NON-SURGICAL Bumblefoot Fix

[AmericaunaMama]

I posted the other day about a 2 wk old chick with bumblefoot and didn't get any feed back on a non surgical fix. SO... after freaking myself out about having to cut the bottom of her foot out with a box cutter (the only info I could find on the forums here), I decided to take her to the vet instead.

Turns out since I caught it early enough, I am able to use a medicated soak for 10 min a day and then put some prescription topical cream on it before wrapping it up in cotton and vet tape to keep it clean and help keep pressure off of it. No. Big. Deal. It's our new special one on one bedtime routine for the week.

I wanted to post this because I was feeling hopeless. I even took the chick back to the place I got her, thinking she would have to be culled (which I couldn't bring myself to do), but they didn't think it was possible for a chick that young to get it, and sent me off. A trip to the vet seemed out of our budget half expecting a $100 visit plus who-knows-how-much for surgery, but I am pleasantly surprised with the result. She DID NOT even need antibiotics yet. Since she will be for laying, not meat, the vet was very cautious in giving antibiotics unless in the most dire circumstances. Such a relief.

Anyway... if your new to the whole bumblefoot thing... THERE IS HOPE! My advice, and the advice of many others on here, check their feet regularly. If you catch it early enough, it's an easy fix.

 

[MelissaR]

Thanks for posting this! It's good to hear about a non-surgical way to treat bumblefoot. What type of medicated soak are you using (if you don't mind sharing)?

 

[AmericaunaMama]

Thanks for asking! I feel like I should preface this with "I am not a vet and am not giving medical advice just sharing, I suggest going to the vet under any circumstances" but I think it is important to know there are alternatives to cutting. Plus these meds are prescription only as far as I know.

The soak is chlorhexidine and the cream is silver sulfadiazine. Both of them are just strong antiseptics that will get through the area and help prevent the infection from spreading, eventually clearing it up.

The spot basically looked like a large black plantar wart covering the center bottom pad of her foot. The first night I noticed it she was walking a little unusually which prompted a quick going over. Her other foot has a small spot, but nothing that wont be fixed from the soak she is already standing in nightly. I first night I noticed it, I ran it under warm water for a few minutes to see if it wasn't just some droppings stuck, but the softer it got, you could see the red lines of infection running through it. Because there was no surface blood, the vet said that it is unlikely that the infection has gotten into her bones or blood, as bumblefoot will eventually do, so we were able to avoid antibiotics.

 

[cickssix]

I just found a spot on my leghorn and I would prefer to avoid cutting in to her foot at all costs. What did you soak your chicken's foot in and where did you get the medicated cream?