my poor duck has bumblefoot

[allgoaton]

I am 90% sure my pekin has bumblefoot. Poor ducky. I don't even know where to begin. We're going to start with the epsom soaks and local antibiotics and see if it gets better. If it doesn't get better maybe will try the home treatment, but it is on such a wily duck that I don't know what to do.

Their pen's bottom is pea gravel, although they spend a lot of time on grass and swimming as well. I bet it is from the gravel. I don't want all of my ducks to get this, so what should we replace the gravel to? It worked so well to keep it clean but it looks like it isn't good for my poor ducks.

 

[DuckLover1029]

hay tends to work well. also can you make shoes for him/her.

 

[Amiga]

Smooth pea gravel seems to work well around the swim pans - the rest of our pens have a straw and mulch base.

If you have caught it early enough there should be no need to cut the foot. I found antibiotic ointment two or three times a day for several weeks works. Others use a few drops of clear iodine, then wait 4 or 5 days and soak the foot and pull the scab that forms off - and repeat if necessary.

 

[allgoaton]

Smooth pea gravel seems to work well around the swim pans - the rest of our pens have a straw and mulch base.

If you have caught it early enough there should be no need to cut the foot. I found antibiotic ointment two or three times a day for several weeks works. Others use a few drops of clear iodine, then wait 4 or 5 days and soak the foot and pull the scab that forms off - and repeat if necessary.

I am worried I have not caught it early. Last weekend was when she first started to seem off, sitting down a bit more than usual, and this week has been terrible, raining every day, so there has been little duck time. Today was the first day she limped at all, but looking at her feet is seems that both are affected, two black spots on one foot and one spot on another. They don't look too swollen but she refuses to put weight on one of them.

Did an epsom soak and sprayed with an antibiotic. Also bought iodine. Going to get vet wrap to wrap up her little feet and quarantine her from the pool so she can stay dry.

 

[Amiga]

I am worried I have not caught it early. Last weekend was when she first started to seem off, sitting down a bit more than usual, and this week has been terrible, raining every day, so there has been little duck time. Today was the first day she limped at all, but looking at her feet is seems that both are affected, two black spots on one foot and one spot on another. They don't look too swollen but she refuses to put weight on one of them.

Did an epsom soak and sprayed with an antibiotic. Also bought iodine. Going to get vet wrap to wrap up her little feet and quarantine her from the pool so she can stay dry.

The iodine needs to be clear iodine, and the feet do not need to be wrapped - that could cause more trouble.

Here is a description of how Haunted55 learned about the way clear iodine works on bumblefoot.

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.

 

[allgoaton]

Here are my ducks feet.

We are doing long Epsom soaks and sprays with vetericyn. Hope to not do surgery. But will if we have to.

 

[Amiga]

You are doing right by this little guy. I pray it goes quickly and well - with no surgery needed….I know you'll do what's best.

 

[allgoaton]

So far she seems to be walking a little better. Sores are the same but she is favoring the leg a little less. Limping but at least managing to put weight on it. We did decide to wrap her feet up for a little while just to see if it would help her waking. It seemed to help some, although we took off the bandages for the night. Her feet do feel very inflamed and warm to the touch though. It's so heartbreaking. We are trying to keep her separate but all she wants to do is play with her friends.

 

[Amiga]

allgoaton, did you say you were giving oral antibiotics? If her feet are warm like that, she is at risk for systemic infection. Duramycin has been recommended on the forum.