Mildred and Bumblefoot

Date sort Score sort
There was indeed a big pocket on top of the foot. I cut from the top and took that out last week. It looked really good for a couple of days, but not so much this week. Keep getting more cottage cheesy stuff in it (every few days) no matter how much I clean it out. And I have probed and cut and cleaned and find nothing else. But 48 hours later is swells again and we go through it again. The swelling seems to be down again today. And I haven't cut on her since last Thursday. Yesterday, when I took the bandage off, it looked like she had broken it open somehow (alhough she is so confined in her kennel I am not sure how she would do that), and it was swollen on top of the foot again. Incision is turning kind of dark though, so I suspect we still have infection. It appears to be going back to the old black bumble foot scab.....I don't know. Not as black. The foot's getting soaked twice a day and neosporin/iodine applied, disinfected with alcohol. Re-bandaged and cleaned morning and night. Changing her bedding out twice a day. Did one month long application of antibiotics but simply can't afford to do it again. Nutridench, treats galore. Suspected I missed the top plug infection the first time and that is why the antibiotics didn't clear it all up.


She's not very happy. Feel so sorry for her Keeping her penned up by herself. Let her have some time with her buddies in the freshly scrubbed duck house yesterday, but there isn't room for two in "sick bay"
 
newbyduckmom said:
There was indeed a big pocket on top of the foot. I cut from the top and took that out last week. It looked really good for a couple of days, but not so much this week. Keep getting more cottage cheesy stuff in it (every few days) no matter how much I clean it out. And I have probed and cut and cleaned and find nothing else. But 48 hours later is swells again and we go through it again. The swelling seems to be down again today. And I haven't cut on her since last Thursday. Yesterday, when I took the bandage off, it looked like she had broken it open somehow (alhough she is so confined in her kennel I am not sure how she would do that), and it was swollen on top of the foot again. Incision is turning kind of dark though, so I suspect we still have infection. It appears to be going back to the old black bumble foot scab.....I don't know. Not as black. The foot's getting soaked twice a day and neosporin/iodine applied, disinfected with alcohol. Re-bandaged and cleaned morning and night. Changing her bedding out twice a day. Did one month long application of antibiotics but simply can't afford to do it again. Nutridench, treats galore. Suspected I missed the top plug infection the first time and that is why the antibiotics didn't clear it all up.


She's not very happy. Feel so sorry for her Keeping her penned up by herself. Let her have some time with her buddies in the freshly scrubbed duck house yesterday, but there isn't room for two in "sick bay"
Click to expand...
I know this has to be getting you down, it is for sure the toughest case I have ever read about. Poor girl.
 
I am wondering if Mildred may be sensitive to iodine and alcohol. After initial cleaning, maybe just changing the dressing and fresh antibiotic ointment would be easier on the tissue of her foot.

Would swimming in warm water be helpful, do you think? I know the problem with that is what ducks generally do as soon as they get into water . . . .

But it's a thought. Might improve circulation to the foot, which would help it heal.
 
I can certainly try that. I was erring on the side of as much disinfection (is that even a word? Now it is! ) as possible. But maybe less is more as they say. I actually set up the bathroom so that she can have a swim tonight - think it would make her much happier. Thanks for the suggestion.
 
Hi. I know this thread is a little old, but if anyone's still reading, I'm wondering what happened with Mildred? Did you give up and decide to let nature take its course or are you still fighting the infection?

I'm curious because my ducks have something going on with their feet. After reading all these posts on how difficult (and messy sounding - ducks in the house=stinky) I'm wondering if it would even be worth it to try and fix it. I don't really know that it's bumble foot though, since none of my ducks are limping and they have had these bumps for quite some time now... Don't really look scabby, just like big nasty fleshy bumps on the bottom of the feet. However, they are runner ducks, so not very heavy, maybe they are hurting them but not enough to make them limp? No heat or sensitivity noticed in them either though. ANYWAYS, since bumble foot is the most likely explanation, I'm trying to figure out what I should do.... Is it safe to eat ducks that have foot infections?

Any comments or suggestions in general, or updates on Mildred would be appreciated.

Cheers
 
Mildred and I are still fighting the darned bumble foot. Just moved to a different post.

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

As for eating ducks with an infection, I wouldn't. Bumble foot can be staph infection. We are not even eating Mildred's eggs through all this, although she continues to lay throughout. Can't say I have any scientific reason (except for when she was on antibiotics), but just make sense to me that it would be a bad idea if there is a known infection in her system. There are pics of Mildred's feet in both this thread and the one at the link above. If you can get pics of the feet and post them, I am sure you would get some feedback on what it might be.

Darlene and (of course) Mildred! - not sure who is most stubborn - the patient or the human - but we are still trying to get through this.

There are some incredibly supportive people on BYC - who I appreciate ever so much! This newbyduckmom would have been lost without them through this since I don't have the option of taking her to a vet.
 
Last edited:
Thanks. I checked out the pics on the linked thread, but didn't see any on this one..? The ones on the other thread are after you have been applying treatment.. do you have any pics from earlier on before you started cutting/soaking, etc... If not, it's OK. I've been googling pics on bumble foot. Some of them that come up look kinda like mine, but others don't. I have seen a few sites though that say that "bumble foot" in ducks is not always the same thing as what they call bumble in chickens, and that it's not always staph, but can be any sort of bacteria including E. coli and a few others that are common, and that often times there's not an infection. Sometimes it's just cracks in the feet ( which are common if ducks are on rough surfaces or deficient in some vitamins ) that get scabby and nasty and calloused... could also be abscesses from something stuck in there... Of course none of this is my own actual knowledge just stuff I came across online, but it makes me hopeful that my ducks don't actually have staph
fl.gif
I will try to get pics when my hubby comes home and can help me (he works in a different town so I only get him on weekends). I will clean them up a little first so it is clear what's going on in the pics...

Also, I know what you mean about not being able to get a vet!!
he.gif
I live in a small town and there are no vets here or anywhere close that will see ducks, and none of them will give you any kind of medications or anything either to use yourself at home. Very frustrating. I have only had ducks for 2 years now and have already had to sew up open wounds in a duckling on my kitchen table (attacked by a dog), make a brace for a duck with a broken leg, and have bandaged some of these ducks feet before for the issue at hand (it didn't seem to help so I stopped). It's pretty common here for people to deal with their own issues though even for stuff like cats and dogs because vets are expensive and people here tend to be pretty independent. I remember as I child my father sewing up our dog after being hit by a car, soaking and bandaging horse feet in epsom salts when they stepped on something, nursing a baby cow to health on the living room floor, sewing up my brother when he got a twig poked through his skin in a snow machine accident.... Well you get the idea. haha I guess we are rednecks. Well I digress. I will post some pics when I can to your newer thread. Thanks again and good luck with Mildred, she is such a pretty duck!!!
 

Similar threads

MountainMeadow
    • Like
Swollen ankle, severe limping, bumblefoot?
Replies
2
Views
705
JerkDrakeMomma2025
JerkDrakeMomma2025
S
Indian Runner Bumblefoot?
Replies
7
Views
561
Stipenvlerk
Stipenvlerk
Jlw0903
Foot wound. Looking for advice
Replies
4
Views
322
SnackMeat
SnackMeat
W
Bumblefoot and flexor tendon
Replies
2
Views
220
Whitsr
W
JerkDrakeMomma2025
Bumblefoot or something else
Replies
1
Views
329
JerkDrakeMomma2025
JerkDrakeMomma2025

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom