bumblefoot, help please

[DuckDuckGuinea]

I also got Epsom Salts for warm soak baths in the tub when needed.

 

[tia]

Does it hurt them to drink the Epsom Salts when they are in the tub???

 

[DuckDuckGuinea]

I wouldn't let them drink the water if Epsom Salts are in the soak.

 

[thedoors5to1]

thanks for all the information DuckDUckguinea, the gatorade and poly vi sol. i was giving my duck warm epsom salt soaks though, it was part of the treatment i did. Soaking feet in it for half hour, then cleaning the area, applying triple bacetracin, and wrapping it up. i do have a pair of netties shoes, but he always tends to pull them off somehow, or he gets them wet by getting in the waterer someway... i was also doing injections of .5ml pen-g in alternating breasts/legs for the infection. it appeared to be getting better and looked good. apparently i should have never let it go. i will try to post pictures toommrow.

can bumblefoot be contagious to my other ducks? i've noticed 3 of my other ducks all the girls, have a small spot, some just caluses that are healthy, but a few small inflammed areas with the discolored small center. for some reason only one of my ducks does not have any spots, my other male.

thanks everyone

 

[DuckDuckGuinea]

Happy that I could help. Thought occurred to me, are you wrapping ducks foot and letting that duck with the rest of the group? You said sometimes get wet from waterer. Does interior part of the dressing get wet? If so, that will make the bacteria so so happy. Microorganisms love wet dark homes. Do you have any silvadene cream? That is another topical cream that may be helpful. I asked my vet about injections he wanted to wait. I think injections are a sure fire way to knock it out.
You are doing a great job, don't beat yourself up for letting it go, I am guilty of that as well. My males do not show signs of bumblefoot either, I wonder why that is?
Bumblefoot (my understanding) is "contagious" in the sense that if the bacteria is in your substrate/ground covering and another duck gets a tiny knick on its foot that the duck is susceptible to get it as well.

Look forward to seeing your pictures!

ddg

 

[thedoors5to1]

hey duckduckguinea sorry for the delay on pictures, im quite busy im working part time and going to school at night. yes i have been wrapping the foot, and using netties duck shoes, and then putting him with the others. i cant stand to keep them seperated. he cries out for them and they do too. sometimes the dressing does get wet, thats why i wasnt covering it for a while, i dont know which to do, cover it until it gets wet which is very quickly or eventually.... or dont cover it and allow anything possible to get near it. ugh im frustrated with this. im going to take pictures of my other ducks feet also before i post pictures. ive got to run off to class. thanks

 

[DuckDuckGuinea]

Duct tape (small strips) is a good water sealer for bottom of bandage to keep the moisuture/water out. I know it is so hard to seperate them, then duck looses "status" in the group. Hang in there!
ddg

 

[thedoors5to1]

so here are the pictures i promised, i apologize the one of pipers foot isnt so great. today it rained and his bandage came off, i just got home from work and wanted to take the pictures before it rained again so i took them before i cleaned his foot, i will add more later when i can. im unsure of what pipers is, sometimes it doesnt look like bumble to me.. but my other ducks didnt have bumblefoot a month ago, can it really come on so quickly? thanks
Pipers bumble??? theres skin protruding out the center?:

Lacy's Bumble:

Eve's bumble:

Crickets bumble:

edited to add a happier picture:
group shot left to right, piper (grey), eve (black) cricket (fawn & white), lacy (blue) and elvis(chocolate, who has no bumbles!)

 

[fancbrd4me02]

Wow, you have your hands full. I was just going to add that if youcan, you should move your run. I think the staph is probably saturated the soil in thier pen. If you can't move it, perhaps you can top it with about 6-10 inches of sand? Then just rake the pen out daily? You can make a frame with 6" x 2"s boards to hold the sand in. I think that might help with the probablility of reinfection.

Also, this BYC member sells duck shoes: Duck_feeder

 

[nettie]

You can apply Preparation H to the bumbles as well. I know butt cream seems like a strange thing to put on a duck's feet, but I've used it myself and it seems to work pretty well.

The best topical solution I've ever used was a DMSO solution with-

8ccs of DMSO (makes the other two medicines absorb better)
1cc of Baytril (antibiotic)
1cc of Meloxicam (pain reliever)

a vet will have make this for you, but it works amazingly... I've seen it work as fast as one week.