Bumble in my runner ducks ,hel]

[yarnchick]

My blue runner that got hurt at 4 days old
And got well now has a big bumble on her foot. I have been soaking twice a day in Epsom salts then clean again with vetrasin. Then I put heroic meds and a foam ring then bandage good. Evening same thing but triple antibiotic ointment. This evening I managed to pick up another two of the ducks and a fawn and white has what appears to be the beginning of more than one on each of her feet. Have 3 more to check. I have read horror stories and am sick to my stomach. Is there any hope to cure these or am I going to have to put my babies down. For the winter they were in garage but we put straw on floor and has been fairly clean. Please, I need help.

 

[yarnchick]

I mentioned to say preparation H. Spell checker got involved?

 

[Amiga]

No, you will not have to kill the ducks for bumblefoot.

Please read this, and don't get overwhelmed.

Haunted55 found how clear iodine is very helpful:

On July 1st, I found one of my Pekin ducks with what I would consider a bad case of Bumblefoot. Both feet were involved and I'm ashamed to say, the only way I found it was she was limping. One foot had 7 and the other had 3. I was able to grab her and bring her into the house and put her into a warm bath to clean and soak. Two water changes later and softened feet, all I had time to do was paint the bumbles with colorless iodine, grabbed the wrong stuff, and put her into a dog crate in my house until I could get everything ready to operate and get them gone. Did I mention the thought of this scared me half to death?

Sad to say it took 6 days before i was able to get everything together and someone to help out with the 'cure'. The following pictures are what we found after the bath we gave before the planned surgery to remove these things.




















As can be seen, there really wasn't much to operate on, even though I was prepared to do just that. No matter how much squeezing or prodding or soaking, there just wasn't anything more to come out, it was all on the scabs that were covering the sores. The swelling was down from the 'marbles' I saw when I first found them. I poured betadine over the ones I had opened and painted the ones that I hadn't again with the iodine and put her back into her crate with clean bedding.

the next pictures are of the same Pekin and anothe duck, Dottie the Mallard, who was also found limping.












As can be seen in the first two pictures, the bumbles have been dramatically reduced on the Pekin with just the iodine application and the smaller ones totally gone. The last four pictures are of the Mallard who is still under going the iodine applications.

As can be seen, this is how the left and right foot look tonight on the Pekin duck. The heels being the worst are still showing infection and need for more treatment. tomorrow, I will again give a bath and pull/cut out the scabbing and treat with straight iodine this time. These spots are now flat or as flat as they should be considering the part of the foot they are on. I will still touch up the places that had the spots before as well.

 

[yarnchick]

Thanks for quieting my nerves. Will get back with you later as I am wore out tonight. Have to run yarnshoppe by myself tomorrow. I have been into over kill on refurbish my du c know hut, trying to make it easier old folks to clean and collect eggs. I will be Abe to hose down undo summer and it is insulated all way round and has electricity. Like I said it is over kill but more enjoyable for us. Trying to collect my extra meds and find time. Thanks for writing.

 

[Amiga]

Please keep us posted as you can, and if you send me a private message, that may get my attention quicker - I also have those days - for a while, I was able to monitor the Duck Forum much of the day, but I now have to do things that keep me either away from the computer or attending to other projects.

I love the Duck Forum.

 

[yarnchick]

@Amiga
I am confused a bit. Is bandages required? After the apsome salts soak I have been soaking with verericyn then I put on animal antibiotic ointment. Then wrap. Chloe looks a bit better, at least there is no infection. Nice and pink and just a bit softer. I can get nothing out of it. Dusty the fawn and white has 3 on one foot and 2 on the other. Two have black spots or scabs. I soaked both feet tonight and done same treatment. I got to check another blue. Yup, knots coming. I have 2 more blues to check. Afraid to. But am overwhelmed. Do I just keep soaking and putting stuff on them. You mentioned clear iodin. I have colored. Any difference except stain. Should I go after the clear. I just don't want infection set up in them. I may be over paranoid thinking all bumps are making of bumbles. Didn't know ducks could be so time consuming. Also I started putting electrolytes in their salad water. Any thing else you can think of and have time to impart I would be great full for.

 

[Amiga]

You are being a great duck caregiver! Sometimes, for some of us, it can be like this, but it settles down especially if we find that there is a source for the bumbles, such as walking on wire or sharp surfaces or brambles, or a puddle that has gotten icky, something like that. So think about what they are walking on and walking in. Do they walk on concrete or asphalt regularly? Anything that might abrade their feet will make them more susceptible to bumblefoot.

Clear iodine is different than regular brown. It has ammonia in it, for one thing. It seems to penetrate the skin more than the brown iodine, and that may be why it is especially useful for bumbles. Notice in the writeup from Haunted55 that she soaked, put the clear iodine on, and then did not treat for several days. That is one advantage to this method - you won't be having to soak and treat every day.

Good that you are aware of the risk of systemic infection. If the feet or legs get particularly warm, that is a sign it may be time to start oral antibiotics. But just be aware, don't panic.

Or, if you are like me,

panic early, get it over with, then settle down and don't worry - just manage it one bit at a time.

 

[yarnchick]

@Amiga
Or, if you are like me,

panic early, get it over with, then settle down and don't worry - just manage it one bit at a time.

Would both legs be warm even if one foot has bumble? i thought last night that Chloe had warm legs (but she was sitting on the bowl of warm water). I am a bit paranoid I think. We brought them in for the bad winter into the garage. Didn't think much about the concrete floor. had two 5x6 rugs for them around their food and water. Straw for them in another space but there was a bit of concrete. (We now have straw all over) Still trying to get hut remodeled. Hopefully this weekend.Also last summer they stayed in the ditch whenever there was water. Runoff from woods. I do have a rose bush by one of the water ponds and they climb the concrete steps and on rocks in the garden. I guess they have put their little feet on a lot of stuff. I have a pair of shoes on order but wow 5 more pair. OCH. My son is picking me up some clear iodine so will start that tonight. Cloes knot was big enough to make her limp so I put a sponge ring around that to ease the pain but that requires bandage. If I do the rest with aforementioned treatment then I do not have to bandage. (?) That would be a help. Thanks so much for advise and calming my nerves. Chloe does look a bit better.

 

[Amiga]

And we have gravel, and there are blackberry bushes here and there, and sometimes we walk along the edge of the country lane (very little traffic, good sight lines), so it is not perfect. But most of what ours walk on is soft mulchy stuff, most of the time.

I remember once we had three or four cases of bumblefoot within the first couple of years. sheesh. Somehow we all got adjusted, and we have not seen a bumble in years, knock wood.

If you can try to keep Cloe on soft bedding for at least a few days that would be good. I bought booties and eventually gave up. So I make sure to do the treatments especially the one at night when they won't have a swim pan to wash off in.

I have used the Epsom salt then triple antibiotic method, and I know several who have used that or the clear iodine. Both seem to work. I think if both legs seem warm you are fine - just if one is much warmer than the other with no other explanation (like, one was in a warm compress).

 

[yarnchick]

Thanks so much. Chloe is on soft bedding. I am enlarging their yard which will be just grass. When Chloe is out she mostly stays on mulch or grass.