BumbleFoot and drawing salve?

[PuffyChick]

Hello all,
I have a silver laced Wyandotte that started a limp yesterday.
I took her in and cleaned up the foot, thoroughly checking it over for the trouble.
As I cleaned her pad, I noticed this black dot on it that I couldn't rub off.

This morning I jump on here and, worried, I start reading threads and come across Bumblefoot troubles.

She definitely has this.
Her swelling is not too bad (no noticeable swelling) tho she really limps and doesn't want to walk around on her foot at all.

I am currently soaking her foot and have decided to possibly remove the black dot stuff and try to get it out.

Our girl is really tame and wont get too stressed with this.

My question is ...Has anyone tried Drawing Salve? Called Boil-Ease.
My mom has had this same sort of infection where she had glass stuck in her heel and put the salve on for a few days and it draws whatever right out.

So can anyone think of a reason I SHOULDNT try it?

Thanks for helping

 

[PoultryPedia]

Not an answer to your direct question, but--
if you don't see swelling or feel heat, she may just have the callous form of bumblefoot. It that case you can just use toenail scissors or cutters or small wire cutter to trim out the callous & apply some Neosporin-type ointment (Use a kind that doesn't have a "caine" pain relief ingredient).

 

[Judy]

I have often wondered if that sort of salve would work, at least on a milder case. Let us know how it works, if you try it, would ou?

Here's another approach tath doesn't involve cutting:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/554991/antibiotics-for-bumblefoot/0_20#post_7139022

 

[PuffyChick]

Thought I would bump this.

I did the surgery but no cheesy stuff came out. Just the hard little black dot really.

I put some Neosporin and a tiny bit of the drawing salve on it.

Then I look at my Neosporin and notice it is the kind with pain relief in it ..GAH!

So at least I didn't use very much, I cant take it off (it absorbed already)

But now here I sit, worried to death she is gonna die.

She wont walk on the foot, the bandage is not tight.

She didn't lay an egg today either (so far)

She ate her treat right up tho, Oatmeal mixed with a touch of honey and yogurt. Spoilt girl

 

[Yazzo]

Looking forward to seeing how this one turns out. I have a rooster with a bad case of what I'm pretty sure is bumblefoot, and I'm trying to find a non-invasive way of treating him, as I'm not sure where I would even cut, if I would have to cut into his foot, or it may turn out VERY messy and potentially quite dangerous to him.

 

[PoultryPedia]

I think brand-name Neosporin "with Pain Relief" ointment has a non-"caine" painkiller in it tha's actually okay for chickens. Double-check the ingredients list.

 

[beverly evans]

Hi, saw your question while looking for remedies for my girl's bumbleffoot. As I understand it, once you have removed the top layer of skin with the black spot on it you have to dig out both a very different kind of pus than humans have. It's a cheesy, stringy sort of thing followed by one or more hard core like things that one has to work out of the foot. Doesn'yt sound or seem as if this tissue would respond to a draeing salve. But it cannot hurt her so why the h___ not give it a try. Google "bumblefoot surgery" and watch the video. You'll learn a lot. I have been collecting supplies to do the surgery for the past two days. I have found someone in Austin's (TX) Backyard Poultry group to help me by holding my chicken. Apparently they have pretty insensitive feet and don't complain. It will definitely hurt me more! I have been reading stuff on poultrypedia.com all about it. I have to find out which antibiotic in correct for this and dosage. What a drag, huh? I have 3 others have very small black spots with no swelling. I'm hoping to find an Rx that will cure it without surgery. Keep in touch and I'll share info. Beverly Evans

 

[ten chicks]

Hi, saw your question while looking for remedies for my girl's bumbleffoot. As I understand it, once you have removed the top layer of skin with the black spot on it you have to dig out both a very different kind of pus than humans have. It's a cheesy, stringy sort of thing followed by one or more hard core like things that one has to work out of the foot. Doesn'yt sound or seem as if this tissue would respond to a draeing salve. But it cannot hurt her so why the h___ not give it a try. Google "bumblefoot surgery" and watch the video. You'll learn a lot. I have been collecting supplies to do the surgery for the past two days. I have found someone in Austin's (TX) Backyard Poultry group to help me by holding my chicken. Apparently they have pretty insensitive feet and don't complain. It will definitely hurt me more! I have been reading stuff on poultrypedia.com all about it. I have to find out which antibiotic in correct for this and dosage. What a drag, huh? I have 3 others have very small black spots with no swelling. I'm hoping to find an Rx that will cure it without surgery. Keep in touch and I'll share info. Beverly Evans

Here is an excellent link regarding bumblefoot.

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2011/07/bumblefoot-causes-treatment-warning.html

 

[PuffyChick]

Well here's an update.

We cut the bumble out ..3-4 times now. I don't think I went deep enough each time. We still haven't seen any sort of icky squidgy cheesy stuff come out.

I would wait 3 days for it to heal up and see how she would walk on it and how it would be and by the 3rd day the foot would be hot to the touch and she would be limping more heavily.

So the drawing salve, IMO, did nothing.

She seems to do better with just the plain old Neosporin and Peroxide wash/Epsom salt soak method.

Still has the limp (tho not as severe) and I am keeping a very close eye on her. She is currently with no bandage, healed up, small limp.

I am leaving it be for now.

One thing I did notice when all this started was she had a SMALL bumble on her other foot ..but I left it alone because I was dealing with the other one that was making her limp. (honestly it just wasn't that big "looking" so the limp was the only reason we cut it out.)
But this small one on her other foot ..WORE OFF. because I noticed it was gone all by its self.

So ..I don't know what to think-do now.

 

[PuffyChick]

UPDATE-

Lacy is no longer limping!!

We must have dug deep enough the last go to finally get "it"

So relieved. She still has a bit of a circle "owie" area that is healing but so far so good.

What an ordeal that was, really good learning experience all around.
If they ever get hurt I won't be too shaken and a towel will be the first thing I grab even tho my girls are tame pets.

Special thank you to you all and the SURGERY thread and websites OMG what an invaluable source you all are to have.

**LOVES**