Frostbitten Duck foot Help needed ** Pics **

[sevenchickens]

can you soak their feet in epsom salts to help draw out any infection? I've never done it with poultry but that is what we personally use and also with the horses. I don't know how you would prevent them from drinking it though.... Just thinking out loud.

 

[BirdBrain]

She is a sweet natured duck and would probably stand in a medium sized metal mixing bowl with some Epsom salts. I thought about that this afternoon and even hot some out, but ended up letting her swim in the tub and using some peroxide which did nothing and then pouring betadine on the foot. Some of the skin has started to slough off and some of the scales on her feet have come off. Will they ever grow back? Tomorrow I will try the Epsom salts.

Right now she is in a dog kennel under the end of the kitchen table. She stands around on clean dry shavings and eats and drinks but does precious little else. The kennel door is always open but she stays in there. I'm sure she is lonely. Was thinking about getting the kiddy pool set up in the garage and bringing one of the other girls in but that would leave only one duck with two drakes. I guess I don't know what to do about that yet.

Linda, I think there is dome Bag Balm around here somewhere. Just need to get some neosporin. Good idea. Bag Balm is great stuff---stinks to high heaven but I liked it for babies bottoms when the kids were little.

 

[duckluck]

I don't know if this will help in your particular situation or how much you would give to a duck of this size, but I have used .25cc of Gentamycin administered as a shot to a Call drake for 7 days straight for prolapse, and it did take the ugliness and fluid swelling down. He's better now and "keeping his pride tucked" where it belongs. Gentamycin is usually used in mares that are bred to remove fluid out of the uterus, and it's an antibiotic. So I don't know if that would help or hurt your situation here, I've never had to deal with this serious of a frostbite in anything; I think it could help but you should run it by a vet for the final okay if you decide to do this...they would have to sell you the Gentamycin anyway and tell you if you would need to increase the dosage for this duck, and they might have to help you if you don't know how to give a shot to a bird. So talk to the vet and see what they think.

 

[The Duck ABC's]

I would avoid peroxide, because it dries out the skin. Perhaps you can put her onto towels instead of shavings too. I think that may be better for her foot. I worry about the skin opening up and shavings poking into it. Perhaps I worry to much about the shaving, but I put out the possibilities. I know you will be watching the foot. I would not bandage it, because air exposure is best when it comes to healing. This is also the reason why I would not give her a pool to hang around in. It is best to give her controlled swimming time, and always will fresh clean water so bacteria does not get a change of growing in the water. Watch out for temperature changes in the foot, because that is the first sign of infection.

 

[duckluck]

What about pure aloe gel to put on the feet? I have known of people with some pretty serious skin conditions to be able to use this safely...like straight from a broken spear of plant.

 

[sandcat]

poor poor baby hope her foot better soon, so nice that you giving her such love and attention

 

[pirtykitty]

I received this today from majestic waterfowl rescue:
http://www.majesticwaterfowl.org/newslettercurrent.htm
if you use aol you will have to open with internet explorer

 

[BirdBrain]

Thank you!! That article was very helpful.

 

[BirdBrain]

Oops...double post