I'm not familiar with ducks, but I would imagine it would be the same. A picture would really help. There usually is some type of scab, large or small involved with bumblefoot.
Bumblefoot surgery - with pics and "how to"
- Thread starter ruth
- Start date
I'm not familiar with ducks, but I would imagine it would be the same. A picture would really help. There usually is some type of scab, large or small involved with bumblefoot.
Don't soak her foot if you have already opened it up. The salt would sting like heck, plus every time I soak my chickens feet in that warm water epsom salt solution they poop in the water. Every time. So, you don't want the poop water getting back in the wound, thats what likely started the infection in the first place!
After opening it up and cleaning it, if I suspect any infection is left I use a betadine/sugar poultice. Just make a kind of paste out of it. Not too runny or too stiff. A consistancy that will go in but not run off when applying it. Cover it with a guaze pad and then wrap with vet wrap and cover that with athlectic tape or bandaging tape. Water proof kind is best if the bird is going to be on damp ground. They should be kept in a dry enviroment though until healed good. In a couple of days, unwrap, clean out any gunk that may have formed or collected, and apply and rewrap again. When you feel the poultice has drawn out all infection, you can start applying antibiotic ointment to the wound and let it start to heal. Still need to keep it wrapped and clean until it closes up good.
Here are some pics of a recent surgery I did. Normally, I don't find this large of a core either. I did however, do a few soakings of the foot and apply the poultice after each soaking before doing this surgery. Maybe the poultice helped draw down the infection or maybe this girl had a worse case. Usually, I see a black scab with some swelling, but find little underneath it. My thoughts are infections like that either are resolving themselves or haven't really reached a bad stage yet.
Before surgery
After some lifting around the edges:
After lifting I pulled the core out with tweezers:
The hole left in the foot didn't have much blood. Flushed it with sterile water.
Bandaged up and ready to go back to pen.
I use duct tape instead of vet wrap. You can cut it into strips and use it like vet wrap. The gauze covering the hole will stay dry too, and you wont have to change it out for a couple of days. Duct tape cant be picked off by the bird.
To remove the duct tape, use sharp scissors to carefully cut vertically up or down on the birds leg and change gauze and rewrap if necessary.
I highly recommend warm epsom salt soakings and then applying a poultice of iodine/sugar on the scab/foot and then bandaging. Change it every couple of days, soak and apply again. Do this for a couple of weeks before attempting to remove the scab. I think it helps draw the infection down and makes removal a bit easier.
It does look like it. Although, I've never seen the whole foot and leg look swollen like that. Unless it's just the photo making the leg look swollen? If the leg is swollen, the infection has spread. I'm not sure the best treatment option in that case, but if it was me, I would start with some penicillin shots in the thigh. Pick up some PenG(found in their refrigerated section) at the feed store or a Tractor Supply along with an 18gauge needle and a 1 ml syringe if you can find one. The dose is about a tenth of a ml, no more, per day and probably no more than 5 days. I would also put a drawing poultice on that foot. Make a paste of sugar and iodine/betadine and apply it to the wound, put a gauze pad on it, then wrap it with strips of vetwrap. I usually also wrap bandaging tape or sports wrap tape around that to keep the dirt out. Looks like this when I finish:
I would change the dressing at least every other day, clean the wound, apply more poultice and rewrap. Hope the poultice draws any infection down and the swelling starts going down. Could take a few weeks. I would be a little leery of cutting on top of the foot, it may or may not reveal anything, but if you do, also apply poultice to that area. That's about the only thing I can suggest short of a vet visit. You're going to have to do alot of bandaging over the next few weeks to keep the foot clean. If you live in a wet area, might be best to cage her on some shavings for awhile.
I would change the dressing at least every other day, clean the wound, apply more poultice and rewrap. Hope the poultice draws any infection down and the swelling starts going down. Could take a few weeks. I would be a little leery of cutting on top of the foot, it may or may not reveal anything, but if you do, also apply poultice to that area. That's about the only thing I can suggest short of a vet visit. You're going to have to do alot of bandaging over the next few weeks to keep the foot clean. If you live in a wet area, might be best to cage her on some shavings for awhile.
- Mar 14, 2014
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Thanks to your pics, I just did this to on of my reds (wynedotte) It was soo scary! my hubby helped me. I got a big kernel to come out of the top (blister) but nothing from the bottom of the foot. She was so stressed I just cleaned it up put on antibiotic and bandaged her up. I hope she will be o.k. Again thank you for all the info and pics. I love this site, best thing ever for us newbies!!! I know my hubby thinks I,m crazy, but he did help me.. I luv him lots!!
- Sep 7, 2012
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I think there is a lot of misunderstanding surrounding bumblefoot.
As I understand it from my vet, bumblefoot is rarely caused by a foreign body actually stuck in the foot pad. It is most often a small cut or puncture from wire, rough wood surfaces, etc (it is more common in heavier birds who hit the ground with more force when landing). The wound becomes infected and swells creating an abcess (this can also happen in other animals like horses). The "kernel" is not a foreign object, but rather the body's reaction to foreign biotics usually staph or E. coli (that is why you should always use gloves when treating the wound and keep it bandaged to prevent spreading the infection to yourself or the other chickens).
I think the scab removal is required because once bumblefoot has developed it means the chicken's immune system is unable to successfully fight the infection alone. Adding antibiotic ointment at the point of injury is sort of giving the chicken back-up to kill off the bacteria. If the bumblefoot has gotten really serious, you need to call in the big guns and use oral antibiotics.
As I understand it from my vet, bumblefoot is rarely caused by a foreign body actually stuck in the foot pad. It is most often a small cut or puncture from wire, rough wood surfaces, etc (it is more common in heavier birds who hit the ground with more force when landing). The wound becomes infected and swells creating an abcess (this can also happen in other animals like horses). The "kernel" is not a foreign object, but rather the body's reaction to foreign biotics usually staph or E. coli (that is why you should always use gloves when treating the wound and keep it bandaged to prevent spreading the infection to yourself or the other chickens).
I think the scab removal is required because once bumblefoot has developed it means the chicken's immune system is unable to successfully fight the infection alone. Adding antibiotic ointment at the point of injury is sort of giving the chicken back-up to kill off the bacteria. If the bumblefoot has gotten really serious, you need to call in the big guns and use oral antibiotics.
the poultice draws the infection down. If it isn't too severe, several soakings and poultice applications will draw the infection down enough and soften/loosen the scab enough that when you go to remove the scab/plug, all you have to do is lift the scab with sharp clean tool around the edges, very slowly. I was basically able to lift one out without slicing or cutting. A hole was left where I lifted it and the attached plug out. Minimal blood involved. Packed the hole with antibiotics, wrapped well and let it heal. I have pics of that surgery somewhere back in this thread.
One could try dissolving a capsule in water... so what are those capsules, 150 mg (can't see font, too small)? One capsule in a beaker, then fill to 10 ml mark, now you have 150 mg per 10 ml, or 15 mg per 1 ml. If it doesn't dissolve, that's problematic, so in that case I would use a suspension syrup instead of water, and that you might be able to get a pharmacist to sell you some. That or you can buy a bottle online. -KathyWhen they come in capsules like that, how in the world do you half it or portion it to get the right dose? I've seen many of these fish medicines for sale but most are large dose capsules.-Kathy
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