A flock with bumblefoot: Journey back to health

[azygous]

My flock daily scratch through wood chips overlaying the muddy clay, or unmuddy clay over these drought years here in the southern Rockies. Splinters could well have been the cause of the infected foot pads. However, among the Welsummers affected, it was only the two heaviest that had foot problems. Ditto the other case I discovered late yesterday. I expect Bumblefoot has many causes, and it presents the way it does due to the unique nature of a chicken foot. Have I mentioned how endearing I find chicken feet?

At the rate these guys are healing, the bandages can come off in just a few more days. But even after the rain and snow hits, this flock has a dry, sandy, protected run, and their feet will never touch snow or mud unless they choose to venture out when I open the run door. Almost all abhor snow.

 

[fatcatx]

Thanks deacons - This is a great thread. Maybe your experience can help me out? I am dealing with BF in one hen right now. We were able to get the scab off but despite frequent soakings and massages, could not get ANY cheesy gunk or goo to come out and NONE was under the scab. It all looked like meaty healthy red tissue so we were reluctant to keep cutting. We've attempted to feel the pad to locate the area of the infection but it all feels the same - no hard knots. Is this similar to any of your girls?

We've been watching her and debating if we just need to agressively cut into the pad of the foot. We could use a biopsy punch or a scalpel. Did you have to go this route with any of yours? I read the info about the Magnapaste. Wondering if we should try this first before cuting in again.

Pic is post soak after unwrapping. You can see scab area is healing over but pad is still swollen.

 

[deacons]

Thanks deacons - This is a great thread. Maybe your experience can help me out? I am dealing with BF in one hen right now. We were able to get the scab off but despite frequent soakings and massages, could not get ANY cheesy gunk or goo to come out and NONE was under the scab. It all looked like meaty healthy red tissue so we were reluctant to keep cutting. We've attempted to feel the pad to locate the area of the infection but it all feels the same - no hard knots. Is this similar to any of your girls?

We've been watching her and debating if we just need to agressively cut into the pad of the foot. We could use a biopsy punch or a scalpel. Did you have to go this route with any of yours? I read the info about the Magnapaste. Wondering if we should try this first before cuting in again.

Pic is post soak after unwrapping. You can see scab area is healing over but pad is still swollen.

@fatcatx - Sorry that you're going through this. I certainly know it's not fun!

I will preface all of this by saying I am NOT a vet or even a human medical professional, so take what I say with a big grain of epsom salt Anyway, my experience with almost all of my 5 girls is that I never found the stringy, cheesy goo underneath any scabs that I removed. I don't know if that is typical, but I too kept looking around for it. I had one of my girls with a really swollen footpad even though I never found anything in the hole. Here's a picture where I think the swelling in my girl looked pretty similar to yours above:

That picture was taken about the time I was able to get the Magnapaste, and I really do think that made a tremendous difference in the swelling. I would highly recommend grabbing some if you have a tack store or feed shop nearby. It was not expensive, but it did come in a GIANT tub- wish I could send some along to you since I barely used it, but shipping would be way more than it would cost to buy your own! So, in my non-veterinary opinion, might be worth a try for your girl as well.

Several other people on this thread thought the biopsy punch would be a good idea and speed things along- I think that's probably the case, that way you would at least be more sure you got anything nasty hiding underneath. I never did do that, so I can't comment on how much more quickly I could have helped my girls along if I had used one. But somewhere in here there is a link to a Youtube video of a woman who uses the biopsy punch at her vet's office to get out a lot of the nasty infection. It is very clear and seems like it would be easy to follow if you wanted to attempt it.

Hope this is somewhat helpful, and maybe some of the other folks who have followed this thread can weigh in to help you too. Good luck!

 

[azygous]

I didn't find any nasty white gunk under the black scabs, either. The "kernel" attached to the scab was all I encountered, and that varied in size, from a centimeter to far smaller. I tried to remove all scabby material from around the crater after lifting off the black scab, leaving a glistening crater of red, moist tissue that certainly didn't appear to contain any pus/infection that the body creates out of white blood cells to repel bacteria.

The reason I found this thread so helpful was that it didn't dwell on "surgery". Everything I'd read before this was so over-the-top, getting so far into the surgical procedure, I didn't have the self confidence to even try it.

After reading through this thread, I felt competent to soak a foot in warm epsom salts and scrape a black scab off a tender chicken foot with my thumb nail. That's the extent of my surgical implements, and I dare say it was darned effective!

 

[sunflour]

I didn't find any nasty white gunk under the black scabs, either. The "kernel" attached to the scab was all I encountered, and that varied in size, from a centimeter to far smaller. I tried to remove all scabby material from around the crater after lifting off the black scab, leaving a glistening crater of red, moist tissue that certainly didn't appear to contain any pus/infection that the body creates out of white blood cells to repel bacteria.

The reason I found this thread so helpful was that it didn't dwell on "surgery". Everything I'd read before this was so over-the-top, getting so far into the surgical procedure, I didn't have the self confidence to even try it.

After reading through this thread, I felt competent to soak a foot in warm epsom salts and scrape a black scab off a tender chicken foot with my thumb nail. That's the extent of my surgical implements, and I dare say it was darned effective!

Good going.

 

[mrsc1951]

Darn it all! Both of my Light Brahmas have it again. They are the only ones in my flock that seem to be plagued with it. They are relatively heavy - not fat but just big birds. I've never tried the magnapaste but think I will get some tomorrow. Thanks for all the suggestions and pictures.

 

[fatcatx]

Anyway, my experience with almost all of my 5 girls is that I never found the stringy, cheesy goo underneath any scabs that I removed. I don't know if that is typical, but I too kept looking around for it. I had one of my girls with a really swollen footpad even though I never found anything in the hole. Here's a picture where I think the swelling in my girl looked pretty similar to yours above:

Thank you for the input! We are trying the magnapaste with crossed fingers.

Just to clarify - you had one girl you were not able to get any kernel or goo out of the foot? Did the foot get better? I was under the impression if you didn't get to a pocket of yuck in the foot and drain it, the foot would not heal.

 

[seminolewind]

I still wonder sometimes if bumble foot is created from the inside-out. Like a deposit of infection wrapped into a kernel to contain it. It seems like sometimes they pop out of no where!

 

[sunflour]

I still wonder sometimes if bumble foot is created from the inside-out. Like a deposit of infection wrapped into a kernel to contain it. It seems like sometimes they pop out of no where!

It's a staph infection, comes from outside not from blood stream.

All dealing with it should remember it is a pathogen and can be transferred by touch…in humans it is impetigo.

 

[fatcatx]

Question for Deacons and Seminolewind - How long can I or should I leave the magna paste on? If it is left on too long, does it start hurting the foot? I am applying it with antibiotic and vetwrap.

On the plus side, at least I have the right antibiotics. I am using ointment my son got to treat impetigo.