Limping Duck!

[kstes347]

One of my ducks has a really bad limp that has been getting progressively worse over the past couple of weeks. It isn't yet preventing her from getting to food and water and she still forages around the yard during the day, but she definitely tucks it up under her wing as often as possible. Are there any preventative measures that I can take to keep it from getting worse so that I don't end up with a vet bill? I would really appreciate any help at all! Thanks!

 

[featherfinder]

Do you give her any vitamins? If not you could start mixing some in her water when she drinks. Also try water therapy to see if you can get her to use that leg a bit more. Put her in a tub of water and let her swim around and try to use it so she doesnt have the weight pressure on it. I hope she improves!

 

[Chikn-Chik]

I had a duck that had a limp for most of her life. It didn't effect her very much so I never did anything about it.

 

[Miss Lydia]

One of my ducks has a really bad limp that has been getting progressively worse over the past couple of weeks. It isn't yet preventing her from getting to food and water and she still forages around the yard during the day, but she definitely tucks it up under her wing as often as possible. Are there any preventative measures that I can take to keep it from getting worse so that I don't end up with a vet bill? I would really appreciate any help at all! Thanks!

Have you checked out the bottom of her foot for signs of bumble foot or possibility of a thorn or other object in her foot?

 

[Amiga]

Ditto Miss Lydia.

If you can get help with a photo and post it, that would provide more information to go on.

A warm bath would be good in any case - may help you take an unhurried look at the whole duck.

Sad to read about your duck's troubles. Please let us know how it goes.

 

[kstes347]

Alright, here is a picture:



So I'm pretty sure it's bumble foot. Can anyone confirm? Of course, all of our vets and feed stores are closed on Sundays so we are going to have to wait until Monday to get her antibiotics. Does anyone have suggestions of what to use and where to get them from? Metzer Farms suggests 250mg of amoxicillin per day. It doesn't seem to be to the point of needing to be drained and I'm hoping it won't get to that point, so has anyone had first hand experience with treating this?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Looks like it could be bumble too, looks like a scab at the bottom where swollen or maybe a thorn. Try soaking her foot in some warm epsom salt water for 30 min. 2x a day for a couple days. and try to keep her from walking on it much. if you don't have epsom use plain table salt. once it's cleaned up real good then check it over for thorns or something else, but it does look swollen and red and I think I am seeing a scab, but if you catch this early and treat hopefully you'll not have to cut it open. you could also after soaking dry it real good and apply some kind of antibiotic salve and wrap it up. just try to keep the area as clean as possible while treating. Bumble is staff and if let go can eventually kill your duck. Please let us know how she is doing and what all you have done. and

 

[Tahai]

Hi!

This is a great thread on bumblefoot, if you haven't already read it. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/639013/my-girl-mildred-ninja-duck/10

 

[kstes347]

Thank you for the link! That did have a lot of really helpful information!

 

[kstes347]

Ok, so today we gave Lola a bath and attempted soaking the foot in warm salt water, which ended up quite messy!

I'm wondering if anyone has any good techniques for holding a duck while soaking the foot and how to best soak it... The second time we tried, she started panting really hard and was fighting so much that it wasn't even possible to keep her foot in the water. Tomorrow I'll be contacting a vet and our feed supply store to hopefully get her started on antibiotics!

This is an updated picture from after her first soak.. does it look like something is inside of the large bump??