Fungus like stuff around vent New Pictures (Pretty Gross)UPDATE

[tia]

Okay I've soaked my duck Angel a couple times yesterday and twice today and applied honey. It looks a lot better, but here are some pictures. It is amazing how healing that honey is. I hope this isn't any kind of mite or lice thing going on. Please tell me what you think? It looks like the honey is helping for sure. I've looked with a flashlight for any kind of bugs and haven't been able to spot anything, beings that I've never seen any before don't know if I would know if I saw one. Help!!!!!

 

[Judy]

To me the dark stuff looks fungal and the light stuff looks like yeast. I have NO idea if either is what she has.

But I can help you with how to spot mites/lice:

http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018.html

 

[tia]

Do you think honey is the way to go then. It seems to be helping. I was reading on the chicken site something about Monostat Creme... I almost bought some tonight, but thought I'd post these pictures first and see what others had to say. I appreciate feedback. Thanks so much.

 

[duckyfromoz]

Well thats a view I havent seen often.... but there is definately something not right. A couple of things I am wondering...firstly..is she laying at the moment? You didnt mention it at all - and being the season- I didnt think so but if she was laying larger than normal eggs- in the kind of climate I suspect you have- it could just be a case of " dry chapped vent" but it really does look like something more.

Cloacitis or Vent Gleet is one possibility - I dont know exactly how it would look- but I know that it is a fungal infection ducks can be infected by.

 

[tia]

She isn't laying right now. We had a real cold windy spell and I think the wind scared the ducks. They were laying and they all quit.
She has been inside, most of the time it isn't heated, but stays somewhat warm because the furnace is in there. We had some strong winds for a couple of days. The gusts were up to 95 - 100 miles per hour.

 

[Amiga]

Something I use for yeast infections is Pau D'arco - it's herbal - and I used it on Drei's bill infection and it seemed to slowly clear that up last year.

I mixed the powdered PD into a beeswax and olive oil salve to apply it. PD is not aromatic, oily like melaleuca, so it would not burn the vent.

Looks fungal to me, too. Yogurt has been used for feminine yeast infections, too, and I don't think that would hurt her.

Fungi don't like to dry out - maybe that can help you with treatment.

Here's a far out idea - get a diaper harness and put a layer of Pau D'arco salve in it before putting it on the duck. Just brainstorming here

If you want to look into it online, natural treatments for thrush may give you some ideas.

 

[spiritdance]

Try "miracle cream," aka 1/3 triple antibiotic or bacitracin cream, 1/3 tolnaftate cream (athlete's foot med), and 1/3 hydrocortisone cream. You can use the ointments if you have to, but cream is less greasy and doesn't trap heat and moisture, thus allowing the hydro to dry as it should. Mix the ingredients well and apply liberally twice a day. Yeast and many bacterias need a moist, warm environment to flourish (the pic looks like fungus to me) so I think I would also clip all the feathers from the area and give her something breathable and/or absorbent to lay on. You can add garden sulfur to the soak water (some people dust the vent with it) for additional antibiotic action, and feed yogurt in case the fungus is vent gleet, which tends to originate from digestive upset of some sort. Even though she is eating well, etc., the yogurt won't hurt and it might prevent more systemic involvement from occurring. And I'll send healing wishes your way, trusting that with your continued good care and love she will make a full recovery.

 

[rainplace]

Her vent looks nothing like the vent of our duck who died this week.... so I think that's good news. Other than that I have nothing to offer. Good luck, she's lucky to have you <3

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

looks like vent gleet, it is contagious, by the drakes if thy been mating, your other birds might not show sighs yet

 

[spiritdance]

BTW, I forgot to mention that if it is vent gleet (and I don't think it looks like it, but the honey could've changed appearances) it CAN be contagious (but not always, so don't panic). I would suggest adding some apple cider vinegar to your water source for the bird's flock mates for the next 10 days just as a safety precaution. It will change the ph of their crops and make it more difficult for gleet to grow. Again, best of luck for your bird's full and speedy recovery.