Peeling, scabby, sore duck feet! Advice very welcome please.

[blackandtan]

I can't fathom a ducks foot getting frostbite at or just below freezing. I have seen post where people have their ducks at -40 and they don't have frostbite.

Yes exactly, birds just aren’t built that way.

I know people swear by epsom salt baths, but maybe too much of a good thing? I spend a LOT of time with my hands immersed in salty water, and if I get lazy and don’t wear gloves every time, it only takes a couple days to get dried up old man hands (I am neither old nor a man lol) and then what I’ve dubbed “handruff”.....which has been followed by severe cracking, but I usually don’t let it get that far. It hurts and it’s hard to heal, so if it’s at all analogous to the op’s duck, I feel for the poor thing!

 

[Miss Lydia]

@aart who is the expert on the emergency thread that knows how to treat frost bite?

 

[aart]

I agree it looks like Frostbite.

It does...but temps not really low enough?

 

[Duckfarmer1]

I agree that it looks like extreme frostbite. Webs will not grow back. Depending how deeply the tissue is damaged she may or may not lose toes entirely. Your biggest issue is going to be watching for signs of infection. Infection could go systemic and if it develops I would highly recommend a vet for antibiotics. Also with frostbite it is crucial not to allow her back in cold temperatures until fully healed or the problem can be made worse.

What about trying fishmox? I used that for my duck with bed sores and it helped a great deal...even if it isn’t frostbite, like everyone is sot of going back and forth about...I agree, the tissue is dying/dead...that needs to be addressed and treated and then the cause can be found. I would definitely keep them wrapped and try to keep her immobile while she’s healing.

I had dead tissue on a dog....The dead tissue needs to come off. You need to see good viable red healthy tissue..that means there is a blood supply...when it gets to there..keep it with the antibiotic cream...personally, I have seem necrosis before...putting antibiotic oint doesn’t do annything for dead tissue. But, once you get to red...a bit of sugar on the red tissue also helps it be protected granulate in faster..meaning, just the good tissue will grow back together faster. I would imagine that the treatment for any dead tissue, person or animal would be quite the same.