Weird thing on my ducks feet!!

[PierceFam]

One of my 3-4 week olds has this hard, cauliflower, wart place on each heel that I noticed today. I swear it wasn't there before. None of the others with it has this. She's not limping or showing any other symptoms. Any ideas how to get rid of this? Thank you!

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[tdd2]

Beginings of bumblefoot...a very common foot infection in domestic birds, especially waterfowl.

Soak her feet daily, for 10 minutes or so, in Epson salt water (1-2 tablespoons of Epson salt dissolved in 1qt lukewarm water - and do NOT let her drink it, it's a laxative), then apply decolorized iodine to the bumble...should heal up in a couple of weeks.

When needed, I use a shallow Tupperware container - outside - and sit with my duck in my lap with the Tupperware in front of me...calmly hold them/pet them/distract them while they stand in the container.

When done, hold them on either side keeping their wings in, and put them so they are laying on their back on your closed legs, head towards your body.

Hold them while applying the iodine....it can be a bit of a magic trick, but once you've got it down, it works well.

Good luck!!

Dan

 

[Amiga]

Dan, I have read that the clear iodine goes on once, then is checked again after several days. Do you apply it daily? I am interested in learning how it works out. I use it on myself, the clear iodine - but usually early on, before there is much infection and so I don't get the dramatic result that Haunted55 wrote about last summer (I think that's when I saw that post).

PierceFam, what are they walking on?

 

[PierceFam]

I don't see how it's Bumble foot. It's been cold so they've only been inside on soft bedding. This looks like a cauliflower wart my son had once. Can bumblefoot look like that instead of the traditional round sore with dark spot? There's no sign of pain or limping or anything.

 

[Amiga]

Good that you are thinking of all possibilities. Since I'm not right there, I will lean toward your gut feeling about it.

If you think it's fungal, then there are some anti fungal things to try.

A good duck vet is always best - I try to remember to write that, knowing it's not always a possibility.

There are OTC antifungals, but I am not familiar with which ones are okay for ducks. But I think that's something to look into.

Natural or herbal antifungals, from what I have read, include pau d'arco, oregano, coconut oil, tea tree oil. It is not good, as you probably know (but just for others reading this) to apply straight essential oils. It is best to add several drops of the e.o. to a carrier oil or water before applying topically.

 

[tdd2]

Dan, I have read that the clear iodine goes on once, then is checked again after several days.  Do you apply it daily?  I am interested in learning how it works out.  I use it on myself, the clear iodine - but usually early on, before there is much infection and so I don't get the dramatic result that Haunted55 wrote about last summer (I think that's when I saw that post).

PierceFam, what are they walking on?

Amiga,

When I find a bumble on one of my Little's, I start by soaking their little feet for 7-10 minutes daily (or roughly 2 songs on my phone - it's always in my pocket playing music when I'm out with the duckers) for a week or so in Epson salt water.

Actually, lately I've had 2 of my 5 with mild bumbles, so everyone has been getting 'spa treatments' this week!

I've also modified their pen flooring by adding a layer of perforated rubber stall mats over the solid rubber horse stall mats already in there - my thought being that they have had too much contact with flat wet, duck poo (read bacteria laden) floors.

Squirt checking out the new 'improved' pen flooring:

Even though I thoroughly wash the pen out twice a day, they still tend to muck it up pretty quickly, and the new perforated mats allow the water and poo to drop away from having so much duck feet contact.

I've gotten all off topic....

Back to your question, if the bumble is bad (large/nasty looking/discolored/etc), I'll put a drop of discolored iodine on the surface of the bumble daily, and also apply some 3in1 antibacterial ointment over it. This is after the Epson salt water soak. My reasoning is that I'm using the Epson salt water soaks to bring the infection out, and the topicals to keep the surface/sub surface bacteria in check as much as possible.

Because I never 'operate' (at least haven't had to yet) on their bumbles, the skin is not broken per-se, and the iodine and antibiotic ointment are being used topically only, and only on the bumble.

This may well not be the best method, but it seems to work on my Little's... Hope this helps!

Dan

 

[PierceFam]

Are you all sure this is Bumble? Its not a round sore with a dark spot... Its just the color of its feet and sticking to the side of the heel pad and sticks out. I've just never seen it present like this.

 

[PatRN]

Ok don't laugh too loud but when first read the description my initial thought was plantar wart. Cauliflower looking lesions usually on the foot in humans. They are fungal in nature. Not sure how to cure a duck but in humans one of the treatments is to rub it with an emery board to stimulate the body to heal itself.

 

[PierceFam]

Pat, that's what I thought of too! I made sure it swam a lot and treated it with Vetrycin, and it went away!

 

[Freeranger30]

My ducklings have this right now. Was there something that worked for you and your ducks?