Bumble or callus

[Charitylb1576]

Our 3 month old Peking duck has this on the bottom of both her feet. My daughter was hold her when I noticed it. They are really skittish even though we held them from 3 days on so holding them is a treat! But she is not limping or acting like she is in pain. She is eating and drinking normally. Playing with her sister and the chickens and swimming like usual. Please help ASAP!

 

[GermanKennhuhn]

I don’t have any experience with ducks, but that looks like the bumble foot i’ve had on my chickens before, I had success soaking her foot in warm epsom salt water until the scab was soft enough to peel off.
@Wyorp Rock @azygous

 

[Charitylb1576]

I was afraid of that! Thank you very much!

 

[Aunt Angus]

That is definitely bumblefoot. I will often pick scabs off of chickens, but I HATE opening a duck's foot. I would soak, debride the scab as much as possible, pack the scab with antibiotic ointment, and wrap the foot with a gauze pad and vet wrap. Repeat daily until it heals.

I hate opening their feet because then you don't want the duck to swim in yucky duck ponds/pools. I usually bring them in to swim in my nice clean bathtub when treating fir bumblefoot. Bumblefoot in ducks can take weeks to heal.

Good luck!

 

[addctd2plnts]

Bumblefoot is essentially a normal callus that has gotten a more dense area, like a corn, within the callus. As a Podaitrist, I understand the mechanism because we see it in people too. The dense area of callus acts like a stone taped to the bottom of the foot, and blister like fluid builds up under the callus. If any bacteria get in, that's when you get a large amount of drainage and cheesey like material under the callus that must be drained. I have ducks and can say that they go very quickly from a plain callus to infected. This may be because of their high body temperature.

Ducks, especially Pekins, get thickened areas on the bottom of their feet. If there are areas of very hard build up, you can use Vaseline to soften the callus and encourage sloughing of the callus. There is a product made for callused feet that could be rubbed on the callus, called Kerasal Ointment. Do not use it on skin that is open, but on calluses it is fine. Soaks are best done using Hibiclens which kills all bacteria, viruses, fungus and yeast on the skin and in the wound for a full 24 hours after a 15 minute soak. But 2 soaks a day is best.

Oral antibiotics should also be started. If infection gets into the joint or bone it is very bad. Baytril 10%, twice daily for 5 days, works.

 

[addctd2plnts]

Our 3 month old Peking duck has this on the bottom of both her feet. My daughter was hold her when I noticed it. They are really skittish even though we held them from 3 days on so holding them is a treat! But she is not limping or acting like she is in pain. She is eating and drinking normally. Playing with her sister and the chickens and swimming like usual. Please help ASAP!

If the duck is not limping, it is a NORMAL area of the joint where the skin thickens. I have show Pekins and they all have areas at the joints that look similar to this. The KEY is that they do not limp. If they LIMP then you start soaking. If they are not, DO NOT cut into it because you'll give bacteria a way into a clean area. I'm a human foot surgeon, who also worked for vets for many years. I truly understand this issue because it is identicle to what we see in people!

 

[Aunt Angus]

If you do start oral antibiotics, keep in mind you won't be able to sell or give away any eggs from that duck ever. You can eat them yourself, but it's a big no-no in the egg producing industry.

 

[Aunt Angus]

And I'll add that my Pekin's feet do not look like this at all. Her feet are soft and smooth, no callus or blackened area.

@Miss Lydia
@Quatie
@KaleIAm

 

[addctd2plnts]

And I'll add that my Pekin's feet do not look like this at all. Her feet are soft and smooth, no callus or blackened area.

@Miss Lydia
@Quatie
@KaleIAm

The black is simply dirt. It's not the same as a nucleated callus in bumblefoot. A nucleated callus is painful. As far as not eating the eggs, as a doctor, I have no problem eating eggs from a ducks that have had antibiotics. Trust me, you get much more objectionable pesticides in & on the vegetables you eat. Most vegetable transplants are now watered in or sprayed with systemic pesticides. Denying the duck lifesaving antibiotics and allowing it to get osteomyelitis is simply cruel. Bone infections are PAINFUL and you're not going to get many eggs from a duck in pain and stressed by infection. The welfare of the animal exceeds any need we might have for a morning egg IMHO

 

[PicklesMom]

If you do start oral antibiotics, keep in mind you won't be able to sell or give away any eggs from that duck ever. You can eat them yourself, but it's a big no-no in the egg producing industry.

I don't think this is correct. We had a duck last year with a fairly severe joint infection who was on antibiotics and antifungals for a few months. The vet was able to give us specific egg withdrawal times and said if we were really worried, there was a state lab we could send eggs to for testing. We don't sell eggs but have given them away without a thought.