Bumblefoot surgery - with pics and "how to"

[ruth]

Quote:
That's why I like using a single-edge razor blade. I sometimes have to make a deep incision staight across the hole, deep into the pad, so that I can gain access and dig out gunk. The plug is not often found in the hole - it's often deep in the pad. Follow the cheesy puss to the source.

You will eventually get to where you can feel the difference in good, pink, meaty flesh and the abcessed gunk or "dead" stuff. You can't really "pick out" the "good" flesh, or at least not easily. The pad of her foot should not be hard so that tells me there is probably more stuff in it - especially if you dind't find a plug/kernel.

Good luck. By the way, that's why I usually end up spending close to an hour the first time around. I hate to have to go back later and I find they heal better and faster if I don't have to keep opening them up. When I first had to do these procedures, I would give up too easily and then have to do it again a few days later. I would be convinced that there was nothing else in there. I've learned that I should just spend the time and keep soaking, squeezing and digging till I find the source - if at all possible - the first go round.

Good luck.

 

[seminolewind]

Well, I just worked on the bumbles for over an hour and when all was done, I just had to have a glass of wine, LOL.
The 2 hard bumbles each gave a plug. The 2 soft ones did not. I dug and squeezed and felt, nothing there. I can deal with the cutting, but the digging just makes me feel terrible. Her one foot had alot of digging, and I feel horrible. My poor little Valerie. I hope I've made her better.

 

[ruth]

Quote:
Good job - glad you found the plug in the two hard bumbles. They should heal nicely now and yes, you've made her better. It could have spread if you had let it go.

One of the things I find myself cooing to them as they lay there covered up, waiting while I operate or sew them up or perform bumble foot procedures, especially if they flinch....."I know, I know, it's no fun for me either."

 

[seminolewind]

Thanks Ruth. I named Valerie after the song from the Monkees with that name. So I was actually singing it to her, but probably singing to keep me steady! Would have never had the courage without your directions and pictures. The pictures made all the difference.

 

[vermontgal]

Does anyone have experience with bumblefoot in a toe? I have a hen who has a large, swollen rear toe, and a scab just under the toe nail. Any advice on how to approach this one? I would post a pic but my digital camera just died (I dropped it on a bike tour.)

This is a very excellent thread. Thank you so much for sharing all those photos. It is also very helpful to have details of others' trying. I have had my hen in for surgery before but after reading all the experiences, I think I was not aggressive enough at probing into the foot.

 

[JessaLynn]

I have 2 right now with bumblefoot and tried my best to take care of it but my one I wasn't able to remove it.I about lost my lunch!

I have such a weak stomach it's horrible.I did manage to help our rooster out but my poor hen is still suffering with it.Her foot is swollen a bit between her toes and need to get it out but keep gaggen

I'm such a baby

I don't know what to do with her at this point.Can't find anyone here to help me because they have no clue.Never had this problem till now in all the years I have had chickens.Gonna try again though hopefuly.

 

[seminolewind]

JessaLynn, try to imagine that this is not your chicken, it's someone else's and they are paying you to do this because it's your job. (The emotional separation works for me)
OR, get someone else to do it, like a friend or spouse.
It's hard for me, too, to mess with animals; people-I don't mind !

 

[cicene mete]

Our chicken has the scab on both feet. When we dig around and massage, a lot of bloody squishy stuff is coming out, but nothing that looks like cheese. Of course, it's all covered in blood, so it's hard to tell if it's yellow. We also don't feel any kernel even after we've emptied the pad. She has no swelling around the toes, and if we feel from the top we also don't feel anything hard. Any advice?

 

[gckiddhouse]

Okay, help me!! Please.

I sooo appreciate this thread. I just tried to do this procedure on my Fiona. She had it on both feet. One is really swollen and hot, the other was less swollen and had a big scab.
The scab on her feet was lumpy and when soaked, seemed to be in pieces. Is this what others are seeing? It did remind me of a wart.

So I had read and saw pics of a scab and a plug. Soak in epsom salts and remove. Sounded easy - NOT.

I could not get anything out. I did not use a blade, though. I was using a surgical tweezer. I expected to be able to "pull" out the plug, but that didn't work. I ended up with sort of fleshy whitish stuff that was puffed up out of the hole, but didn't get anything removed. Even pieces of the scab were left.

From one of her feet - the really swollen one, I pulled a thorn about 1/2 inch long. From that hole, I was able to squeeze some nasty cheesy puss and gunk.

But I couldn't even get the scab from that foot. Maybe I soaked it too long??

I eventually decided to put antibiotic ointment on her feet and wrap them.

I will go back to them pending some more education and better equipment.

I don't know how to do the cutting and it doesn't seem to be as simple as it looks.

Can you give some advice??? Please. Thanks in advance. I did read this whole thread and look at the pics, but I just need some more details.

 

[EweSheep]

My hen is doing just fine. One foot is mending pretty good and the other one was swollen up to her ankles and mid leg and it was very warm to the touch. With all the soaking and digging, I finally said enough and called the vet for appt. It will be Thursday and maybe they can suggest something else or do the stuff themselves. So she is up there all wrapped up and will check again in the morning to see if anything improves.

The techician said I did what I can do with foot soaks and digging it out and you HAVE to be on top of it otherwise it would be nasty and could lose your bird due to septic infection.

She might need some antibotics but they would like to see her first before they do anything else major to her.