Help! Duck with swollen toe!

[Bryntee]

Any thoughts why its still so swollen? Or when the swelling will go down? She does seem to be walking better tho!

 

[Amiga]

Foot infections, in my experience, are just slow to go away. I think it is because of how their circulatory system in their feet works. In a way it is an advantage because infections can stay localized for a while, that buys time to treat it locally instead of worrying about systemic infection right away.

It has taken five weeks to get rid of bumblefoot in a few cases, here. Romy's first foot splinter took several days to completely heal.

 

[Bryntee]

Well Charlie's toe is the worst its been. Took her to the vet today and they're suggesting surgery. Her toe is swollen and fluid filled with two distinct hard knobs in there. I really do not want to have her put under anesthesia. I might have my fiances brother "operate" as I would get sick. He's an army medic so he's worked on animals before. How do I treat bumble foot in ducks?

 

[Amiga]

Could you please recap what you have been doing up to this point? Can you upload a recent photo?

 

[iwiw60]

Pretty much the same way as for chickens...here's an excellent page with all the instructions and even a video:

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/search?q=bumblefoot

 

[Bryntee]

Two rounds of antibiotics (different from one another) Epson salt soaks. Soft clean bedding. Yup I'll go take a picture now

 

[Bryntee]

 

[Bryntee]

There aren't any scabs outside. but there are two distinct hard "balls" under the skin. It almost feels like a blister but with lumps underneath.

 

[Amiga]

I would follow an Epsom salt soak with a few drops of clear iodine on the swelling. After four days or so I would check to see if a dark scabby area had formed.

The antibiotics were a good idea, seems to me, since there is probably some infection that could get into the bloodstream from this. Was one of them Duramycin? That is supposed to get to the extremities better.

I would think that the surgery could be done using a local anesthetic - just numbing the foot. But I am not a vet. I agree with your concern about anesthesia, especially a general anesthetic.

This reminds me of how cats can get abscesses from their skin healing over a wound, sealing in bacteria.

 

[Bryntee]

Okay I'll try that. The first round was baytril and then next round I can't remember for sure. It was something people can take. I got it from a pharmacy where the vet sent an order to. It came in a powder form inside a pill capsule. I had to break them open and sprinkle the meds inside the pill on top of a treat.