# Duck with Bumble Foot



## Downriver Tackle (Dec 24, 2004)

One of my ducks stepped on something and punctured it's foot. From what I've read, it's classic bumble foot. Callous around the wound and swelling on top. Top is just big bubble with fluid and I've lanced it a few times, but it keeps coming back. Right over the bone on top and bottom. No infection at all, just clear fluid.. Had it wrapped and in antibiotic ointment when possible, but keeping that on a duck is nearly impossible. Still bothering her pretty bad. Any experience or recommendations?


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## Anish (Mar 6, 2009)

Is


Downriver Tackle said:


> One of my ducks stepped on something and punctured it's foot. From what I've read, it's classic bumble foot. Callous around the wound and swelling on top. Top is just big bubble with fluid and I've lanced it a few times, but it keeps coming back. Right over the bone on top and bottom. No infection at all, just clear fluid.. Had it wrapped and in antibiotic ointment when possible, but keeping that on a duck is nearly impossible. Still bothering her pretty bad. Any experience or recommendations?


Is there any chance you can post a couple of pictures for me?


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## Downriver Tackle (Dec 24, 2004)

Anish said:


> Is
> 
> 
> Is there any chance you can post a couple of pictures for me?


She's out wandering right now, but this pic I found is really close. Black spot is about the same size and surrounding area about the same. Top side of the foot keeps filling with blood and fluid. No sign of infection.


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## Anish (Mar 6, 2009)

Downriver Tackle said:


> She's out wandering right now, but this pic I found is really close. Black spot is about the same size and surrounding area about the same. Top side of the foot keeps filling with blood and fluid. No sign of infection.


Sorry :O! Been crazy busy this week. I've been meaning to check this more often to see if you replied, but keep forgetting. 
Anyway.. Yes! DEFINITELY a bumble!! 
Oh, here's how I treat it when it shows up in my flock. This sounds terribly painful, but it really isn't. Have someone hold the duck for you, preferably with its head covered to keep it calm. Now, take a heavy needle (or something similar). Wash it up really well and start carefully going around the edge of the "plug" that is the bumble. Eventually, you will loosen it enough to be able to pull it out like a cork. Here is where it gets kinda gross. Lol! Once the plug is out, gently scrape around in the hole (and there will be a pretty significant hole) and make sure you have all of it. Very rarely do I get any blood doing this. If you do get blood, you dug a little too far. No worries. Nothing direct pressure won't stop and your duck will forgive you . Once you have all the ick (technical term) out, put a few drops of tea tree oil in the hole. Let it sit and soak in for a minute. Then put some Blue Kote in the hole. You can find that at TSC. IF you don't already have some, it's really good stuff to have on hand if you have animals. #1 first aid! Warning.. It WILL stain the crap out of anything it touches.
Hope this helped. Just take your time with the project and all should heal up just fine. Don't bother trying to dress it. You will never get a dressing to stay on. 
If you have any more questions, just holler . Let me know how it goes. I will check back daily. 
Good luck!


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## Downriver Tackle (Dec 24, 2004)

Anish said:


> Sorry :O! Been crazy busy this week. I've been meaning to check this more often to see if you replied, but keep forgetting.
> Anyway.. Yes! DEFINITELY a bumble!!
> Oh, here's how I treat it when it shows up in my flock. This sounds terribly painful, but it really isn't. Have someone hold the duck for you, preferably with its head covered to keep it calm. Now, take a heavy needle (or something similar). Wash it up really well and start carefully going around the edge of the "plug" that is the bumble. Eventually, you will loosen it enough to be able to pull it out like a cork. Here is where it gets kinda gross. Lol! Once the plug is out, gently scrape around in the hole (and there will be a pretty significant hole) and make sure you have all of it. Very rarely do I get any blood doing this. If you do get blood, you dug a little too far. No worries. Nothing direct pressure won't stop and your duck will forgive you . Once you have all the ick (technical term) out, put a few drops of tea tree oil in the hole. Let it sit and soak in for a minute. Then put some Blue Kote in the hole. You can find that at TSC. IF you don't already have some, it's really good stuff to have on hand if you have animals. #1 first aid! Warning.. It WILL stain the crap out of anything it touches.
> Hope this helped. Just take your time with the project and all should heal up just fine. Don't bother trying to dress it. You will never get a dressing to stay on.
> ...



Many thanks!!! The bumble is still there, but in the last few days, she seems to be walking and running fine. Top side swelling gone. Should I still remove it if it doesn't cause any further issues?


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## Anish (Mar 6, 2009)

Downriver Tackle said:


> Many thanks!!! The bumble is still there, but in the last few days, she seems to be walking and running fine. Top side swelling gone. Should I still remove it if it doesn't cause any further issues?


Definitely. If you don't, it will start to damage the bone. Those bumbles do that. They will seem to improve a bit, then they fire back up again. I'm guessing the reason it's gone down is because the ground is starting to dry out a little. 
No problem! Glad I could help!


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## Anish (Mar 6, 2009)

So, how did the bumble foot turn out? 
I just had to do surgery on one of my guineas yesterday. THAT was a project!! Lol! They are psychos under the BEST of circumstances!!


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## Fabner1 (Jan 24, 2009)

_*Don't use straw as a bedding material!*_

_*Old*_


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## Downriver Tackle (Dec 24, 2004)

Anish said:


> So, how did the bumble foot turn out?
> I just had to do surgery on one of my guineas yesterday. THAT was a project!! Lol! They are psychos under the BEST of circumstances!!


Actually, it's almost gone and not causing a problem at all. I have to take my one dog to the vet soon and they treat farm animals. They said I can bring her in with my dog for free to have her checked and it removed for cheap, if necessary. I've only spent $10k in the last 3 years there. That's the least they owe me. lol


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## Downriver Tackle (Dec 24, 2004)

Fabner1 said:


> _*Don't use straw as a bedding material!*_
> 
> _*Old*_


No straw. Pretty sure it came from them climbing on a pile of wood with some pieces of chicken wire still on some old fence posts.


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## Anish (Mar 6, 2009)

Downriver Tackle said:


> No straw. Pretty sure it came from them climbing on a pile of wood with some pieces of chicken wire still on some old fence posts.


Oh!! I have definitely been there!!


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## Downriver Tackle (Dec 24, 2004)

Anish said:


> Oh!! I have definitely been there!!


 When they spot hawks, or on windy days, they live in the wood piles. lol


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## Fabner1 (Jan 24, 2009)

_*Don't use any kind of bedding on the floor! It must hold the bacteria that causes it ???
My neighbor has multiple Bumbles. Uses Straw for bedding to help with cleanup!

I had all kinds of Chickens, Ducks, and Guineas for years and never had a one Bumble foot ever.
I had a concrete floor and a 30 by 70 fenced yard.
Over 170 chickens at one point. If I would get off my as and clean the house out I could keep a thousand or more. 70 by 22 feet! I had a very nice flock of Guineas one year until they decided to start roosting in a tree next to the Chicken house. A Great Horned came back every night until there was none.
I left the door open for years until the owl, '***** and 'Possums made it impossible. The owl would come in and make a 90 degree turn to kill chickens off the roost. Then he would eat just the neck!
One night I went out because of the commotion and the owl stood on the ground with both wings spread out defying me!

Old*_


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## jasonvanorder (Feb 23, 2009)

Fabner1 said:


> _*Don't use any kind of bedding on the floor! It must hold the bacteria that causes it ???
> My neighbor has multiple Bumbles. Uses Straw for bedding to help with cleanup!
> 
> I had all kinds of Chickens, Ducks, and Guineas for years and never had a one Bumble foot ever.
> ...


Not sure what you did but a great horned owl is not a bird I wanna square off with. Had ducks and chickens as a kid and never had an issue that I can remember with bumble foot


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## Fabner1 (Jan 24, 2009)

_*No Owls were harmed in the creation of this post!
I did not kill it, even though I wanted to.

I had a pair come in at dusk one evening while Deer hunting and land on the ground about 30 feet away.
They performed the neatest mating ritual by holding their wings up and circling each other. Really cool!
Didn't kill them either ! 

I have a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers in the woods now.*_

_*Old*_


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