Duck with foot infection/bumblefoot

[Fefa]

Good morning everyone. I am new to the forum and new to having ducks. My one duck has a pretty bad infection on its foot. I don't know exactly what caused it, but I am wracking my brain as to how to help heal my girlie and have been doing so for close to a month now to no avail. Here is what I have done so far:

1. approximately 7 days of oral antibiotics
2. 4 days of penicillin (after the oral antibiotics didn't work) 1/4 cc (300,000 btu penicillin) injected in the the leg muscle.
3. epsom soaks
4. overnight epsom poultices
5. iodine painted on pads (though I think I need to get a solution with a higher iodine content ... where can I get this? I bought mine from a pharmacy)

At the moment, I have put a poultice on during the day as well to protect the foot. I have read all the articles on the site regarding bumblefoot and just now feel at a loss as to what to do. I am really reticent to cut the pad of her foot. This just seems like a recipe for further infection. She walks and acts pretty normally, but at this point it looks like it is soon ready to move up into her first joint, and I am really worried. Should I take her to a vet, or what is my next step? What would a vet do that I haven't done?

Please don't judge me for anything that I have or have not done. This is my first two months of ever having ducks, and I am trying the best to do what is right.

Many thanks to all,
Jenny aka Fefa

 

[Corrie W]

I am no doctor by any means and wouldn't recommend doing the procedure unless your comfortable of course. I keep this link and website close by, I've used it twice and have been successful with it both times! You're on the right track with the epsom soaks! I did 5 days of Tylan as well.

http://www.hobbyfarms.com/how-to-treat-bumblefoot-in-chickens-3/

 

[gal5150]

It's interesting, other than the obvious swelling I don't see any of the telltale signs of bumble. The area of swelling looks flush, no apparent signs of trauma/break in skin which would be introducing infection, etc. Since you are dealing with it, can you see any potential break in the skin? Scab? Puncture? I'm sorry you're having to go through this. Like I said, from the pics it's a very odd occurance.

 

[Fefa]

I am no doctor by any means and wouldn't recommend doing the procedure unless your comfortable of course. I keep this link and website close by, I've used it twice and have been successful with it both times! You're on the right track with the epsom soaks! I did 5 days of Tylan as well.

http://www.hobbyfarms.com/how-to-treat-bumblefoot-in-chickens-3/

 

[Fefa]

Thank you so much Carrie for your response. I really appreciate it. I will keep this site handy too. I hope not to have to do this: in reading over it, it looks quite involved! I am going to see what happens over the next week with the poultice and penicillin. I know that I read somewhere that results from the penicillin will most likely not be seen immediately. If however, this doesn't work I will either contact a vet or refer to this article. Thank you again!!

 

[Fefa]

It's interesting, other than the obvious swelling I don't see any of the telltale signs of bumble. The area of swelling looks flush, no apparent signs of trauma/break in skin which would be introducing infection, etc. Since you are dealing with it, can you see any potential break in the skin? Scab? Puncture? I'm sorry you're having to go through this. Like I said, from the pics it's a very odd occurance.

Thank you so much for your reply, and I do apologize for all the pictures. I thought that I only posted 2. I don't know how I loaded them a zillion times! If you look at the left corner of the pad, you can see a little white mark. This is the only area that I can find that looks like a little pinprick. We were thinking that maybe she was stung by a bee? In all honesty, I am really new at this, and so I have never seen bumblefoot. I am only guessing here. Generally she doesn't limp though by the end of the day she does struggle sometimes. I am pretty sure, however, that this is an infection. Sometimes I can feel the heat around the wound.

 

[Sami64]

I am looking for duck shoes for my duck's bumblefoot. I found one source online--they are $20 a shoe. I am looking for other options.

 

[Sami64]

Looks you're being a responsible duck owner. Good Job. Just a comment. Iodine is no longer a preferred treatment as it destroys good tissue with the infected. I have been working with a wound specialist for our ladies with bumble foot and she recommends bacitracin--not Neosporin. Hope that helps.

 

[casportpony]

Welcome to BYC! The best thing to do would be to see a vet.

 

[Lookin4GoodLife]

When you gently squeeze it, do you feel anything hard in there like the "kernel" mentioned in the article? If so, I don't think antibiotics will make that go away once it's solidified. You or a vet will have to cut it open to get it out. I wouldn't worry about introducing new infection as long as you treat it, wrap it and re-wrap it as its healing to help keep it clean. I think an open wound is rarely a problem, it's when the wound closes up with nasty inside of it a problem is created.