2 year old rooster unable to use one leg, discovered bumblefoot

[Lauren4868]

Hello all! My 2 year old rooster suddenly became lame a few days ago. I thought he had had a seizure or broke his leg as I found him hiding under the nesting boxes and unable to move.
I quickly set up the infirmary in the garage (heated) and assessed the situation. His leg appeared fine. He had bumblefoot but it didn't seem to warrant his lameness.
He refused to use the one leg (bumblefoot leg). So I gave him the appropriate amount of Metacam, soaked his foot in epson salt and removed the infection, with all recommended sprays/wound care. (Betadine, Vetericyn)
It's been 3 days and still just as lame, if not worse. He used to stand on his good leg and hobble to food/water. Now he just sits there and won't get up for these things.
He's still eating and drinking when I place it right infront of him.

My concern is that even though he had bumblefoot, there is more going on. He seemed better before I manipulated his leg, checking for broken or dislocated bones.
Any thoughts or advice is greatly appreciated.

I have read through a goodrity of the posts here on bumblefoot and my situion seto be ems

 

[Lauren4868]

My apologies to anyone reading this post. I was having difficulty posting, it kept closing the site on me and I was unable to view what I was typing. If you take the time to scroll to the bottom of the first post, I have attached pictures of his foot.

 

[Lauren4868]

here are the pictures again. Sorry, graphic

 

[Wyorp Rock]

What does his foot look like now?
That's a lot of tissue removed, is it healing up ok?

Photos of the whole rooster may be helpful as well. Not sure what's going on with him. See that he's eating/drinking, that his crop is emptying. Look him over for lice/mites. A fecal float will tell you if worms are part of the problem.

 

[Eggcessive]

Is he your only rooster? Do you know if he was vaccinated for Mareks disease? Have the other chickens been trying to hurt him? Injuries can be common in roosters, and nerve involvement could make his leg lame. Lameness in only the one leg could be a sign of Mareks disease. Make sure that he can reach food and water. A chicken sling chair could be something that could get him upright and make it easier to eat while he is healing. If he has Mareks, it is most commonly diagnosed with a necropsy by the state vet after death.

 

[Lauren4868]

Thank you for your response Wyorp. I completely agree that large amount of tissue was taken with the infection. So I will explain...

I have never attempted a bumblefoot surgery before. The small waxy chunk in the photos was what I cut out myself. I realized that this was insufficient and asked my paramedic friend, who also runs a non profit animal sanctuary for her assistance. She was just as clueless as I, so we researched and watched youtube videos together. The Chicken Chick is my go-to for everything. The conclusion was we needed to make sure that all infected tissue was cut out or else this was a lost cause. I will admit, there is much more tissue cut out than was needed but it was done out of precaution, fear, and lack of experience.
My god it is so much more difficult owning chickens than I ever thought possible!

 

[Lauren4868]

so here is background info on my flock:

Age range 8 months - 2 years
Not vaccinated
Southern Ontario, Canada
I had mites last early spring. I purchased Elector PSP ($300 for us Canadian folks off of Ebay as it is not sold in Canada) and cleared it up after first treatment and did a second for precaution.
My flock consists of 17 birds.
2 two year old roosters (brothers) Ameraucana
2 eight month old Cochin roosters (brothers)
All roosters get along very well
**My injured rooster was the top rooster
Feed is Jones Organic Layer
Treats are organic mealworms that I raise myself with a few leafy greens or veggies thrown into the mix
I have an Orpington hen (18 months old) who has one small pupil and one normal pupil (no hazing) She became very sick a few moths ago with respritory issues and runny stools. I treated her in the house for over a month and she recovered but still suffers from watery stools.

 

[Lauren4868]

Is he your only rooster? Do you know if he was vaccinated for Mareks disease? Have the other chickens been trying to hurt him? Injuries can be common in roosters, and nerve involvement could make his leg lame. Lameness in only the one leg could be a sign of Mareks disease. Make sure that he can reach food and water. A chicken sling chair could be something that could get him upright and make it easier to eat while he is healing. If he has Mareks, it is most commonly diagnosed with a necropsy by the state vet after death.

Thank you for your reply!
Unfortunately none of my chickens are vaccinated. This seems to be them problem in my area when wanting specific breeds, as the local hatcheries offer only 4-8 breeds.
Tortilla (my head rooster Ameraucana) is not my only one. I have his brother and 2 younger roos (Cochins). All get along quite well, no one disputes the fact that Tortilla is boss. Roosting bars are lower than 18 inches to accommodate the larger Cochins.

When I found Tortilla he was hiding under the nesting boxes. He was fine the day before. I can see some pecking injuries on his comb. He is in my garage now, separated from the flock. The first day he was able to use his one leg, now he cannot use either.
i have food and water that I present him with and keep close to him in his crate.
I dont think it was the bumblefoot that caused this.

I have an 18 year old Jack Russel dog that got a spinal cord injury from jumping off my bed onto my hardwood floor. The symptoms seem similar, lack of mobility progressed in 24 hours from being able to stand, to complete paralysis.
I am at a loss

Any other feedback is greatly appreciated!

 

[Lauren4868]

I will post a photo of his foot after I changed the bandage lastnight. Removal of bumblefoot was on Wednesday.
I will also post more pictures of his posture and droppings today as well. Just need the sun to come up for better lighting.
Thank you again for any thoughts or advice

 

[Lauren4868]