The Duck Spa - how the heck do you soak your duck's feet without a fight?!?

[Firefightra]

I recently acquired 5 rescue Muscovy ducks ( 3 from one location and 2 from another) and 3 of them have Bumblefoot on both feet (they came from very muddy conditions). I had done a lot of research and came to the decision that I would soak them in Tricide Neo for a week. I live in Canada and a 1 gallon package came to $100.00, so that's very pricy. I divided the soaks into 1/4 gallon at a time, so that I could extend the life of the product - it comes to $25 per soak for a total of 4 soaks per package. The problem is, two of the ducks keep trying to jump out of the container and kick their legs during the 7 minute soaks, causing the Tricide Neo to go splashing everywhere. Two days of soaks and $50 later, I'm not sure I can make it the full 7 days. Does anyone have any tips on how they have soaked their ducks feet? Muscovies don't like to be held, so this is a problem. I have a 9 x 13 glass baking dish that I stand them in and point their very active poop away from the dish, so that it doesn't soil the Tricide Neo. I have also put the dish in a large tupperware container and then put them into the container, so that they are somewhat contained and still are able to soak. The drake has no issues and is easy to soak, but the two hens are a handful. I start off with 4 cups of Tricide Neo solution and am down to 2 cups after a day of soaking. Argh. Any tips on what others have done would be incredibly helpful.

 

[chickens really]

You can also use Epsom salts too. Place the Duck in a tote or floor washing pail..Don't allow the Birds to drink the solution or they get the poops..How bad is the Bumble foot?

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

Hi and @Nyla rescues Muscovies, maybe she too could offer some advice as well?
If you use a tote as suggested by @chickens really , maybe you could place a piece of hardware cloth over the top to keep the duck contained? Wrap it around the edges? Or place a towel over the top? I know some do this with chickens, but not sure if ducks calm down in the "dark".
All I do know is that ducks like to poop in the water. And, then drink that same water.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yes that Neo is very expensive

I use Epsom salt and warm water and bucket You have to hold onto the duck while soaking and def no drinking of the water. I use a gallon bucket and half to 1 cup of Epsom salt mixed in with warm water.
I saw on you tube some one had rigged up a soaking bucket and cut a hole in the buckets lid for the duck to stick it's head out of.

Can you get clear iodine? after soaking dry the feet and using a q tip put the clear iodine over the bumble let it soak in and dry then keep doing this until you can easily remove the scab by getting under with your finger nail you want to be able to get the scab off with out tearing healthy skin. Just keep this up once you get the scab off since poultry pus is cheesy you can pick out the bumble with sterile tweezers. Then keep soaking until wound is healed. You can pack with antibiotic ointment and wrap if you like too after getting the bumble out.

 

[Firefightra]

Thanks for the help! I have done the Epsom salts with Blue Kote/Vetericyn VF for two weeks and it has come down somewhat in all of them; but, they really hate it (and I hate the stress it's causing both them and myself) and have heard this may have to go on for many more weeks. The two hens keep trying to fly or jump out of the tote despite me either having a hand on them or trying to let them be. I tried putting a sheet on top of the tote and it worked at calming them until they started taking baths! Not a big deal; but, it's still super cold where I live and they are also battling wet feather. I experimented with epsom salt baths, Vetericyn VF (on one duck) and Blu Kote (on the other duck) and the Blu Kote worked far better in this case. The drake that got the Blu Kote was able to have the black scabs removed with no bleeding after 1 week. No kernels or pus could be removed, though. I am trying the Tricide Neo; because, I have read it is much faster and has great results. If it works faster, then there's less stress on the ducks I'm figuring.

As for the Bumblefoot, it's not extremely terrible. Mild to medium swelling at the site (with varying hard lumps and soft, puss feeling swellings). The scabs range from the diameter of a pencil eraser to a bit larger than a pin head. Issue is, they all have 2 - 3 bumbles per foot. Feet are not hot, no swelling in the legs, no limping and they're all still eating and doing ducky things as normal.

Seeing a vet is my absolute last resort and I'm trying to do all I can myself, as a visit and surgery for all of them will cost me approximately $1200.00.

So I'm trying to see if others have had the same issue with their ducks stressing out at bath time and what they've done about it. Any thoughts or tips would be appreciated!

 

[chickens really]

If not having issues with feet?..Keeping them on dry bedding will definitely help..Sounds like you have a handle on things..
Best wishes.

 

[Firefightra]

Hi and @Nyla rescues Muscovies, maybe she too could offer some advice as well?
If you use a tote as suggested by @chickens really , maybe you could place a piece of hardware cloth over the top to keep the duck contained? Wrap it around the edges? Or place a towel over the top? I know some do this with chickens, but not sure if ducks calm down in the "dark".
All I do know is that ducks like to poop in the water. And, then drink that same water.

Oh my goodness! SO. MUCH. POOP. I put a sheet over the tote and they did calm down...they calmed down enough to take a bath. Not a big deal normally; however, these ducks are also battling wet feather and our weather is still very terrible and cold. Plus, I'm not sure a Tricide Neo bath is the best type of bath to take. lol. I could try the hardware cloth so that they're contained; but, not calm enough to bathe. Thanks for the tip.

 

[chickens really]

Are you sure it's wet feather and not molting?...

 

[Firefightra]

Yes that Neo is very expensive

I use Epsom salt and warm water and bucket You have to hold onto the duck while soaking and def no drinking of the water. I use a gallon bucket and half to 1 cup of Epsom salt mixed in with warm water.
I saw on you tube some one had rigged up a soaking bucket and cut a hole in the buckets lid for the duck to stick it's head out of.

Can you get clear iodine? after soaking dry the feet and using a q tip put the clear iodine over the bumble let it soak in and dry then keep doing this until you can easily remove the scab by getting under with your finger nail you want to be able to get the scab off with out tearing healthy skin. Just keep this up once you get the scab off since poultry pus is cheesy you can pick out the bumble with sterile tweezers. Then keep soaking until wound is healed. You can pack with antibiotic ointment and wrap if you like too after getting the bumble out.

Thanks for the info! I didn't see the soaking bucket and that sounds like it would work! I do have clear iodine, so maybe that is worth a try. I have experimented with Vetericyn VF as well as Blu Kote and have had success with the Blue Kote, as I was able to remove 2 scabs from the Drake. I wasn't able to remove the scabs from the hen who was getting the Vetericyn VF treatment.

I am trying the Tricide Neo; because, all this daily soaking and flipping them on their backs (with heads covered to calm them) to get at the bumbles is really stressing both them and myself out. I have read a lot of success with the Tricide Neo and it's a fairly quick treatment.

I spent 5 days of wrapping their feet in vet wrap and duct taping the bottoms to keep it somewhat dry and I practically ripped my hair out! I would spend over 2 hours a day on the 3 ducks trying to treat them and most of the time was spent trying to wrap 6 wriggling, struggling feet! I ordered some duck booties; however, they will take a long time to arrive, so I have given up on wrapping them. Their bedding is kept dry and they have soft straw to walk on in their run (we made their enclosure this past December, so there will be grass in it as soon as our weather co-operates). They will also be free ranging our property - again if the weather wants to co-operate.

 

[Firefightra]

Are you sure it's wet feather and not molting?...

Not 100% sure; however, they aren't dropping any feathers, so I'm assuming it's wet feather? They came to me with a brownish tinge all over them and the enclosure they came from was just dirt. It's Spring so their enclosure had turned off and on muddy. I had read that ducks that live in muddy conditions can cause them to get the mud/dirt all over their feathers. Mud is a natural oil remover, so I assumed that's what happened. They also did not have any place to bathe (which is hard to do over the winter), so when I brought them home, I let them have a bath. The water was filthy when they were done; however, an hour and a half later they were shivering and their feathers were still wet. I had to blow dry the drake (he was the worst off) with a hairdryer! He actually enjoyed the pampering! lol. Their feathers are much more ragged than the feathers of the 2 other rescues (I got them from a different location). Of course, those girls are only 7 months old, so perhaps that's why their feathers looks so good and are waterproof still? The two other girls are almost 2 years old and the Drake is about 4 years old.