My chicken has bumblefoot and the vet estimate is $600

About two weeks ago I noticed our hen was limping and I found a large swollen area on her foot. I researched this site and realized that she has bumblefoot. I removed the scab and cleaned it out as well as I could, packed it with triple antibiotic ointment, and bandaged it. I have changed the bandage every day for a week. The first couple of days I could see a big difference. The last few days it has plateaued. It seems obvious that the infection needs to be surgically removed. I've read some posts on this site and others and see that people perform the procedure on their own when an avian vet is not available. I do have an avian vet available, and just took the hen in to find that it would cost $450 - 600. We have 22 chickens that we keep for eggs and the enjoyment of having chickens in the yard. I can't afford this vet bill, and the vet was not willing to give me antibiotics or pain meds. Should I cull the bird? Try to cut out the infection without pain relievers or antibiotics? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

Read some of the threads on bumblefoot surgery and treatment and do it yourself. My gut tells me that you are the type of person that is quite competent at handling this.

sourland said:

Read some of the threads on bumblefoot surgery and treatment and do it yourself. My gut tells me that you are the type of person that is quite competent at handling this.

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X2, plus you should be able to google "bird biotic" and get water soluble antibiotics over the internet.

I have been having bumblefoot issues in my flock as well. I have performed a few surgeries (actually cutting into the foot) and it worked great on all of my hens but one. I think the infection is just deeper in her foot but it seems to be working it's way out.
I have found out though, that cutting is not really necessary. If you soak the foot in Epsom salt solution, massage it a bit, remove the scab and squeeze (like a pimple), the plug will still come out. It's super gross but the plug is what is keeping it from healing. As long as you use gloves, and clean the area well with iodine, and keep it bandaged with antibiotic ointment, you shouldn't need to provide oral antibiotics. And I certainly wouldn't pay a vet $600, although only you can put a sentimental value on her if she is considered a pet.

Another method I have not tried yet, although I'm going to once I can find something suitable, is placing a type of donut shaped object on the foot (so the scab is in the center) and wrapping that to hold it in place. The idea here is that it will push all of the infection to the center of the foot and ultimately work it's way out. I think, given enough time, it would work it's way out on it's own, or if you do what I described up top, you can get the infection out faster.

Hope this helps! I will let you know how it goes when I try the donut technique...

sourland said:

Read some of the threads on bumblefoot surgery and treatment and do it yourself. My gut tells me that you are the type of person that is quite competent at handling this.

Click to expand...

dekel18042 said:

X2, plus you should be able to google "bird biotic" and get water soluble antibiotics over the internet.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the vote of confidence, that's surprisingly helpful

mirandaleecon said:

I have been having bumblefoot issues in my flock as well. I have performed a few surgeries (actually cutting into the foot) and it worked great on all of my hens but one. I think the infection is just deeper in her foot but it seems to be working it's way out.
I have found out though, that cutting is not really necessary. If you soak the foot in Epsom salt solution, massage it a bit, remove the scab and squeeze (like a pimple), the plug will still come out. It's super gross but the plug is what is keeping it from healing. As long as you use gloves, and clean the area well with iodine, and keep it bandaged with antibiotic ointment, you shouldn't need to provide oral antibiotics. And I certainly wouldn't pay a vet $600, although only you can put a sentimental value on her if she is considered a pet.

Another method I have not tried yet, although I'm going to once I can find something suitable, is placing a type of donut shaped object on the foot (so the scab is in the center) and wrapping that to hold it in place. The idea here is that it will push all of the infection to the center of the foot and ultimately work it's way out. I think, given enough time, it would work it's way out on it's own, or if you do what I described up top, you can get the infection out faster.

Hope this helps! I will let you know how it goes when I try the donut technique...

Click to expand...

Thank you for the advice. I'm going to try to cut it open myself.

Bumble foot is a staph infection, so wear gloves. I have done this operation with no antibiotis and no painkillers. You can do this!

Luckily, I have a friend who is an OR nurse, and she was kind enough to perform the surgery for me! I've been checking the rest of the flock and out of 22 hens I think there are maybe 8 birds with a small scab on one or both of their feet. None are swollen though, does it ever go away on its own? I was thinking about getting some tricide neo, is this the way I should go?

kurley said:

Luckily, I have a friend who is an OR nurse, and she was kind enough to perform the surgery for me! I've been checking the rest of the flock and out of 22 hens I think there are maybe 8 birds with a small scab on one or both of their feet. None are swollen though, does it ever go away on its own? I was thinking about getting some tricide neo, is this the way I should go?

Click to expand...

Those with the small scab could be resolving on it's own, but you need to keep an eye on them. If the area starts looking red and you see swelling starting, it is getting worse. What I do before I go cutting on anyone is soak the bird's feet in warm epsom salt bath every other day for a week or so. After each soaking I wrap the bird in a towel to secure her then apply an iodine/sugar poultice to the bottom of the foot. I put a piece of gauze pad on that and then cut strips of vet wrap and wrap that around the toes and foot. I follow that with sports tape or bandaging tape. I change it every day that I do the epsom salt soak. The poultice helps draw the infection down and the soakings help soften and loosen the scab. The bandaging keeps the poultice on the foot and keeps it soft. They can run around the chicken yard with it on. You should find the scab and core much easier to remove after several soakings and using the poultice. See my post here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/236649/bumblefoot-surgery-with-pics-and-how-to/630#post_15105279

As I said in above link, if I think there is still infection in foot after removing the plug, I apply more idodine/sugar poultice, rewrap and then check it again in a couple of days. Clean it again and reapply until I'm satisfied all the infection is out. Then I will apply a triple antibiotic, wrap it up again, change bandages a couple of days later and keep doing this until the wound is healed and closed up good. It is important to keep the chicken on dry ground while doing this because wet or muddy ground will just soak through the bandages. You don't want the open wound to get re-infected, so keep it well bandaged.

Hi everyone - hope you don't mind if I join in with this thread. I have a rescue hen with a scab on her foot but no swelling redness or difficulty walking. So I am assuming this is bumblefoot but hopefully resolving without 'surgery'. I did put Mag Sulph paste on it with a dressing but the soaking in epsom salts sounds good.