Limping Duck

[gander007]

So with just a couple days of water therapy and salt treatment my duck is back to normal! Thank you all again so much! Should I still continue to do the treatment for a couple more days to make sure the limp does not come back?

It is a funny thing about injuries and therapy even the Veterans Administration had me doing therapy for some time after I thought I was finished so I would recommend a couple more days just to be safe ......

 

[TracyLovesDucks]

I have an unusual recommendation in addition to the other suggestions on this thread. At night, keep him in a pitch black area. I've noticed that my ducks don't move when the light is off in their duck house. If it's the same for your ducks, this will force him to thoroughly rest his leg at night.

One of my ducks suddenly had a limp one afternoon and didn't want to use his leg (I assume a sprain or pull). I put them away that night and kept them in complete darkness. I was prepared to give him epsom salt compresses the next day, but when I let them out he was back to normal.

Just an idea I wanted to share, no idea if it will truly help.

 

[Finny]

So my duck started limping again a couple days ago but it went away over night. But now one of my other ducks just started limping. What is going on?!?

 

[TracyLovesDucks]

Is there anything that could be difficult for them to walk through that's in their area? For example, a pile of rocks, stumps, or logs which may cause them to sprain their legs when walking or jumping through it? If they have steps in and out of their pool or coop, are they maybe to challenging for your ducks to walk on?

Other considerations -- Have you thoroughly inspected the bottoms of their feet? Bumble foot is something to look out for (although, from what I understand, that's usually progressive rather than on-again-off-again), or possibly bug bites?

Are they fighting each other?

I don't know, I'm just spit balling here.

 

[Finny]

Is there anything that could be difficult for them to walk through that's in their area? For example, a pile of rocks, stumps, or logs which may cause them to sprain their legs when walking or jumping through it? If they have steps in and out of their pool or coop, are they maybe to challenging for your ducks to walk on?

Other considerations -- Have you thoroughly inspected the bottoms of their feet? Bumble foot is something to look out for (although, from what I understand, that's usually progressive rather than on-again-off-again), or possibly bug bites?

Are they fighting each other?

I don't know, I'm just spit balling here.

I think it is because their pen has been muddy lately because of all the rain I have been getting and the horrible winter i had. I checked their feet for bumble foot and its not that. I am going to fill in the muddy areas with wood chips and hopefully that will keep it dry until everything starts to dry out

 

[vidariffic]

We have a limping Cayuga. when I grabbed her to have a look over a week ago it was obviously bumblefoot on her right foot - which I treated for days without any improvement (epson 3 x's a day, antibiotic ointment, Vetericyn, charcoal). And though that still worries me, the problem is she walks only on that foot, using her left foot (no bumble) like a crutch and won't put any weight on it. She is eating and drinking, but seems obviously in pain. I think there is a tiny bit of swelling at the joint, but it's hard to tell, and to the touch she doesn't react as though it hurts. Our ducks range, so for now I'm keeping her on her own in a small pen with a pool.

BUT this morning another one of our ducks has the same thing - won't put weight on her left leg. She doesn't have any bumblefoot that I see, but I also can't tell what's wrong with her leg.

Perhaps they both sprained or broke somehow - but wouldn't it be hurt to the touch if this was the case?

I'm worried our flock could have some sort of infection. We've had ducks for 4 years, without these issues. New to their life in the last month is free range and we built a small pond for them (which I know does not have snapping turtles it in, though does have a box turtle.)

Thanks for any advice and ideas.

 

[Amiga]

We have a limping Cayuga. when I grabbed her to have a look over a week ago it was obviously bumblefoot on her right foot - which I treated for days without any improvement (epson 3 x's a day, antibiotic ointment, Vetericyn, charcoal). And though that still worries me, the problem is she walks only on that foot, using her left foot (no bumble) like a crutch and won't put any weight on it. She is eating and drinking, but seems obviously in pain. I think there is a tiny bit of swelling at the joint, but it's hard to tell, and to the touch she doesn't react as though it hurts. Our ducks range, so for now I'm keeping her on her own in a small pen with a pool.

BUT this morning another one of our ducks has the same thing - won't put weight on her left leg. She doesn't have any bumblefoot that I see, but I also can't tell what's wrong with her leg.

Perhaps they both sprained or broke somehow - but wouldn't it be hurt to the touch if this was the case?

I'm worried our flock could have some sort of infection. We've had ducks for 4 years, without these issues. New to their life in the last month is free range and we built a small pond for them (which I know does not have snapping turtles it in, though does have a box turtle.)

Thanks for any advice and ideas.

Gee whiz, sometimes these leg problems are not simple. I am so sad to read your care has not fixed her up yet...

From what I have read and seen in our flock, sometimes the problem is a thorn or similar object still lodged in the foot. Mildred the duck had and AWFUL time for a while, but her person, newbyduckmom, stuck with it and though it took some time, Marty1876 helped us crack that problem.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/639013/my-girl-mildred-ninja-duck

In our flock, Romy had something going on, because the swelling was on top of the toe as well as below it. Took her to a vet who knows chickens, but I reckoned, hey, this vet I have known for decades, she has a wonderful way about her, and feets is feets. Sure enough, she was able to extract the tiniest splinter from Romy's toe and we were on our way.

Zehn was limping, I thought she had what might be a bumble but my usual mojo did not seem to work. Took her to the vet, they gave some anti-inflammatories for a week, but not much improvement. I did Epsom salt compress and a dab of Traumeel at bedtime, and in four days she seemed much better. She continued to limp off and on for several more days.

So.

All that is to suggest you take a deep breath, see if you can find anything that looks like a tiny, tiny roundish spot in there anywhere (Romy had a thorn, took me a couple days to actually be able to see it, poor girl). You could try the clear iodine method as well. That has worked for a number of BYC members.

Haunted55 posted this last year
On July 1st, I found one of my Pekin ducks with what I would consider a bad case of Bumblefoot. Both feet were involved and I'm ashamed to say, the only way I found it was she was limping. One foot had 7 and the other had 3. I was able to grab her and bring her into the house and put her into a warm bath to clean and soak. Two water changes later and softened feet, all I had time to do was paint the bumbles with colorless iodine, grabbed the wrong stuff, and put her into a dog crate in my house until I could get everything ready to operate and get them gone. Did I mention the thought of this scared me half to death?

Sad to say it took 6 days before i was able to get everything together and someone to help out with the 'cure'. The following pictures are what we found after the bath we gave before the planned surgery to remove these things.




















As can be seen, there really wasn't much to operate on, even though I was prepared to do just that. No matter how much squeezing or prodding or soaking, there just wasn't anything more to come out, it was all on the scabs that were covering the sores. The swelling was down from the 'marbles' I saw when I first found them. I poured betadine over the ones I had opened and painted the ones that I hadn't again with the iodine and put her back into her crate with clean bedding.

the next pictures are of the same Pekin and anothe duck, Dottie the Mallard, who was also found limping.












As can be seen in the first two pictures, the bumbles have been dramatically reduced on the Pekin with just the iodine application and the smaller ones totally gone. The last four pictures are of the Mallard who is still under going the iodine applications.

As can be seen, this is how the left and right foot look tonight on the Pekin duck. The heels being the worst are still showing infection and need for more treatment. tomorrow, I will again give a bath and pull/cut out the scabbing and treat with straight iodine this time. These spots are now flat or as flat as they should be considering the part of the foot they are on. I will still touch up the places that had the spots before as well.

 

[vidariffic]

Thanks for the reply. I was using the clear iodine too, with no results. I'm going to try these treatments for another week and hope for improvement.

Does anybody know if these symptoms could be an infection that is not visible elsewhere- the symptom being a lame leg basically?

 

[TracyLovesDucks]

Hi @Finny, any update on your ducks? One of my girls has a swollen, painful ankle and a pretty severe limp (not using her wing as a crutch, yet, but still I can tell it's painful). Just looking for any information you can share. Thanks!

 

[Finny]

My ducks have stopped limping! I think the cause was they their pen was a little muddy in the spring from all the rain. I would take your duck inside so she rests her leg and let her swim in the bathtub adding more swim time each day. This is the tecnique i used and my duck is happy and healthy now. I hope this helps