My duck’s feet are disappearing! Help!

[Miss Lydia]

It sort of makes me think of what would happen after frost bite. It may be too late but I'd try soaking the feet in warm Epsom salt water and spraying something like Veterycin or Banixx on the feet. Has she been in a pond or lake? Flesh eating bacteria? Just tossing things out.

 

[BrukeyBrooke]

It sort of makes me think of what would happen after frost bite. It may be too late but I'd try soaking the feet in warm Epsom salt water and spraying something like Veterycin or Banixx on the feet. Has she been in a pond or lake? Flesh eating bacteria? Just tossing things out.

I had thought of something like that too. I do regularly use our creek water for them, but the kids and I jump in head to toe and have already this year. But wouldn’t we have some sign? And the other birds too?

 

[BrukeyBrooke]

I’m now leaning toward the frostbite hypothesis. I wish I had a photo of her feet before this happened, but she had swirled colored feet, with some areas being almost pink or lacking color. I now wonder if those lighter areas were more susceptible to the cold. We had snow late again last winter, so if it could take a few months for the frostbite to take full effect… maybe…?

 

[skeeeter]

I didn't want to mention flesh eating bacteria, because I'd heard it called "Burning Consumption" and the duck's feet don't look like they have an infection. Could it be a fungus? I'm not suggesting this but I personally sniff my flocks(I know, gross, and I'm not a dog..) infections smell different from fungi which smell different from healthy. By the way, my wife can hardly put up with some of my ways

 

[ChickenCanoe]

It would almost have to be a bacteria or a fungus.
I would call one of your state avian vets or pathologists.

• Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory
  Hall Room 155N
  Pullman, WA 99164
  
  
  
• Washington State University WADDL-Puyallup Avian Health Food Safety Lab
  2607 W Pioneer
  Puyallup , WA 98371
  
  

 

[HollowOfWisps]

I’m now leaning toward the frostbite hypothesis. I wish I had a photo of her feet before this happened, but she had swirled colored feet, with some areas being almost pink or lacking color. I now wonder if those lighter areas were more susceptible to the cold. We had snow late again last winter, so if it could take a few months for the frostbite to take full effect… maybe…?

Yes it can take months to see the full scale of the frostbite. When my rooster’s combs get frostbite the part affected by frostbite does not fall off until months after it warms back up. The only other thing that I could think of that would cause this is ammonia burns if they are standing in urine soaked bedding for long periods of time.

 

[skeeeter]

that too.

 

[BrukeyBrooke]

It would almost have to be a bacteria or a fungus.
I would call one of your state avian vets or pathologists.

• Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory
  Hall Room 155N
  Pullman, WA 99164
  
  
  
• Washington State University WADDL-Puyallup Avian Health Food Safety Lab
  2607 W Pioneer
  Puyallup , WA 98371
  

Will investigate further. Thanks!

 

[BrukeyBrooke]

Yes it can take months to see the full scale of the frostbite. When my rooster’s combs get frostbite the part affected by frostbite does not fall off until months after it warms back up. The only other thing that I could think of that would cause this is ammonia burns if they are standing in urine soaked bedding for long periods of time.

We’re pretty diligent about keeping their bedding clean and/or turned in between changes. So unless there was some type of bullying I didn’t see that caused her to be isolated/stuck for extended times, I doubt ammonia. She hasn’t been at the bottom of the pecking order. But this is a worthy theory in some cases.