Didn’t Get It All Out! Bumblefoot Surgery

[HeritageFan]

Poor baby! That looks so painful for her!

I use rolled gauze for padding and vet wrap for my booties.
The duct tape works, are you also using gauze or other “pads”?

Ug
If it were me, I’d go with 3x if you can, 2x daily at minimum soaks as you have been.
The drawing properties of the Epsom salts will be “covered” with the soaking.
In my opinion (remember what you paid for it )

I have had the best luck with vetricyn, or Maluka Honey....
I was able to find this at my local feed store and it has been great for those hard to heal wounds
https://www.chewy.com/silver-honey-...4DRa4CrBiSVDwi18aFJUwEz2fEekQIWhoCzxUQAvD_BwE

It is a long road to get over this.
Are you adding niacin to their feed?
Are they on that patio most of the time?
Just trying to figure out how to help prevent future issues as we try to help her get past this bout

 

[HeritageFan]

Also good idea on the side bowl of water. honestly I just fill up the bathtub and let her have what we call “spa time” lol. If I shout in the yard…yum yum I have a bath for you, she comes waddling over and walks straight to the bathroom. I close the curtain and let her go nuts splashing around When I hear the little giggle they make I know she’s ready to come out. She doesn’t seem to drink the water. Wets her mouth but I don’t see her really drinking it as it probably tastes bad. Hope it’s ok because I’ve been doing it a year lol

Lol
When I have to do those soaks w the Epsom salts, I use a largish (bought new for this job) cat litter box, sit on a stool to hold them in place, with the bowl of water by their head.
Mine always want to dunk and drink lol
Perhaps you are just more lucky but. I also add quite a bit of the Epsom salts to make it work as fast as it can....
and I don’t want to make a concentrated bathtub full 2-3 times a day!

 

[SarahsGarden]

Poor baby! That looks so painful for her!

I use rolled gauze for padding and vet wrap for my booties.
The duct tape works, are you also using gauze or other “pads”?

Ug
If it were me, I’d go with 3x if you can, 2x daily at minimum soaks as you have been.
The drawing properties of the Epsom salts will be “covered” with the soaking.
In my opinion (remember what you paid for it )

I have had the best luck with vetricyn, or Maluka Honey....
I was able to find this at my local feed store and it has been great for those hard to heal wounds
https://www.chewy.com/silver-honey-hot-spot-wound-care/dp/254005?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=12799171409&utm_content=Silver Honey&utm_term=&gbraid=0AAAAADmQ2V2FFUEZnsuYsJiC5SYuLy1Ac&gclid=CjwKCAjwzJmlBhBBEiwAEJyLuy40mC-L9F47jLOrrMGMeS4DRa4CrBiSVDwi18aFJUwEz2fEekQIWhoCzxUQAvD_BwE

It is a long road to get over this.
Are you adding niacin to their feed?
Are they on that patio most of the time?
Just trying to figure out how to help prevent future issues as we try to help her get past this bout

Here is a pic of their little habitat. we just finished it. All we are waiting on is their umbrella. They only come to the patio to honk for treats at the back door lol. Such beggars! Most of the time 5eyre wanting the backyard in the grass.

Materials - after a bath/soak she gets vetericyn spray, then I use organic cotton rounds (like the makeup remover pads) with either neosporin or poultice on it as my pad, wrap up with vet wrap somewhat loose so she can comfortably walk with her toes splayed. Then I take two strips of duct tape and put them between her toes going up the top and bottom of the foot to secure the wrap and keep the pad from coming out. Also she’s a jerk and will unwrap it overnight if I don’t tape it down. She doesn’t like it if there’s a loose flap. My little ocd princess lol. Anyway, I have the wrap down now after 8 million practices lol. But still it’s just nonstop with the kernels. When I cut her bandages off every 24 (or 48 hours if I’m using poultice) it comes off completely clean inside and also dry. She’s not allowed in any pools except spa time in the tub So it’s for sure staying clean.

My two runners haven’t had any issues. She has been struggling with some kind of bumblefoot since she was 6months old. She is very very large and has horrible coordination tripping constantly. All this started from a tiny sesame seed size bump on the tip of her toe! She’s had 4 surgeries all in different spots. 2 on her foot pads with no kernel recover. That was at the vet. Then ankle and toe joint with me. She’s been slashed across the back to the bone by a hawk and managed to survive just fine. It’s just never ending with her.

 

[SarahsGarden]

Lol
When I have to do those soaks w the Epsom salts, I use a largish (bought new for this job) cat litter box, sit on a stool to hold them in place, with the bowl of water by their head.
Mine always want to dunk and drink lol
Perhaps you are just more lucky but. I also add quite a bit of the Epsom salts to make it work as fast as it can....
and I don’t want to make a concentrated bathtub full 2-3 times a day!

How much are you using In the water? I was doing about a cup and a half in about 6-8in of bath water. Also I was only doing it once a day. I’d go broke from vetwrap purchases if I was doing it multiple times a day!

 

[HeritageFan]

I have Welsh Harlequins- so, smaller ducks than Pekin. Sooo you may need to adjust the size of your soaking pan if you decide to make a change.
I have a litter box that is probably 22”x16”x about 6” deep.
I also have (and prefer) a bin.... I think it’s more like 16”x12”x6”.... less open water space for them to try to drink from the tub.
I don’t measure the Epsom salts... but I’d estimate that I use a healthy cup.
Add hot water to about 1/4 of the way in the bin, and basically use as much of the Epsom salts as will dissolve in that hot water. Dilute with cooler water to adjust the temp to a more comfortable (about my body temp... I just test by putting my wrist into the water. It shouldn’t feel cool)
....so 95-99* ish
It will cool down a bit more by the time I get everything else ready.
I soak on my deck (I don’t have a patio)
So I get the soaking tub, water bowl, a towel, my Vetricyn, any wrap materials, my stool, fire up a podcast, and try to soak for about 10 minutes 2-3 x a day.
I know 30 minutes is ideal per most of the articles out there.... but I’ve found that the water still being warmer seems to help loosen things up well...and again. My ducks never seem to not want to drink the mix/ the bathtub does not work for me!
I have the towel laid out so she can stand on it if she wants after the soak/ if she was particularly upset about me “holding” her for the soak, but it’s also best to look for any new kernels/ try to work any scabs loose as soon as possible after soaking (you can also use the towel to place on her back, and wrap around her body to wrap her wings up. It will help you keep her quiet if you are taking “too long” for her)
Spray the vetricyn on her feet once they are fairly dry. Let the vetricyn dry before you add triple antibiotic if you are using it.
Due to the duration of this issue- I’d personally probably go with the triple antibiotic and not the poultice for now.
Once the kernels are less recurring, I’d try to go w just the vetricyn so she can “dry out” a bit and start to heal.... but you are just going to have to watch her progress and adjust as needed.

Here’s what you are likely not going to want to hear.
Letting her swim with her friends should be put on hold.
There is so much bacteria in the pool.... even if you clean it several times a day... they just poo sooo much in the water, it’s reintroducing bacteria to the open wounds.
Also, letting her walk on the concrete/ pavers/ patio- even with the “boots” is putting more pressure on those sores :/

I’ve not had a -lot- of bumble foot, but, when I have - I put my birds in a quarantine pen, with a healthy load of pine shavings (I have an XL dog kennel that I use. I separate the “patient” in the kennel with food and a stainless water bowl, the kind you might use for a dog, with the angled sides so they can’t step on the edge and spill it)
It is easy to scoop out and change the shavings often, and easy to sanitize the “floor”.
In the summer heat, I put the kennel inside the house so they don’t get too hot while stuck in quarantine.
They usually aren’t too upset about being separated from their friends for a week or so. But
Preventing them from swimming, and,
Limiting their movement
Seems to really help them get (literally) back on their feet as quickly as possible.
I have found that my ducks seem to do better in quarantine if they can’t see their friends.... and I’ve never had an issue w re intregretion once they are “well” enough to go back to their buddies.

Again. Just my 0.02$

Also. My local feed store is way cheaper for 3m VetWrap than Amazon.
If you are really trying to be price conscious.... you can always get the 4” rolls and cut to width.
I don’t like the off brand stuff... it just doesn’t hold as well.
My Epsom Salts.... I -believe- I found the best price online w Valley Vet.
Amazon and my local Walgreens/ Walmart are about the same price for non stick gauze pads. I buy a box the right size in one direction, twice too long in the other, and cut them
.....idk who has the best price on makeup pads... but that’s a great idea
I’ve also found that Amazon has better pricing on rolled sterile gauze if you need it.

Sorry for the “book” lol. But please do keep us posted