# Duck with Bumblefoot



## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

For a friend, her duck has bumble foot, she has been treating with Vetrycin & is wondering about possible surgery?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Boy. I don't know. She must really love her duck.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

She does love her ducks. She has done research; If I recall right, surgery is after treating for about a week.


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## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

Is bumblefoot painful? I think one of my really old hens might have one. She doesn't limp & she still roosts & scratches. Maybe it's a benign tumor or something else? It doesn't look like it's bothering her.

If the duck gets surgery, what is the post op care like?


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## Steampunked (Mar 23, 2015)

nancy d said:


> For a friend, her duck has bumble foot, she has been treating with Vetrycin & is wondering about possible surgery?


Vetrycin will not work effectively unless she removes the scab each time - it needs to get into the wound. Most people I know think that mostly surgery is the way to go due to the risk of rotting tissue within the wound.

Soaking a foot in warm water with epsom salts will soften up the tissue for scab removal or surgery, but you need a pretty strong stomach. Sometimes I can...do this kinda thing! And sometimes I can't.

It WILL hurt the bird, absolutely. The bird will also likely die without it as abscesses are just nasty. So if she goes the home surgery route she needs to wrap it up so it can't hurt her or it.

Surgery is generally VERY effective.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

All great advice, it all lines up with her research. Yes foot is wrapped. I dont know why she asked me she knows a whole lot about it.


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## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

Bumble foot is scabby? OK. That's not what my hen has after all. Whew! I really hope the poor ducky gets better soon. Maybe he'll like swimming around in warm epsom salt water!


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## Steampunked (Mar 23, 2015)

catharina said:


> Bumble foot is scabby? OK. That's not what my hen has after all. Whew! I really hope the poor ducky gets better soon. Maybe he'll like swimming around in warm epsom salt water!


Bumblefoot is an abscess inside the foot which can have a number of different appearances (and is probably caused by a number of bacteria). The name is because the beastie limps, rather than being specific, if you know what I mean.

If you pop up a picture of your chicken's foot (clean) I could probably diagnose for you, or give it a good shot!


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## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

Yes--I'll try to get her to hold still. But, I'm way too "chicken" to do any surgery. :chick:


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