DO NOT CUT INTO IT Antibiotics from your vet are always a good course of action to help fully treat the infection and prevent it from coming back. Bumblefoot is caused by an infection in the foot that creates pus, which in ducks, forms into a solid, hard "kernel". The kernel is basically like walking with a rock in your shoe which is what creates the scab from within, but the infection is under the skin. The point of soaking is to soften the scab to provide a "path of least resistance" so the kernel will work it's way out and can be squeezed out as the scab softens and can be removed. Soaking in warm water will help soften the scab so keep doing that. Epsom salt is not proven to do anything, my vet recommends diluted chlorahexadine or betadine for soaking to help kill bacteria around the scab. The scab needs to be kept softened to help the kernel push out so applying an ointment (I like PRID but neosporin is also good) and then putting a bandage over it to hold the ointment on and keep the scab soft will make a big difference. I prefer using Tegaderm bandages, they're a clear self adhesive that works well on duck feet and is so much easier than messing with wrapping. With those Crazy K boots, I disliked the side strap being under the foot which causes uneven pressure so I removed it by carefully cutting the threading. The boots stay on fine without it. I would switch the left boot/right boot because I noticed the seem on the open side would sit right where your ducks bumble is and irritate it so put the open side of the boot on the opposite side of the bumble. After soaking, you can squeeze the bumble area like you're trying to pop a pimple. You don't want to tear off the scab because it may bleed but if it's really soft you can help it along a bit. It can take days for this to work. You can soak it more often if she'll let you which will speed up the process. A lot of people will say to cut into it but it's terribly inhumane, you risk causing internal injury cutting into important structures and you're very unlikely to keep a perfectly sterile environment which means introducing bacteria deeper into the foot and making the problem much worse. You'll want to be prepared for when the kernel does come out so have supplies on standby and keep things as sterile as possible. Wear gloves as the bacteria is caused by a Staph infection. When the kernel comes out, makes sure to squeeze the foot really well to clear out any smaller pieces that may be trapped within. Flush it out with a sterile saline solution or topical spray like Vetericyn. My vet recommends the chlorahexadine or betadine soaks on the open foot to help clear out the infection from within. Keep the foot dry and clean afterwards, apply a clean topical like Vetericyn or Neosporin, then bandage well. Tegaderm bandages are good over this but not reliable to stay on so I would also put a non stick pad and vetwrap over it, covering the entire foot (keep the foot spread in it's natural position). Use duct tape on the bottom of the foot to keep it dry/clean. The bandages should be changed twice a day and new topical applied, making sure to keep things as clean and sterile as possible. It's important the wound heals from the inside out. Luckily duck feet heal fast. Make sure during treatment she's in a small isolated area on thick, clean, DRY bedding. No swimming, no running around, no poopy muddy yard. You can provide cleaning time if the scab is still on by letting them stand in the shower, you just don't want them swimming in poopy dirty water. A mirror and a stuffed animal are good for company. Once the wound is healed over, I would keep applying the ointment and tegaderm bandages and keeping the boots on for awhile, as they're prone to recurrence once they've had one and you want to make sure things are FULLY 110% healed inside out before going back to normal. Weekly foot checks can catch small problems before they turn into big ones. With smaller little scabs, they can usually be cleared up by applying ointment and a tegaderm or booties for a few days. More on reddit.com

Bumblefoot unfortunately can take a long time to treat. The foot has a scab, correct? In bumblefoot, infection within the foot creates puss which forms into a hard "kernel". It's basically like walking on a rock, which is what causes the scab present in most bumblefoot. Generally speaking yes, the kernel needs to come out or the problem will continue. The foot should be soaked in warm water as much as possible (if you're doing the tricide neo once a day, make sure you're doing at least one other soak a day every 12 hours in either plain water or a disinfectant solution like diluted chlorhexidine), and a salve/bandage applied to the scab, which will both help soften it and provide a path of least resistance so the kernel can work it's way out. I like PRID ointment for this, non pain relief Neosporin is also good. Get some Tegaderm bandages (2.5" size, 100 pack on Amazon is way more cost effective but can be found at any store). She needs to be kept in a separate small area with thick, clean, dry bedding, running around or getting it dirty will make it worse. No swimming (you don't want the foot soaked in dirty water) but as long as it's still scabbed over you can put her in the shower and let the water run over her to clean up. Depending on its location, wearing a foam pad with a hole cut out over the scab can provide pain relief and help encourage the kernel to move out. As the scab softens, after soaking you can gently squeeze to see if the kernel will move out and eventually it SHOULD come out. Cutting the kernel out is NOT advised because it is incredibly painful, you risk damaging the internal structures of the foot and you risk introducing bacteria. It's a terrible thing to do and should only be used as an emergency last resort. Make sure to use gloves when dealing with the bumble as this is staph infection. It's extremely important once the scab comes off that you keep the open wound sterile so have your supplies within reach. Squeeze the area good as there may be more than one kernel. Immediately flush the inside with Vetericyn original spray, pack the hole with cotton, apply pressure to stop any bleeding and bandage it up (Tegaderm followed by Nonstick gauze pad, then vetwrap, then duct tape on the the bottom to keep it dry and clean). It may bleed a lot but duck feet do so don't panic. Leave her in a clean small area and let the wound coagulate. The initial bandage should be left on for 12-24 hours depending on how much it's bleeding and how deep the hole is. You want it to coagulate and not risk introducing bacteria. You'll need to do bandage changes and reapply a topical treatment like the Vetericyn but you won't pack it in cotton again unless it's still bleeding. You want to make sure the wound is healing from the inside out and gently remove any scabbing that may form over the top of the inside isn't healed yet. Continue keeping her rested, clean and quiet. Make sure the wound is FULLY 150% healed before she starts going back outside and swimming as these are prone to reoccurrence. You may want to get some neoprene duck boots that she can wear for awhile to keep the area protected. Checking all their feet weekly will help catch small issues and prevent them from turning into full blown bumblefoot. More on reddit.com

Poor baby, I don’t think it’s Bumblefoot though More on reddit.com

I just dealt with bumblefoot for the first time. Called around til I found a vet that would see my duck despite avian flu. Shelled out $300, which got me an exam, removal of the infected kernel, 21 doses of antibiotic, iodine, and a silver antibiotic ointment. I’ve been doing a 10-minute iodine soak followed by ointment morning and night, antibiotic 3x/day, and isolating the duck for 3 weeks (her own enclosure adjacent to the regular duck pasture so she doesn’t get too lonely), bc her eggs won’t be safe to eat until then. I brought her in on Thursday and she’s already moving around so much better. Expensive? Yes. Would I do it again? Not sure. Is it super satisfying to see her healing up? Absolutely. Best of luck with your Pekin.

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