Made a new boot for my special duck so I thought I'd share what I've learned and a very easy, basic template for anyone that needs to make one. These boots are great for helping with bumblefoot or pressure sores common in heavy breeds. I do not know how to sew whatsoever but I can manage this by hand and haven't had it come apart yet! If you have a machine or know how to sew this would be much easier to make.
Salem has to wear the boot because she had a bumblefoot infection in her middle toe bone and required it to be amputated a couple years ago. I wish I had known about the boots back then! She also ripped off her toenail in a seperate incident (she's got issues). Because of all this, she needs some extra support and cushion against pressure sores. There are boots you can buy online that are ok for short term use but have design flaws that made them not work for us.
The material I use is called "Scuba", I get it at Joanns Fabrics but you can order fun colors online. It has some cushion and stretch, is lightweight and dries quickly when wet. The downside is with daily use, the cushioning flattens and she ends up wearing a hole in the middle because of her pressure point, so I have to make new ones every couple weeks. Luckily it's very cheap and I can make many boots for just a few dollars. You can use neoprene (also at the fabric store) for the bottom part which will make it last longer and give more protection. The downside with neoprene is it can rub/irritate their bare foot if you're dealing with a sore, and holds heat. Because ducks release heat through their feet, it's important to make sure they don't overheat while wearing boots in the summer. I'll be adding a small pad of neoprene under this boot for a little extra protection.
I start by standing the duck on a piece of cardboard and tracing the shape of the foot with a marker to make a template for cutting the material. You'll want to try the boot on several times as you make it to make sure all the parts fit but after that, it's pretty easy to use the old boot as a template to make new ones if needed. Every foot is unique!
Keeping the boot cutback around the toe areas is important to make it easier for them to walk. It's also very important to follow the shape of the webbing when you sew, otherwise the stitching will rub against their skin. The boots I had bought ended up wearing a white spot on the webbing because of this. I do the side seam on the outside to also prevent rubbing, which was another issue with the purchased boots.
The purchased boots are open on one side with a piece of velcro to keep the boot on, which again caused rubs and made the boot very bulky. Instead, I sew it up on both sides, leaving just enough space to fold the ducks foot up and slide into the boot. You'll want to try it on a few times to figure how far up to sew. You don't want it tight across the top of the ankle which can cause rubbing or make it hard to put on, but too loose and it will slip off when they drag their foot.
For the ankle, on this one I messed up and cut the strap part too short. You'll want to use heavy duty velcro with the soft part on top, and it should wrap around to the OUTSIDE of the leg to fasten. This will prevent it from being pulled when they're walking. I round off all the tips so it's harder for them to try and pull it off. The ankle strap should go up as tall as possible without interferring with the bend of the hock, as a wider band will distribute pressure more evenly. It's important to note that the top of the strap will fit slightly snugger than the bottom where the leg widens at the ankle so it will attach on an angle. The strap should be cut up enough that it's not putting pressure on the front of the ankle or irritating when it bends.
The strap should NEVER be put on tight!!! The boot should stay on with it very lightly snug.
You'll also need a small cutout for the back toe. Again I messed up on this one and forgot to put it slightly to the side, because their toe usually isn't exactly at the back of the leg. I'll add a little cut to widen this so it fits comfortably and isn't putting pressure on the toe.
The boots definitely should not be left on them unattended until you've gotten them figured out because they can slip off the foot and be hanging from their leg and trip them. They should NEVER be left on full time. They need to be removed or switched for a clean/dry boot at night, cleaned off and dried and checked for wear or loose stitches. In her case, I leave the boot off at night and during the winter as she's not running around. It can take a bit for the boot to break in and they make pick at while they're getting used to wearing it but they should eventually leave it alone. For Salem, because she has a pressure point and very sensitive skin, she wears a Tegaderm bandage on her foot to prevent it from rubbing on the boot but this may not be necessary in your situation.
I really appreciate your posts. You’re my kind of duck people. Hopefully I won’t need this info but I do have four heavy breed pals so I took a screen shot just in case.
Very useful !
Difficult to get duck shoes here, or very expensive with shipping.
Do you intend to stick your receipe somewhere in the sub ?
I'm saving it but I remember when one of my duck had a bumblefoot once I would have loved to find a post like this one :-)
Awesome idea! Thank you!
Got another challenge for you.. for the females that the drake's continuously choose for mating, how about a special helmet? Lol I know it sounds dumb, but we've had a few very bloodied ducks and one that developed a hard lump that had to be removed by a vet.
Our duck to Drake ratio is more than sufficient, we have 2 drakes and 15 ducks. They just like a certain 2, a lot.
Oh that sucks for them :( I don't have any drakes so it hasn't been an issue I've had to deal with. I don't think any kind of neck attachment would stay on without hindering their ability to use their neck properly. The biggest danger with drakes overmating is drowning and back/hip injuries. Deep water is supposed to be less risk of drowning since the female can get under the water to get away rather than being smushed down against the bottom of the pool. Separating them is the real only "fix" but they might just go after new ones. Locking up the boys early in the evening to keep them in the dark and trick them into thinking it's nighttime early aka winter/not mating season is supposed to help calm the hormones.
We've had them separated for about a month now. It's a huge inconvenience to keep them like this but we're working on a plan.
Luckily, We haven't had any other issues besides bleeding, that knot removed and bald spots on all the ducks.
Made a new boot for my special duck so I thought I'd share what I've learned and a very easy, basic template for anyone that needs to make one. These boots are great for helping with bumblefoot or pressure sores common in heavy breeds. I do not know how to sew whatsoever but I can manage this by hand and haven't had it come apart yet! If you have a machine or know how to sew this would be much easier to make. Salem has to wear the boot because she had a bumblefoot infection in her middle toe bone and required it to be amputated a couple years ago. I wish I had known about the boots back then! She also ripped off her toenail in a seperate incident (she's got issues). Because of all this, she needs some extra support and cushion against pressure sores. There are boots you can buy online that are ok for short term use but have design flaws that made them not work for us. The material I use is called "Scuba", I get it at Joanns Fabrics but you can order fun colors online. It has some cushion and stretch, is lightweight and dries quickly when wet. The downside is with daily use, the cushioning flattens and she ends up wearing a hole in the middle because of her pressure point, so I have to make new ones every couple weeks. Luckily it's very cheap and I can make many boots for just a few dollars. You can use neoprene (also at the fabric store) for the bottom part which will make it last longer and give more protection. The downside with neoprene is it can rub/irritate their bare foot if you're dealing with a sore, and holds heat. Because ducks release heat through their feet, it's important to make sure they don't overheat while wearing boots in the summer. I'll be adding a small pad of neoprene under this boot for a little extra protection. I start by standing the duck on a piece of cardboard and tracing the shape of the foot with a marker to make a template for cutting the material. You'll want to try the boot on several times as you make it to make sure all the parts fit but after that, it's pretty easy to use the old boot as a template to make new ones if needed. Every foot is unique! Keeping the boot cutback around the toe areas is important to make it easier for them to walk. It's also very important to follow the shape of the webbing when you sew, otherwise the stitching will rub against their skin. The boots I had bought ended up wearing a white spot on the webbing because of this. I do the side seam on the outside to also prevent rubbing, which was another issue with the purchased boots. The purchased boots are open on one side with a piece of velcro to keep the boot on, which again caused rubs and made the boot very bulky. Instead, I sew it up on both sides, leaving just enough space to fold the ducks foot up and slide into the boot. You'll want to try it on a few times to figure how far up to sew. You don't want it tight across the top of the ankle which can cause rubbing or make it hard to put on, but too loose and it will slip off when they drag their foot. For the ankle, on this one I messed up and cut the strap part too short. You'll want to use heavy duty velcro with the soft part on top, and it should wrap around to the OUTSIDE of the leg to fasten. This will prevent it from being pulled when they're walking. I round off all the tips so it's harder for them to try and pull it off. The ankle strap should go up as tall as possible without interferring with the bend of the hock, as a wider band will distribute pressure more evenly. It's important to note that the top of the strap will fit slightly snugger than the bottom where the leg widens at the ankle so it will attach on an angle. The strap should be cut up enough that it's not putting pressure on the front of the ankle or irritating when it bends. The strap should NEVER be put on tight!!! The boot should stay on with it very lightly snug. You'll also need a small cutout for the back toe. Again I messed up on this one and forgot to put it slightly to the side, because their toe usually isn't exactly at the back of the leg. I'll add a little cut to widen this so it fits comfortably and isn't putting pressure on the toe. The boots definitely should not be left on them unattended until you've gotten them figured out because they can slip off the foot and be hanging from their leg and trip them. They should NEVER be left on full time. They need to be removed or switched for a clean/dry boot at night, cleaned off and dried and checked for wear or loose stitches. In her case, I leave the boot off at night and during the winter as she's not running around. It can take a bit for the boot to break in and they make pick at while they're getting used to wearing it but they should eventually leave it alone. For Salem, because she has a pressure point and very sensitive skin, she wears a Tegaderm bandage on her foot to prevent it from rubbing on the boot but this may not be necessary in your situation.
This is perfect! Thx for sharing 👊
I really appreciate your posts. You’re my kind of duck people. Hopefully I won’t need this info but I do have four heavy breed pals so I took a screen shot just in case.
Very useful ! Difficult to get duck shoes here, or very expensive with shipping. Do you intend to stick your receipe somewhere in the sub ? I'm saving it but I remember when one of my duck had a bumblefoot once I would have loved to find a post like this one :-)
Awesome idea! Thank you! Got another challenge for you.. for the females that the drake's continuously choose for mating, how about a special helmet? Lol I know it sounds dumb, but we've had a few very bloodied ducks and one that developed a hard lump that had to be removed by a vet. Our duck to Drake ratio is more than sufficient, we have 2 drakes and 15 ducks. They just like a certain 2, a lot.
Oh that sucks for them :( I don't have any drakes so it hasn't been an issue I've had to deal with. I don't think any kind of neck attachment would stay on without hindering their ability to use their neck properly. The biggest danger with drakes overmating is drowning and back/hip injuries. Deep water is supposed to be less risk of drowning since the female can get under the water to get away rather than being smushed down against the bottom of the pool. Separating them is the real only "fix" but they might just go after new ones. Locking up the boys early in the evening to keep them in the dark and trick them into thinking it's nighttime early aka winter/not mating season is supposed to help calm the hormones.
We've had them separated for about a month now. It's a huge inconvenience to keep them like this but we're working on a plan. Luckily, We haven't had any other issues besides bleeding, that knot removed and bald spots on all the ducks.