Bumblefoot surgery - with pics and "how to"

[Toast n Jelly]

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Some of the topical medicines for pain can be toxic/fatal - for example anything with the word "cain" at the end like Benzocain, etc. And, really, I know it's hard to believe but they don't seem to be in any real pain. Mine don't squawk or flinch. If I'm really digging and/or cutting, they will sometimes pull their foot forward but that's about it. I think the trick is to wrap them and fully cover the head so that they get no light. Lay them on their side and gently hold them for a minute until they get calm. After that, you should be able to operate without a problem.

The ones that have the marble size swelling between the toes are actually easier to work on. Make an incision on the TOP of the toe right down the middle of the swelling. You can usually just "pop out" the gunk since there shouldn't be anything in between the toes except skin. If they also have the scab on botton and the pad is swollen you might have to open the bad also but you should still open and clean out the swelling between the toes. I had one bird that had swelling between the toes and I found 3 kernels in her foot, one in each swelling between toes and one in the pad of her foot.

The above is my experience as well, no need to write out the whole thing when it's so well explained by Ruth

 

[ruth]

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I always specify the regular Neosporin. Do not use the one with pain relief. You can do it - best of luck. Look at it this way, if you don't, and soon, a severe case can quickly spread and kill her.

 

[9 Feathers Farm]

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It's really hard to say whether or not you should go deeper. I gauge by how much I got out and how bad the foot looked. I have learned to just make a deep & long slit first go or make a smaller X shape slit over the scab area so that I can dig into the foot. I find it's better to have a nice deep clean cut that can heal quicker than having a giant hole in the pad but even those begin to heal over rather quickly.

Did you operate on a hen or a goose? In my experience the hens act like they are sleeping if I have their head covered. It helps to work in a quiet environment also. No, I've never used anything for the pain because they've never acted like it really hurt.

She is a leghorn hen and flightly to start with, so maybe that makes a difference. I did the same thing today to her other foot. Much smaller scab but I figured if i had to re-badage the other foot I might as well fix the problem with the other foot too. I'll keep my eye on her to make sure that she is okay, today during the day she did fine with the tape on.

 

[Kasia]

I think I'm screwing up my hens surgery! I posted it here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=398746

 

[zipzip314]

Ruth,

I did that bumblefoot surgery on my girl ten days ago now. Before hand she wasn't limping, just had some major swelling, did the surgery, got it all out, and she's been fine up till yesterday. Now she is limping pretty badly. I don't see any swelling suggesting I didn't get it all. I'm going to bring her in and look at her foot again, but wanted to see if you had any idea why she might be limping now? When I took the bandgage off a few days after I did the surgery, it looked to be all healed up, and I packed it with neosporin before wrapping it. I'm kind of at a loss here.

Thanks!

 

[Kasia]

You too? I did it on my hen yesterday and got a corn kernel sized mass out from between the toes but then when cut her foot open (she had no disk shaped pad on the foot, but it was very swollen) and I messed it up. NOTHING would come out no matter what and I dug in there deep with my emergency surgical instruments. So I just wrapped it up and now will have to end up paying the vet to do it right. I feel so guilty and bad for having put my poor baby through this and for nothing.

 

[zipzip314]

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I actually got a ton of stuff out when I did hers. Two pretty big size kernels of crap. I looked at her foot earlier and I think there might be a piece way up between two of her toes, so I guess I'm gonna go in through the top this time. Would do it now, but I'm waiting till my dad gets home cause he's gonna get the dog kennel out of storage and I'm gonna keep her in there tonight and tomorrow so I can keep an eye on her.

 

[ruth]

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I posted on your other thread but wanted to copy some of my reply here for others to see/know as well:

"For the one between the toes you'll need to dig it all out. There shouldn't be anything there but skin so from the looks of the pics there still "stuff" in there that you will need to dig out till just a flap of skin is left.

You only needed to cut into the pad if there was a black scab on the bottom of the pad and the pad was also swollen. If it was only between her toes, I posted to cut from the top of the swelling (from the top of toe) and dig it out from the top. You can't get to the "junk" that is in the swollen part between her toes by working from the pad.

From the pic, I don't see anything wrong with the pad and I think you posted there wasn't a scab. At this point, it should be o.k. , just apply regular Neosporin and vet wrap it for a couple of days - BUT - you, or DH, have to fully clean out that swollen part between her toes."

 

[ruth]

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Not really sure. If it healed and there is no swelling she could be limping from something totally unrelated. Check her over and see if you see any sign of injury.

 

[ruth]

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I actually got a ton of stuff out when I did hers. Two pretty big size kernels of crap. I looked at her foot earlier and I think there might be a piece way up between two of her toes, so I guess I'm gonna go in through the top this time. Would do it now, but I'm waiting till my dad gets home cause he's gonna get the dog kennel out of storage and I'm gonna keep her in there tonight and tomorrow so I can keep an eye on her.

If there is swelling between the toes - go through the top of the toe, right down the middle of the most swollen part. Kernels can develop between the toes and not affect the pad at all. It sounds like you got it all out of the pad but it had spread to between the toes.