**UPDATE** I wrote a blog post on Bumblefoot, the causes and treatment, which can be found here: http://networkedblogs.com/iwh79 It contains graphic surgical photos, so be forewarned. I hope you never need it, but if you do, I hope it helps.
And here is the companion YouTube video that I made by request to show how to bandage a chicken's foot after the surgery:
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FIRST we read the information in this hugely helpful thread on bumblefoot surgery by ruth: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=236649 )
Then we performed our first surgery on our bantam Cochin Frizzle, Phoebe. It's bad enough she's going through a ghastly molt, to have to suffer this added indignity seems truly unfair.
This was Phoebe 11 days ago, you can see the left toe but no obvious swelling:
I noticed that the top her left toe was very swollen today and there was a circular lesion on the pad of her foot. While the telltale black spot was absent, we think it is because we caught it early. Phoebe is a bantam Cochin Frizzle and her tiny parts were tricky to work on. We did remove the "kernel" looking thing inside but did not get too much after that. We bandaged her up as in the post above and are letting her rest in a crate inside for the night as she was wet and it's a little chilly out tonight.
The offending pad and circular lesion:
The top of the swollen toe:
Cutting the circle around the lesion with a new, sterilized blade:
After having removed the crusty lesion:
We didn't have to do too much digging to get to the hard, "kernel"/aka: "plug" that is described in the post above and it came out easily:
The "kernel"/"plug":
It's always recommended that you wear the appropriate attire to perform surgery on your chickens. (and this was the last I saw of my husband before he had to go sit down on the couch for a while, looking a little, um...pale):
And here is the companion YouTube video that I made by request to show how to bandage a chicken's foot after the surgery:
_______________________________
FIRST we read the information in this hugely helpful thread on bumblefoot surgery by ruth: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=236649 )
Then we performed our first surgery on our bantam Cochin Frizzle, Phoebe. It's bad enough she's going through a ghastly molt, to have to suffer this added indignity seems truly unfair.
This was Phoebe 11 days ago, you can see the left toe but no obvious swelling:
I noticed that the top her left toe was very swollen today and there was a circular lesion on the pad of her foot. While the telltale black spot was absent, we think it is because we caught it early. Phoebe is a bantam Cochin Frizzle and her tiny parts were tricky to work on. We did remove the "kernel" looking thing inside but did not get too much after that. We bandaged her up as in the post above and are letting her rest in a crate inside for the night as she was wet and it's a little chilly out tonight.
The offending pad and circular lesion:
The top of the swollen toe:
Cutting the circle around the lesion with a new, sterilized blade:
After having removed the crusty lesion:
We didn't have to do too much digging to get to the hard, "kernel"/aka: "plug" that is described in the post above and it came out easily:
The "kernel"/"plug":
It's always recommended that you wear the appropriate attire to perform surgery on your chickens. (and this was the last I saw of my husband before he had to go sit down on the couch for a while, looking a little, um...pale):
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