Drake Prolapse Amputation: Yea or Nay?

[boopsqueak]

I would not put any more ointment on it and see how it does. When I looked up the drug you are using for that it said that if given on an open wound it could go into the body and cause kidney problems and even poison the body. That was the downside of the drug. I would be afraid of using it any further on him and just stick to the spray that I used myself. I would keep an eye on it and see if he is able to contract it in a short while. Hopefully he will be able to. Good luck with this situation and I hope that Bobbie makes it fine.

I haven't put any ointment on it. While still swollen, the tissue still looks healthy.
That's scary about the Bacitracin Zinc! (Is that the drug you were referring to?) I figured it would be okay to use on ducks, since it is one of the ingredients in triple antibiotic ointment, and it was recommended for bumblefoot patients (that's why we had it). Thanks for the information!
Bobbie has not had any drugs of any kind today, neither antibiotics nor anti-inflammatories, and he seems just fine. I did use Veterycin.
He was very lively outside today, and quite crabby this evening, which is normal for Alligator Bob (though he is really a very sweet little drake).

 

[Luv Ducks]

I haven't put any ointment on it. While still swollen, the tissue still looks healthy.
That's scary about the Bacitracin Zinc! (Is that the drug you were referring to?) I figured it would be okay to use on ducks, since it is one of the ingredients in triple antibiotic ointment, and it was recommended for bumblefoot patients (that's why we had it). Thanks for the information!
Bobbie has not had any drugs of any kind today, neither antibiotics nor anti-inflammatories, and he seems just fine. I did use Veterycin.
He was very lively outside today, and quite crabby this evening, which is normal for Alligator Bob (though he is really a very sweet little drake).

I had just looked up the name without Zinc added to it and that was what it had said. Ointments have the oil base and not water base I believe and that is what they said was an irritant and should not be used. I am glad that you are just using the spray and I think that should be enough. It was for mine at least. I think sometimes we can try too hard to fix something wrong with them and do more harm than good. Hopefully he will be fine.

 

[boopsqueak]

I had just looked up the name without Zinc added to it and that was what it had said. Ointments have the oil base and not water base I believe and that is what they said was an irritant and should not be used. I am glad that you are just using the spray and I think that should be enough. It was for mine at least. I think sometimes we can try too hard to fix something wrong with them and do more harm than good. Hopefully he will be fine.

I wasn't doubting what you had said. We weren't thinking about using it anymore, anyway. It's hard to apply a thick substance like that without causing discomfort.
Maybe it is okay to use with bumblefoot because birds' feet don't have much blood flow going to them, so there is probably less absorption. At least that's what I'm guessing.
I'm hoping and praying that the swelling will go down. Thank God the infected tissue sloughed off!

 

[Luv Ducks]

I haven't put any ointment on it. While still swollen, the tissue still looks healthy.
That's scary about the Bacitracin Zinc! (Is that the drug you were referring to?) I figured it would be okay to use on ducks, since it is one of the ingredients in triple antibiotic ointment, and it was recommended for bumblefoot patients (that's why we had it). Thanks for the information!
Bobbie has not had any drugs of any kind today, neither antibiotics nor anti-inflammatories, and he seems just fine. I did use Veterycin.
He was very lively outside today, and quite crabby this evening, which is normal for Alligator Bob (though he is really a very sweet little drake).

You are most welcome and hopefully he is on the way to healing.

 

[boopsqueak]

Poor Bobbie seems to be rather uncomfortable today. He was trying to contract his vent, but couldn't because the swelling was too great. Consequently, his appetite seems to be decreased a bit, and I don't blame him. He didn't want lettuce, but he was eating some of his black soldier fly larvae. Maybe some time outside will help him feel better.
Still, there doesn't seem to be any necrotic tissue or peeling. I hope the swelling goes down soon, though. Does anyone have any more suggestions?

 

[Luv Ducks]

Poor Bobbie seems to be rather uncomfortable today. He was trying to contract his vent, but couldn't because the swelling was too great.A Consequently, his appetite seems to be decreased a bit, and I don't blame him. He didn't want lettuce, but he was eating some of his black soldier fly larvae. Maybe some time outside will help him feel better.
Still, there doesn't seem to be any necrotic tissue or peeling. I hope the swelling goes down soon, though. Does anyone have any more suggestions?

As long as there is a prolapse there is a chance of infection. If it does not retract soon I would cut the swelling part off. This is just what I would do then use the spray and push what is not swelled back inside of him and see if that works. This is just what I would do. The decision is up to you. Especially since he is taking a step backwards on healing instead of getting better each day.

 

[boopsqueak]

As long as there is a prolapse there is a chance of infection. If it does not retract soon I would cut the swelling part off. This is just what I would do then use the spray and push what is not swelled back inside of him and see if that works. This is just what I would do. The decision is up to you. Especially since he is taking a step backwards on healing instead of getting better each day.

I will keep that in mind. Since the swelling has not gone down within a few days, could that mean that there is still an infection going on? At any rate, I have the scissors, and there is still more Meloxicam left.
The other option would be to continue to use the Baytril, but at a lower dose (1 cc per quart). Other than yeast or sour crop type infections (I didn't know that ducks could get sour crop), I couldn't find out any information on why that would be a bad idea, but casportpony, having given Baytril before, probably knows more about this than I do. If yeast is the only problem, though, Bobbie does already get a strong mixture of poultry probiotics in his food, which could help stave off the yeast.

 

[FatherFalcon]

This is Alligator Bob. He is brave, smart, handsome, a doer of valorous deeds and much more interesting than Boo, the World’s Cutest Dog. At any rate, poor Bobbie has had a relatively slight penis prolapse for about a month. For a while, I was just keeping an eye on it, applying hydrocortisone and antibiotic ointment. However, last week, we noticed that the tip of the exposed organ was looking a little scabby. We brought him inside, where he is now. He doesn’t have much of an appetite but is very feisty all the same. He does enjoy earthworms, though!
View attachment 3727389
On Saturday, we brought him to the vet, who is not an avian specialist, but who does treat birds. He peeled a lot of dry skin/scabby material off the prolapse (horrible to watch) and prescribed an anti-inflammatory (Meloxicam) and antibiotics (Clavamox). He said that the necrotic tissue at the tip of the penis may fall off on its own, but if it gets worse or does not get better by his follow-up on Friday then Bobbie will have to be put down.

I was very surprised by this. Judging by many of the threads here on BYC, it seems as if necrotic or even gangrenous prolapse tissue can be amputated, even at home, without many complications, and I have seen many professional avian vets say the same. The vet said that ducks “don’t usually do well” after amputation, but that seems like a strange statement to me, after all that has been posted here about this subject. Compared to some of the horrors I have seen while researching this condition, Bobbie’s prolapse hardly looks bad at all. It’s not swollen or inflamed, and there is only a teeny bit of scabby tissue at the very tip—which Bobbie could easily grow back if it was removed. Here it is:
View attachment 3727387
(If a better picture is needed, I can try again. The camera was not cooperating at all, and it was hard to focus.)
What do you think? Should I go through with the amputation (if it is needed) and cancel the follow-up, or has there been some change in medical opinion concerning this procedure? I have pretty much everything I need: a sterile scalpel, antibiotics, and anti-inflammatories. I don’t want to give up on this splendid little drake yet!

I’d say keep it isolated. Mini condom little bit o bacitracin and tape. Duck dong diaper!Leave for a week. Gets better? good, if not well at least you prepared for dong for the rubber ban or cut and burn. Same after the removal w/ the rubber band. No tape let it fall. And watch it for good execution. Cut and burn. Bacitracin and open air til heals. put bacitracin in feed a week or meds for how ever… good heals

 

[Luv Ducks]

If the swelling does not go down I would think there is infection in it. I would cut and spray but only because that worked so well for me. If you want to do something else that's fine, I just hope Bob does well no matter what.

 

[boopsqueak]

Well, Bobbie is now eating again, and seems to be feeling better than yesterday. We have been using a spray called HealXcel on him, which is a soothing mixture of different herbal extracts. It is not oil-based.
Meanwhile, one of our chickens, Genevieva the Silkie, has joined Bobbie and his companions in the basement bird hospital. (She is in a different brooder). She had trouble laying an egg today, as it was a soft-shelled one. She has a very slight oviduct prolapse and obturator paralysis (also slight). Fortunately, she can walk and seems a lot perkier compared to when we found her, so her recovery will probably be quick. We were all terrified when we found her, fearing Marek's disease. Thank God it's not!