Can someone help me identify what I'm dealing with (pic included)

[nancyrat]

So I thought I would update. I am still dealing with this poor roosters foot and not really encouraged - not seeing any real improvement. I gave him Fishmox for 14 days. Changed his bandage daily. It didn't seem to improve much overall. After being off the Fishmox for a week or so I went to my vet and got a different antibiotic (tetracycline). We are on day 5 of that. I still don't notice much change. I keep it wrapped and covered. I even tried keeping it open for air at night (keeping him separate)in a clean cage with clean bedding. I hoped exposing the wound to air would help it scab or heal instead of staying moist as it does wrapped. It didn't seem to help. His wound still weeps that yellow pussy stuff (I see it on his bandages) and it begins to build up every few days so I have to soak it to be able to remove it without it hurting him so much. I am running out of ideas. When I change the bandage, I always use a antiseptic type cleanser (iodine or chlorhexidine) before wrapping it. I've tried putting Corona antiseptic salve on it, triple antibiotic ointment, and I've even left it at times with just the bandage after cleaning. Nothing seemed to make a difference. Unfortunately, he is a great rooster, great disposition but I cannot seem to help him....He holds his leg up a lot and hobbles around...I feel bad for him...I hate to think I may have to put him out of his misery.

 

[azygous]

No, don't do anything drastic! I want to have one of our very knowledgeable members from Spain give this rooster a look. @Shadrach has a treatment he does with pine tar that may have an application here.

He should be by, if not tonight, then tomorrow. Hold on and let's find out what he thinks.

 

[nancyrat]

No, don't do anything drastic! I want to have one of our very knowledgeable members from Spain give this rooster a look. @Shadrach has a treatment he does with pine tar that may have an application here.

He should be by, if not tonight, then tomorrow. Hold on and let's find out what he thinks.

I won't do anything too soon, he still has 5 more days of antibiotic to try. He still crows, eats good, drinks good and mingles with the girls, I've even seen him mount them. But I fear I won't be able to heal this wound....Thank you for your concern. You've been a comfort and help....

 

[azygous]

I rescued an older hen several years ago when her entire flock was killed by a bobcat. When I got her, I gave her a top to bottom exam. She had never-treated bumblefoot on both feet. I got the one foot squared away, but the other foot was so bad it took nearly two years to conquer it.

I was doing nearly constant surgery on her the first year. Then I tried amoxycillin. Then I tried cephalexin. That's one powerful antibiotic. It did help some, but the bumblefoot never did completely clear up, although it was a huge improvement over when I first got her.

She eventually acquired a reproductive infection and had to be euthanized, but that one foot never did completely heal. If I'd have heard about using pine tar for infected wounds, I would have given that a try. Shadrach will explain what it entails.

You will easily find pine tar at most feed stores. The thing about pine tar is it's been used for over 2000 years for treating wounds. I use it on myself when I have a cactus spine embedded in my skin. It acts to draw out the foreign body.

It has unique antibiotic properties and is used in soaps and skin and hair care products. It's sure worth trying on your rooster's foot.

 

[nancyrat]

I rescued an older hen several years ago when her entire flock was killed by a bobcat. When I got her, I gave her a top to bottom exam. She had never-treated bumblefoot on both feet. I got the one foot squared away, but the other foot was so bad it took nearly two years to conquer it.

I was doing nearly constant surgery on her the first year. Then I tried amoxycillin. Then I tried cephalexin. That's one powerful antibiotic. It did help some, but the bumblefoot never did completely clear up, although it was a huge improvement over when I first got her.

She eventually acquired a reproductive infection and had to be euthanized, but that one foot never did completely heal. If I'd have heard about using pine tar for infected wounds, I would have given that a try. Shadrach will explain what it entails.

You will easily find pine tar at most feed stores. The thing about pine tar is it's been used for over 2000 years for treating wounds. I use it on myself when I have a cactus spine embedded in my skin. It acts to draw out the foreign body.

It has unique antibiotic properties and is used in soaps and skin and hair care products. It's sure worth trying on your rooster's foot.

Well, I've tried everything else I know....I'm willing to give it a try. Let me know. PS my rooster is a rescue too....we got him a couple years ago.

 

[Kris5902]

Time, antibiotics and air... give him a chance. I think if he’s still mating the hens and eating, he can’t be too bad?
Strongest antibiotics you can get! Any updated pictures?

 

[Shadrach]

Hello @nancyrat. I gather you're struggling with your poor roosters foot.
While it's very kind of @azygous to describe me as knowledgeable I'm not particularly knowledgeable about illnesses. The chickens here rarely get sick but what I do get is injuries.
I read you've tried fighting the problem with various antibiotics (?) now.
Did he lose the scales that should be on that part of his foot due to scaly leg mite or have they been removed when trying to address the problem?
I don't think this is bumble-foot. Bumble foot usually has a core. Have you looked for a sign of a core with a very strong magnifying glass?
What I think may be the cause of the problem is usually there are scales covering that part of the foot. These scales have roots, or attachment points. If the scales are broken off at these points through untreated scaly leg mite or the scrubbing of the scales when trying to treat scaly leg mite there is left a point under the skin that is constantly trying to grow something that no longer has roots leaving a passage for easy infection. Not very a very scientific explanation, but....
My first option would be to take him to a vet that specializes in fowl.
I'm reluctant to give medical advice because I'm not a vet, I'm unable to get a good look at the poor chap and I'm not the person that has to deal with the consequences should my advice prove inappropriate or cause further harm.
However, you write you are close to the point of putting the poor chap out of his misery so this is what I would do.
I would stop bathing the foot and stop rubbing the wound in any way. New skin won't grow if you keep rubbing the site.

Here for many wounds these days If I can't stitch them I use a product called Stockholm Hoof Tar. There are other Pine Tars on the market but SHT seems less runny than the others and forms a skin withing a few hours.
This will sound a bit barbaric to some but even deep talon wounds and areas where considerable amounts of skin have been torn away, get packed and coated with SHT, best done at night when the chicken will stay on the roost bar while the tar skins over.
I don't isolate the chicken and they stay free ranging with their group.
Below is an article about using this product.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...s-and-injuries-with-stockholm-hoof-tar.74400/

 

[dawg53]

Scaly leg mites feed on keratin. They will literally eat through a chickens leg.
In this instance you're dealing with tissue inflammation and maybe a secondary bacterial infection.
Since you've tried antibiotics as well as other things, go ahead and use the pine tar as @Shadrach recommends. We've used it on injuries to wild hogs with success.
Additionally, try feeding your rooster foods that contain keratin, you never know, it might help.

 

[nancyrat]

Hello @nancyrat. I gather you're struggling with your poor roosters foot.
While it's very kind of @azygous to describe me as knowledgeable I'm not particularly knowledgeable about illnesses. The chickens here rarely get sick but what I do get is injuries.
I read you've tried fighting the problem with various antibiotics (?) now.
Did he lose the scales that should be on that part of his foot due to scaly leg mite or have they been removed when trying to address the problem?
I don't think this is bumble-foot. Bumble foot usually has a core. Have you looked for a sign of a core with a very strong magnifying glass?
What I think may be the cause of the problem is usually there are scales covering that part of the foot. These scales have roots, or attachment points. If the scales are broken off at these points through untreated scaly leg mite or the scrubbing of the scales when trying to treat scaly leg mite there is left a point under the skin that is constantly trying to grow something that no longer has roots leaving a passage for easy infection. Not very a very scientific explanation, but....
My first option would be to take him to a vet that specializes in fowl.
I'm reluctant to give medical advice because I'm not a vet, I'm unable to get a good look at the poor chap and I'm not the person that has to deal with the consequences should my advice prove inappropriate or cause further harm.
However, you write you are close to the point of putting the poor chap out of his misery so this is what I would do.
I would stop bathing the foot and stop rubbing the wound in any way. New skin won't grow if you keep rubbing the site.

Here for many wounds these days If I can't stitch them I use a product called Stockholm Hoof Tar. There are other Pine Tars on the market but SHT seems less runny than the others and forms a skin withing a few hours.
This will sound a bit barbaric to some but even deep talon wounds and areas where considerable amounts of skin have been torn away, get packed and coated with SHT, best done at night when the chicken will stay on the roost bar while the tar skins over.
I don't isolate the chicken and they stay free ranging with their group.
Below is an article about using this product.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...s-and-injuries-with-stockholm-hoof-tar.74400/

Thank you for sharing your information. He was a rescue (along with 3 hens) we got about 3 years ago. We noticed his feet looked funny and he tended to lay around a lot....we didn't know what it was at first but figured out it was scaly leg mites. We also discovered the hens had it too so we treated all of them and quarantined them. He got noticeably better and started moving around and stood like the other chicken. He had it the worst - I haven't looked for a core....I'm not really sure what I would be looking for other than a hard knot or bump of some kind? Did you see image 693? That black growth is how this started it was last fall. We just left it for a while and watched it....it didn't seem to bother him too much but it kept getting bigger so we put some corona salve on his foot and after a week or so the hard black thing came off. But when it did, it left a sore that seemed to just scab over at first. Then we noticed it wasn't really healing right so we started bandaging it with some corona antiseptic and changed it every other day or so...but then it started looking like the rest of the pictures. Anyway, that's when I started posting trying to figure this out.

I did find there is a "fowl vet" in a town 30 miles from here. I may give that a try too and I will try finding this Stockholm hoof tar. Thank you

 

[nancyrat]

Scaly leg mites feed on keratin. They will literally eat through a chickens leg.
In this instance you're dealing with tissue inflammation and maybe a secondary bacterial infection.
Since you've tried antibiotics as well as other things, go ahead and use the pine tar as @Shadrach recommends. We've used it on injuries to wild hogs with success.
Additionally, try feeding your rooster foods that contain keratin, you never know, it might help.

Just Curious....If mites feed on Keratin....why would I feed him Keratin? I do feed my birds some spinach and baby kale every so often....what food would you recommend?