Baytril dosage for ducks with bumblefoot

[joesandy1822]

Yes that is the correct stuff. And you do have the dosage correct.

So looking at the foot, it doesn't look like any necrotic tissue. The softer scab looks like what you typically see when the wound doesn't dry as much. That is obviously going to happen, since you have to wrap the feet. If you peel it off and don't see any more puss, then I would just let it heal. Once the scab is ready to fall off, it will start to come off on its own. Otherwise it looks like it is on its way to healing.

Well, before I saw your reply, we did her care for the evening. That yellow, squishy area had us both concerned, so we peeled off the scab and picked around in the yellowish area. A bunch of it pulled out very easily, like dead flesh. I’m assuming healed tissue wouldn’t just come off so easily? I don’t know. I feel like we just start over every time we open it up again, but if that WAS dead tissue or hardened pus, it needed to come out, correct? There is a literal hole, about 1/2” deep, where some of the yellow stuff came out of. Some of it was closer to the surface. We irrigated it very thoroughly with peroxide, then saline, then sprayed with Vetericyn, and finally we filled the hole as best we could with the antibiotic ointment the vet prescribed. Wrapped it with gauze, and put a clean bootie back on for the night.

Would it be better if we actually packed the hole with gauze along with the ointment? That way the hole will stay open while it heals from the inside out? I just don’t know why it keeps filling/covering back up with what seems like dead tissue or pus. At least there was minimal bleeding. I just feel like the more times we keep digging around in there, the more chance that we will introduce more bacteria, even though we are careful. There is no bad smell, and she tolerates it pretty well. She is acting normal and happy. How, I don’t know.

Here is a link to this evening’s findings.

I feel like I should order some liquid Baytril and get her back on it. That hole is so deep, how can it not be clear to the bone?! But I fear giving her sour crop or a yeast infection. I read in this book I got that you don’t want them on an antibiotic for more than 5 days. She already did a 10-day course, but I think the dose maybe was not correct. Anybody have any input regarding this?

Thanks so much!

 

[Quatie]

Well, before I saw your reply, we did her care for the evening. That yellow, squishy area had us both concerned, so we peeled off the scab and picked around in the yellowish area. A bunch of it pulled out very easily, like dead flesh. I’m assuming healed tissue wouldn’t just come off so easily? I don’t know. I feel like we just start over every time we open it up again, but if that WAS dead tissue or hardened pus, it needed to come out, correct? There is a literal hole, about 1/2” deep, where some of the yellow stuff came out of. Some of it was closer to the surface. We irrigated it very thoroughly with peroxide, then saline, then sprayed with Vetericyn, and finally we filled the hole as best we could with the antibiotic ointment the vet prescribed. Wrapped it with gauze, and put a clean bootie back on for the night.

Would it be better if we actually packed the hole with gauze along with the ointment? That way the hole will stay open while it heals from the inside out? I just don’t know why it keeps filling/covering back up with what seems like dead tissue or pus. At least there was minimal bleeding. I just feel like the more times we keep digging around in there, the more chance that we will introduce more bacteria, even though we are careful. There is no bad smell, and she tolerates it pretty well. She is acting normal and happy. How, I don’t know.

Here is a link to this evening’s findings.

I feel like I should order some liquid Baytril and get her back on it. That hole is so deep, how can it not be clear to the bone?! But I fear giving her sour crop or a yeast infection. I read in this book I got that you don’t want them on an antibiotic for more than 5 days. She already did a 10-day course, but I think the dose maybe was not correct. Anybody have any input regarding this?

Thanks so much!

So I am not seeing any infected like tissue in there. It looks like tissue trying to heal on the top. I just don't see necrotic tissue. I am going to tag @Miss Lydia for a second opinion. She may not respond till the morning.

There is definitely a risk with continually opening it and reinfecting it. You do not want stick gauze in the hole. The gauze will end up having the tissue form to it. Going back to vet could also be worthwhile and having the vet take a second look at it. In person, the vet is going to know healthy tissue from not and if it still infected. Having someone in person is always the best.

That mass is not really going to necessarily go down. My Pekin has a lump on her foot that is permanent and will never go away. It is just excess tissue that grew around the infection.

If it is orally it is usually administered at a higher dosage and for 5 -7 days. I have seen other vets administer it for 10+ days on the site.

I have seen @Isaac 0 on recently. Maybe he will see this. He is one of the most knowledgeable people about ducks on this site. He is the most likely to be able to give you the answers you seek.

 

[joesandy1822]

So I am not seeing any infected like tissue in there. It looks like tissue trying to heal on the top. I just don't see necrotic tissue. I am going to tag @Miss Lydia for a second opinion. She may not respond till the morning.

There is definitely a risk with continually opening it and reinfecting it. You do not want stick gauze in the hole. The gauze will end up having the tissue form to it. Going back to vet could also be worthwhile and having the vet take a second look at it. In person, the vet is going to know healthy tissue from not and if it still infected. Having someone in person is always the best.

That mass is not really going to necessarily go down. My Pekin has a lump on her foot that is permanent and will never go away. It is just excess tissue that grew around the infection.

If it is orally it is usually administered at a higher dosage and for 5 -7 days. I have seen other vets administer it for 10+ days on the site.

I have seen @Isaac 0 on recently. Maybe he will see this. He is one of the most knowledgeable people about ducks on this site. He is the most likely to be able to give you the answers you seek.

Thank you! You have been very helpful and generous with your time. We appreciate it very much!

 

[Quatie]

Thank you! You have been very helpful and generous with your time. We appreciate it very much!

I am happy to help. Hopefully one of those two do be able to give you some more information.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I would be soaking her foot or feet daily in warm Epsom salt water. I say both because I use a bucket and I it’s easier to put both feet in hold onto the duck and let them soak for as long as they will tolerate it. You don’t want her drinking the water it has a laxative effect. But it’s so good for inflammation and swelling. Then spray with Veterycin. I have a hen inside my house right now treating for bumble. I started outside with treating and wrapping but the wound was staying moist so I had to bring her inside where she wouldn’t have to be wrapped and the bumble is drying and healing. It’s going on 2 weeks of having her inside. So if you can keep her on clean bedding or pee pads and let the foot stay with out wrapping it may heal quicker. Some times you do have to go back in more than once when working on these bumbles. And it can take a while for the trauma of being opened and dug into to settle down. I did have my hen on a 5 day course of Baytril.

 

[Isaac 0]

I would personally leave the wound alone.
Soaking, applying ointments, and bandaging the foot are all conducive to healing and should still be done.
However, continuing to excavate tissue from the wound may lead to further contamination, and interruption of the healing process. At this point it appears to be doing well, but If at any point you notice discharge, potent smell, swelling, or anything alarming I would suspect the wound is infected. Antibiotics would be necessary to penetrate deep into the tissue.

but I think the dose maybe was not correct

Do you happen to remember the dose?

 

[joesandy1822]

I would be soaking her foot or feet daily in warm Epsom salt water. I say both because I use a bucket and I it’s easier to put both feet in hold onto the duck and let them soak for as long as they will tolerate it. You don’t want her drinking the water it has a laxative effect. But it’s so good for inflammation and swelling. Then spray with Veterycin. I have a hen inside my house right now treating for bumble. I started outside with treating and wrapping but the wound was staying moist so I had to bring her inside where she wouldn’t have to be wrapped and the bumble is drying and healing. It’s going on 2 weeks of having her inside. So if you can keep her on clean bedding or pee pads and let the foot stay with out wrapping it may heal quicker. Some times you do have to go back in more than once when working on these bumbles. And it can take a while for the trauma of being opened and dug into to settle down. I did have my hen on a 5 day course of Baytril.

Thank you for your input! I wish it were possible to bring her inside, but my situation does not allow.

It gets confusing, as you see differing opinions. Some feel keeping a would moist helps healing. Others mention that once they made it dry out, that was key. I did order some Baytril yesterday. I’ll see how she does from her out and go from there. This morning she has quite a limp, and before we debrided the tissue yesterday, her limp was almost gone. So now I’m feeling bad, but that tissue was falling away like it didn’t belong there.

 

[Miss Lydia]

it may take a few days for the trauma of being worked on to ease up. The Epsom salt soaking really helps. In the past when I had one with bumble I always wrapped but this time it just wasn't working the wound wouldn't start a scab which means healing so it was the only thing I could do was to bring her inside. I couldn't leave the bandage off and let her run around out with everyone else just too much bacteria out there. If you can pen her up where she is on as clean as possible bedding you may be able to let the wound heal without a bandage. But keeping it wrapped might work for you. I think the heat and humidity might have played a role in what was going on with my hens bumble.

 

[joesandy1822]

I would personally leave the wound alone.
Soaking, applying ointments, and bandaging the foot are all conducive to healing and should still be done.
However, continuing to excavate tissue from the wound may lead to further contamination, and interruption of the healing process. At this point it appears to be doing well, but If at any point you notice discharge, potent smell, swelling, or anything alarming I would suspect the wound is infected. Antibiotics would be necessary to penetrate deep into the tissue.


Do you happen to remember the dose?

Thank you for your insight! I do appreciate everybody here and their willingness to share their thoughts and time.

It was “Baytril 20” tablets. They were 22.7mg tabs, and I gave her one a day for 10 days. I did order some liquid Baytril yesterday to have on hand.

Strangely, as big and gnarly as the bumble is/was, there has never been an odor. And prior to her surgery, with that huge bumble scab, she never limped or showed any pain symptoms (until after surgery). Part of me says we should have left her alone, But everything I read says that would have been an eventual death sentence.

 

[Miss Lydia]

It is a death sentence what you did was right. We can't let the infection spread into joints and bloodstream.