- May 15, 2013
- 17
- 5
- 26
Several weeks ago, hen Margaret developed what looked like bumble foot between her toes. Took her to vet who treated her with antibiotics (wish I knew which) for a week with injections subcutaneous under the skin on the back between the wings. The size seemed to decrease a little, but then at the end of that week of injections it looked the same. So we brought her back for the vet to lance it.
She returned Margaret telling me that surprisingly there was absolutely no puss, no infection. Bad news: there was something in her foot that was so big and long that if she removed it there would have been no foot. She recommended we change the bandaging and if it helped let Margaret keep walking in this bandage like a shoe if it made her more comfortable. That is what we've been doing these last two months. Yesterday I let her walk around without a bandage and she looks fine though this thing between her toes is as big as it was. She walks normally though.
Any ideas what is going on here?
The vet explained that it was like a human corn and that it could potentially go away untreated if her immune system at some point could get rid of it. She explained that the virus that causes corns is in the soil and there's nothing we can do about that. Humans too can just suddenly lose their corns with or without treatment. None of the other hens have developed this, however, but they all free range in our garden. Maybe it is just a matter of time.
My only worry about Margaret is that she does not look as good or vibrant as she used to look. But she is eating, walking around, dust bathing etc. and still very dominant, just after Coco, our cockerel-like hen. She has however been molting at the same time this is going on. She started molting just after the attempted surgery and her new feathers have been growing in nicely. Is it my imagination, or her age? She is a 2.5 years old, GL Wyandotte from breeder.
She returned Margaret telling me that surprisingly there was absolutely no puss, no infection. Bad news: there was something in her foot that was so big and long that if she removed it there would have been no foot. She recommended we change the bandaging and if it helped let Margaret keep walking in this bandage like a shoe if it made her more comfortable. That is what we've been doing these last two months. Yesterday I let her walk around without a bandage and she looks fine though this thing between her toes is as big as it was. She walks normally though.
Any ideas what is going on here?
The vet explained that it was like a human corn and that it could potentially go away untreated if her immune system at some point could get rid of it. She explained that the virus that causes corns is in the soil and there's nothing we can do about that. Humans too can just suddenly lose their corns with or without treatment. None of the other hens have developed this, however, but they all free range in our garden. Maybe it is just a matter of time.
My only worry about Margaret is that she does not look as good or vibrant as she used to look. But she is eating, walking around, dust bathing etc. and still very dominant, just after Coco, our cockerel-like hen. She has however been molting at the same time this is going on. She started molting just after the attempted surgery and her new feathers have been growing in nicely. Is it my imagination, or her age? She is a 2.5 years old, GL Wyandotte from breeder.
