younger one is being weird by not panting?

Duckie occasionally barks like a dog too, which may be relevant here... or she may be mimicking. i wonder if she maybe has some kind of lung thing? I was thinking of taking them both the the vet just for a checkup and to ask this.
GennyM
19 years ago
yeah to the vet for a check-up wouldn't hurt. I don't think the other duck is being weird for not panting, a lot of my ducks don't. But then some of mine do pant especially on hot days even if I've just cleaned their pools and put cold water in them.

I wonder if she has a respiratory infection?? I had a duck once that got one.

The barking thing is probably her just being a duck :) I have 2 mallards and they are so LOUD when they quack it does sound like a dog barking at times!!