Bumblefoot cure with just Betadine soaks?

[austroberta]

I brought my poor runner duck Sage to get her corneal abrasion (which is still not healed) checked and saw that she was tracking blood on the vet's floor. Apparently she had a bumblefoot on the side of one of her feet and while I was taking her into the car to the vet, it started bleeding (or maybe it was bleeding before that...I don't know). The vet suggested a twice daily warm soak of water and betadine. Is that enough? Or will I have to do the surgery?

I've got a jaundiced eye about vets. This one didn't even wash it or put ointment on it while I was there for her Eye check up. I'm somewhat skeptical that it will just go away with Betadine soaks.

That being said, I did notice Sage was consistently standing on one foot a lot. She is no longer doing that, after 2 days of soaking, so perhaps the Betadine will work?

 

[Miss Lydia]

If it opened on it's own maybe the kernel is gone. Check it out if there is a hole then the bumble or kernel maybe gone and keep up the soaking till healed. If the scab is still there then you'll need to keep trying to peel the scab off so you can get out the bumble which is not liquid like people. So if cab is still there soak as often as you can with Epsom salt and warm water this will help soften the scab so you can get it off. Once you get the bumble out [you may have to use tweezers] then you pack the foot with an antibiotic ointment and wrap the foot check every few days to make sure it's clean and healing sometimes it takes 2 or more times to get all the bumble infection out. Keep her on clean a bedding as possible. If you want to use betadine after unwrapping soak in it then pack and rewrap.

Sorry her eye is healed has the eye gotten any better at all?

 

[casportpony]

I guess it depends on how bad the bumble foot is. I just treated my goose. He was unable to walk and had a callous, but no obvious kernel of pus. Treatment was:

• Soak in tub for an hour.
• Clean foot with chlorhexidine
• Wrap foot with a Neosporin, telfa pad, gauze, and vetwrap
• Place in hospital cage (6' diameter made from 2" x 4" welded wire) ,

When I took the wrap off the callous had softened up enough that I could pick it off, and under the callous was a tiny hole/wound, like maybe from stepping on a thistle.
So maybe your duck's bumble is like the one my goose had.

 

[austroberta]

If it opened on it's own maybe the kernel is gone. Check it out if there is a hole then the bumble or kernel maybe gone and keep up the soaking till healed. If the scab is still there then you'll need to keep trying to peel the scab off so you can get out the bumble which is not liquid like people. So if cab is still there soak as often as you can with Epsom salt and warm water this will help soften the scab so you can get it off. Once you get the bumble out [you may have to use tweezers] then you pack the foot with an antibiotic ointment and wrap the foot check every few days to make sure it's clean and healing sometimes it takes 2 or more times to get all the bumble infection out. Keep her on clean a bedding as possible. If you want to use betadine after unwrapping soak in it then pack and rewrap.

Sorry her eye is healed has the eye gotten any better at all?

I do see a very small dark scab (not the large, dark ones I've seen on other bumble pictures). I also still see the small swelling and her foot is warm to the touch. Otherwise her behavior is fine. She is eating and drinking well and does all her other ducky things, except go in the pool (which is another source of concern, her feathers aren't the cleanest, although she is till preening)

So I still have to do the minor surgery (not mentioned by the vet)? This won't just go away/go down if I soak it 2 x a day? The soaking is just to loosen the scab so I can get in there and clean house, not a method of removing the staph infection?

I forgot to mention that she is still on the anti-inflammatory meds and the vet gave her some sulfa meds to see if the eye might respond with those. Her eye is still cloudy and until I brought her for her check up, had this weird cooked egg white looking thing over the eye (which the doctor removed). I'm still doing the eye drops. I can see her pupil underneath the cloudiness.

Separating her in an area with clean bedding is a skill I still have not mastered. She quacks and is unhappy and uses all her energy to get out. I think it's because she can hear her flock mates in every part of the house I put her in.

 

[austroberta]

I guess it depends on how bad the bumble foot is. I just treated my goose. He was unable to walk and had a callous, but no obvious kernel of pus. Treatment was:

• Soak in tub for an hour.
• Clean foot with chlorhexidine
• Wrap foot with a Neosporin, telfa pad, gauze, and vetwrap
• Place in hospital cage (6' diameter made from 2" x 4" welded wire) ,

When I took the wrap off the callous had softened up enough that I could pick it off, and under the callous was a tiny hole/wound, like maybe from stepping on a thistle.
So maybe your duck's bumble is like the one my goose had.

What's the secret for wrapping a duck foot? I had another duck who also had a swelling on her foot, which I soaked in ES. We tried to do the duck wrap thing and it came off every time. Eventually that swelling just went away and she was right as rain.

 

[Miss Lydia]

You might try what @casportpony mentioned first then if it doesn’t help I’ve never had to cut a bumble I soak for how many days it takes once the scab comes off it usually only takes once to get the infection out maybe 2x. If you wrap good you can let her out with everyone I just don’t let mine get in the pool till healed over.

 

[Miss Lydia]

This will need wrapped because it will be open to nasty bacteria. I believe @casportpony has a pic I usually take no stick gauze then vet wrap and go around the leg a ways to do they can’t get it off. Wish I had pics when I did my duck but I lost internet around that time for 8 days and never got a pic. To share.

 

[austroberta]

You might try what @casportpony mentioned first then if it doesn’t help I’ve never had to cut a bumble I soak for how many days it takes once the scab comes off it usually only takes once to get the infection out maybe 2x. If you wrap good you can let her out with everyone I just don’t let mine get in the pool till healed over.

Thanks! I see the scab is not huge. It's actually pretty small, but the swelling is still there.

I'm wondering if I can use the betadine and ES concurrently.

Luckily Sage has no interest in the pool now, so I won't have to chase her out if she decides to go in there.

 

[Sobek]

I guess it depends on how bad the bumble foot is. I just treated my goose. He was unable to walk and had a callous, but no obvious kernel of pus. Treatment was:

• Soak in tub for an hour.
• Clean foot with chlorhexidine
• Wrap foot with a Neosporin, telfa pad, gauze, and vetwrap
• Place in hospital cage (6' diameter made from 2" x 4" welded wire) ,

When I took the wrap off the callous had softened up enough that I could pick it off, and under the callous was a tiny hole/wound, like maybe from stepping on a thistle.
So maybe your duck's bumble is like the one my goose had.

An hour? How did you manage that...

 

[austroberta]

This will need wrapped because it will be open to nasty bacteria. I believe @casportpony has a pic I usually take no stick gauze then vet wrap and go around the leg a ways to do they can’t get it off. Wish I had pics when I did my duck but I lost internet around that time for 8 days and never got a pic. To share.

So wrap it up the anklet, like a gladiator sandal? And then tape it?