Duck with stubborn swollen ankle after 4 weeks of different treatments

[JuliannaM06]

hi everyone, a few weeks ago I posted on here about my Pekín duck having pretty bad bumble, and how to go about treating it since I have no access to a avian vet. I got the scab off along with a small kernel. That was about a 2 weeks ago. The ankle is still swollen, only very little improvements. I was recommended enrofloxacin, but I don’t think it helped at all. He was on it for 5 days, 2 doses a day, and then I stopped to prevent a yeast infection. His foot up near one of the webs was oozing pink liquid when I picked open a scab. It drained for a bit with me squeezing it. But after a few days still no improvement. I’m still using PRID on spot that was oozing, and I started epson salt soaks 4 days ago to help draw possible infection out. Now what?

 

[Canadian Wind]

Keep going with the epsom salt. You can also get it in poultice form. After every soak, remove the scab so it can drain.

Since this is a Pekin, I would also add additional niacin to his diet as they are prone to deficiencies being so large.

 

[JuliannaM06]

Keep going with the epsom salt. You can also get it in poultice form. After every soak, remove the scab so it can drain.

Since this is a Pekin, I would also add additional niacin to his diet as they are prone to deficiencies being so large.

Okay will do! It’s been 2 weeks since I gave him Enrofloxacin, can I restart and give him another round of the antiobiotics?

 

[Canadian Wind]

Okay will do! It’s been 2 weeks since I gave him Enrofloxacin, can I restart and give him another round of the antiobiotics?

I'm not a vet and have never had to use antibiotics for mine so I can't answer that.

Maybe someone else will pipe in with their experience.

 

[Quatie]

Okay will do! It’s been 2 weeks since I gave him Enrofloxacin, can I restart and give him another round of the antiobiotics?

Technically, you can continue to give antibiotics, but it is not recommended. It has negative effects on gut bacteria that can lead to yeast infections. If I were going to do antibiotics, I would do a different type. If the first antibiotic didn't work the first time, it will probably won't work the second time. If it is still infected, doing a second antibiotic right away would be recommended as a bacterial infection getting out of control would be worse. Hopefully that makes sense.

However, the swelling may not necessarily be due to an infection. It's hard to tell with out doing a culture on the fluid inside. Have you treated your duck with any anti-inflammatory?

Also, Pekins can take longer to heal than other ducks. That increased weight is really hard on their legs and feet.

 

[JuliannaM06]

Technically, you can continue to give antibiotics, but it is not recommended. It has negative effects on gut bacteria that can lead to yeast infections. If I were going to do antibiotics, I would do a different type. If the first antibiotic didn't work the first time, it will probably won't work the second time. If it is still infected, doing a second antibiotic right away would be recommended as a bacterial infection getting out of control would be worse. Hopefully that makes sense.

However, the swelling may not necessarily be due to an infection. It's hard to tell with out doing a culture on the fluid inside. Have you treated your duck with any anti-inflammatory?

Also, Pekins can take longer to heal than other ducks. That increased weight is really hard on their legs and feet.

I have recently starting giving him ibuprofen, and now I’m giving him vitamin b complex. I haven’t been able to get any puss out of that hole that was oozing up in the web of his foot. It is like an empty cavern now. He hasn’t been able to walk for a month now, just kind of hobbles around when he really needs to with the heel of his foot. Any recommendations for a different antibiotic?

 

[Canadian Wind]

I have recently starting giving him ibuprofen, and now I’m giving him vitamin b complex. I haven’t been able to get any puss out of that hole that was oozing up in the web of his foot. It is like an empty cavern now. He hasn’t been able to walk for a month now, just kind of hobbles around when he really needs to with the heel of his foot. Any recommendations for a different antibiotic?

If there's nothing left in it, then the most I would do is just ointment (like Neosporin).

 

[Quatie]

I have recently starting giving him ibuprofen, and now I’m giving him vitamin b complex. I haven’t been able to get any puss out of that hole that was oozing up in the web of his foot. It is like an empty cavern now. He hasn’t been able to walk for a month now, just kind of hobbles around when he really needs to with the heel of his foot. Any recommendations for a different antibiotic?

The other antibiotics that could use are amoxicillin, doxycycline, or tylosin. Amtyl is a combination of amoxicillin and tylosin. There are other antibiotics, but I don't know of any others you can get without a vet. Baytril is usually the best for things like bumblefoot, but there are things it doesn't work as well on.

I took a look at the older photos from the previous thread. That extra growth on the bottom of the foot will unlikely go away even with the infection gone. When they grow that extra tissue around the infection, it stays there and would require surgical removal. The bottom of the foot otherwise looks pretty good. The top swelling, is a little harder to say what is exactly going on. I am really not certain

 

[JuliannaM06]

The other antibiotics that could use are amoxicillin, doxycycline, or tylosin. Amtyl is a combination of amoxicillin and tylosin. There are other antibiotics, but I don't know of any others you can get without a vet. Baytril is usually the best for things like bumblefoot, but there are things it doesn't work as well on.

I took a look at the older photos from the previous thread. That extra growth on the bottom of the foot will unlikely go away even with the infection gone. When they grow that extra tissue around the infection, it stays there and would require surgical removal. The bottom of the foot otherwise looks pretty good. The top swelling, is a little harder to say what is exactly going on. I am really not certain

Okay, I’m not entirely sure what else to do for him. It is getting worse and the swelling is spreading to his center and left toe. I’ll try researching another antiobiotic. I was really hoping the enrofloxacin was going to work. I don’t want to keep spending money on antibiotics that won’t work.

 

[Jenbirdee]

since he has been on an antibiotic, I would now give him a dose or two of poultry probiotics. keep doing soaks, use an antibacterial ointment and wrap it or use booties maybe. birdie booties.
you could try a different antibiotic after a couple days of probiotics if you think he needs it.