Antibiotic for bumble foot

[BLaBauve]

I have a hen with bumblefoot. I've opened it up and have been cleaning it. I've also separated her so I know her feet stay clean. What antibiotic should I use and how much? I have sulmet and corid, but I don't think that's what I would want to use. Help!

 

[happyhensny]

I cleaned out 1 of my hens foot twice, packed it with Neosporin (NO pain killers) and it still came back. Cleaned it out again and sprayed it with Blue Kote-now its gone.

 

[speckledhen]

Bumblefoot will take a very strong one, if you use one at all. I quit using them because cleaning out the wound and packing with antibiotic ointment works just as well, unless it's gone systemic (that's very bad). Penicillin or other strong one would be what you want. At one time, someone suggested Cephalexin or Lincomycin, but honestly, I don't see much benefit in it if you clean out the wound and keep treating it topically. I've also used antibiotic ointment mixed with silver sulfadiazene cream and had success with that--that is usually for bad burns to prevent infection. I know a wildlife person who works with raptors and that is what they use for bumblefoot in their birds.

 

[BLaBauve]

I'm just nervous to cut into the big swollen part in-between the toes. I don't know how big of a cut to make, etc. I did pull the scabs off of the bottom and I think I got what's called the plug out from one of the feet.

How big of a cut should I make? Then pack with neosporin and wrap?

 

[elmo]

You're right...Corid and Sulmet aren't antiobiotics (they're antiparasitic treatments for coccidiosis). A friend of ours took his chicken to the vet a few months ago with a case of bumblefoot. I can't remember what he said the vet prescribed as an antibiotic, but I do remember the vet also recommended daily salt water foot baths, too.

 

[BLaBauve]

Well, we cut into her feet and dug out as much gunk as we could. We then put a ton of neosporin on it, and wrapped. I don't think we got everything out, and she seemed like she was in a lot of pain. It was hard to "pack" the neosprin in. I'm so worried it will just be worse tomorrow, I just couldn't torture her anymore.

 

[speckledhen]

You can give her a baby/low dose aspirin for pain every couple days or when you do anything with the foot. If you wrap it and wait a day or two, other stuff may come up and be easier to get to.

 

[BLaBauve]

Ok, thanks. This is the hardest part of owning chickens. I plan to remove the bandage in 2 days or probably tomorrow after she spills water on the bandages.

 

[Jaguaress]

I did a search and apparently, there might be another way to treat bumblefoot without surgery: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=3727759

Hope this helps.

 

[speckledhen]

I have read that, but this person's bird was needing some quick relief from that intense swelling ASAP. If I get my hands on that Neo Tricide stuff, I'm going to try that since bumblefoot seems to be chronic with a couple of my girls here.