Bumblefoot treatments!... duck is limping!

Hi,
One of my girls has a bad bumble on her foot. It looks about hte size of a small marble and is warm to touch. I started epsom salt soaks on March 1 for 10-15 min once a day (i'm the only one who can do it and I work 7-5) but it looks worse. She just started limping tonight and keeps weight off her foot when she is standing still (pulling her foot up as if to sleep). Are soaks going to be enough?? Is it one of those things that gets worse before it can get better?? Please help!

The soaks are a good start - for what you are describing, I would use the clear iodine method.

Clear. Not brown.

Please carefully read post 22 of this thread https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...umblefoot-treatment-in-ducks/20#post_15463031

I found clear iodine also called yodo blanco at a Walmart - call ahead. You may also be able to find it at a local drugstore.

And in the meantime, I would put an antibiotic ointment (without painkiller) on the foot and leg three times a day.

If it's warm, the infection could be spreading and you may want to start her on oral antibiotics - I am not a vet, but I would use duramycin (available at feed stores). If you have a helpful vet, they might be able to help with a more experienced opinion. There are vets who will actually test the bacteria to be sure a particular antibiotic will work against it.

It got bad enough today that she wasnt walking. barely ate or drank water becuase she coudlnt reach it. moved it closer and she still woudlnt get up. so my mom and i took on the task of lancing the bumble and squeezing out as much of the infection as we could. but it still looks like this on top. does that mean theres still stuff inside? we squeezed and pressed as much as we could and nothing more came out. we have her foot wrapped up now and she's resting.

Most of the time, the pus in a bumble is more like cottage cheese than liquid. So it cannot all be pressed out.

That is why I recommend the clear iodine method. Have you read that?

i did but I didnt have the opportunity to get some today. We've dressed the open wound, put betadine and vetericyn on it. is it too late to put clear iodine on it? how often shoudl the dressings be changed?

I would change the dressing daily - it's tricky, keeping the foot clean enough but letting air get in for healing.

I would get an antibiotic cream to put on it and use that. Rinse the foot in mild saline to clean it off, then some antibiotic cream - not ointment - so air gets to the wound for healing, and rewrap the foot carefully, to avoid cutting off circulation.

@casportpony and @Orca5094 may have some ideas also.

@Miss Lydia

So when I change the dressing tomorrow, clear iodine and.... neosporin?

Also, can we still eat her eggs if we're putting all this stuff on her foot? (betadine, vetericyn, iodine...)

I don't think there's an egg eating problem, but I am not a vet.

At this point, with an open wound, I would not start the clear iodine treatment. I would, until the wound closes, rinse with saline or vetericyn, put the cream on, and stick with that.

Once the broken skin is healed, I would soak in Epsom salt - I use compresses, but some folks stand the duck in a small bucket or bowl. No drinking the Epsom salt water, it is a laxative. Or, just let the duck float in some lukewarm water for half an hour, to soften the skin. Then put a couple of drops on the bumble. Do not wrap the foot after that. Do not treat the foot for four or five days, but do check it daily.

If it starts looking worse, if you can get to a vet, please do.

Hopefully, a black scab will form and after several days you soak the foot again for a while and see if the black scab will come off with very gentle pulling. If not, a few more drops of clear iodine, wait a few more days, try again.

If it works the way it has worked for a number of people, the scab will come off and take a bunch of yuck with it. Often one can see nice, new, healed tissue once the plug is removed. Sometimes it needs another round of clear iodine and waiting.

Have you started her on oral antibiotics? I am thinking that I would. And in that case, I don't think it is recommended to eat the eggs.

(You can make paint with them though.)

We cleaned it today and there is a huge black scab. we cleaned around it and sprayed vetericyn on it, and wrapped it up again. how long till we soak and pull off the black scab?

Did you put the clear iodine on it or did the scab form without that?