Duck limping - help needed

[Starling5767]

Posting this for a friend who asked me to come take a look at his duck since he knew I'd had experience with bumblefoot/limping ducks. This is a female Peking duck. She is enclosed with two other female ducks in a nice duck pen with a pool at night but is out to free range the property during the day with her two friends. She has been limping for about a month. Some days she seems better then other days she is back to limping. The picture below is what the foot looks like. Doesn't look like the typical bumblefoot I'm used to seeing. There are also a couple of very small black "circles" on the top of her foot. He has been spraying the foot twice a day with Vetericyn. He does have a duck boot for her but has not used it yet. I suggested that after he sprays the foot (before he locks them in the pen at night) to put the duck boot on. Then in the morning when he lets them out to take the duck boot off. Any suggestions or ideas of what the problem could be? Sadly we recently lost our most awesome vet that would treat "exotics" And now the nearest vet that will look at a duck is an hour away.

 

[Miss Lydia]

How old is this duck? There does look to be a little swelling he might try Epsom salt poultice [TSC] smear it on and use nonstick bandage then vet wrap. [then the boot]optional. Keep her out of water a few days before looking at the foot again. If there is a bumble the poultice can help bring it to the surface. Only other thing I can think of is niacin deficiency but that usually affects both legs. There is also drawing salves and wrapped the same as the poultice.

 

[Starling5767]

How old is this duck? There does look to be a little swelling he might try Epsom salt poultice [TSC] smear it on and use nonstick bandage then vet wrap. [then the boot]optional. Keep her out of water a few days before looking at the foot again. If there is a bumble the poultice can help bring it to the surface. Only other thing I can think of is niacin deficiency but that usually affects both legs. There is also drawing salves and wrapped the same as the poultice.

Thank you for the response! The duck is young. Probably 2 or 3 years old. Would a duck that free ranges daily normally have a niacin deficiency? I am pretty sure that the duck is fed a balanced duck food.

 

[Starling5767]

My friend is going to do an epsom salt soak and he ordered some drawing salve. I confirmed that he is feeding duck pellets obtained at TSC either Purina or Dumor.

 

[Miss Lydia]

We do see niacin deficiency in older ducks not just ducklings? It wouldn’t hurt to start liquid BComplex over something like dried mealworms 1 ml daily it can’t hurt her. Give this just to her. And treat for bumble also with her feet dark it’s harder to see but since you were there could you tell there was some swelling middle toe in a couple places. TSC carries the BComplex it will say injectable but we use it orally. Usually niacin deficiency shows up in both legs but won’t hurt to treat . It can be kept in the frig.

 

[Starling5767]

Thank you so much. I will share all this information! And yes, the middle toe did look mildly inflamed.

 

[Duck Breeder]

How old is this duck? There does look to be a little swelling he might try Epsom salt poultice [TSC] smear it on and use nonstick bandage then vet wrap. [then the boot]optional. Keep her out of water a few days before looking at the foot again. If there is a bumble the poultice can help bring it to the surface. Only other thing I can think of is niacin deficiency but that usually affects both legs. There is also drawing salves and wrapped the same as the poultice.

We have had problems with lame duck as well we tried deferent things then my wife started giving the ducking pureed peas all the ducking fed that grew faster and stronger than we have ever seen and we have had 300 duckings in the last 5 years. Our adult ducks don't like it much I would try putting dried split peas in with her food