Broken leg and really swollen foot

[Netchicks]

My 13 week old pullet got her leg caught and ended up breaking it. We splinted it the first few days but when changing her bandaging we noticed her foot looks really swollen and her toes look dark. I have been soaking it in a warm Epsom salt bath and putting bacitracin on it. She has been isolated in a rabbit cage since it happened. She is eating and drinking well and seems to be able to use her wing to shift around to get to her food and water or reposition herself. I’m not sure what else we can do and I don’t know what her prognosis will be. This happened last Sunday so it’s almost been a week. I have a vet appointment this Wednesday night. Any thoughts or suggestions? Thanks for any advice you can give. Below are two pictures of her hurt foot. It was hard to get a photo by myself while holding her.

 

[azygous]

The bandage may have been too tight and decreased circulation to the foot. The edema could be a result.

Or the break could have damaged the blood circulation and the foot is now suffering from dying tissue.

Take your pick. But you're doing the best thing for it - Epsom salt soaks. Increase them to two or three per day, and this might help restore the circulation to the foot and head off the possibility of auto-amputation.

 

[Netchicks]

Thank you for your advice. I will soak the foot more often starting tomorrow morning. We no longer have it bandaged for fear it was hurting her foot

 

[azygous]

Please keep updating. We all would be interested in the outcome.

 

[Netchicks]

Will do. Below is a picture when it first happened and we splinted her leg

 

[azygous]

That's an elite hospital if I ever saw one.

I noticed her foot was already turning dark in color. I think my second theory is the right one. The break may have damaged the blood flow to the foot, not the bandage being too tight.

Watch the color. If it continues to darken, she's likely going to lose the foot. (As in fall off) If the dark color fades, slowly returning to a normal color, the foot is safe.

 

[Netchicks]

Here is another photo of it after I soaked it this morning. Should I be treating this like Bumblefoot?

 

[azygous]

Unless there is staph infection on the foot, no.

 

[Netchicks]

Unless there is staph infection on the foot, no.

Update......I took Coco to a bird vet. We have her on antibiotics and pain med/anti-inflamation meds. Her leg is wrapped up to the hock. Today, after three days we changed the bandage and checked the foot. The vet wants to see her for a one week follow up. They wanted to take an X-ray and blood work but I couldn’t justify spending $600 so I opted for option 2 (antibiotics and pain meds) which cost me $230. The first three photos are from today and the last one was how her foot looked last week, she is still eating and drinking well. But hopping on one foot. Her coloring in the toes looks better except her small toe.

 

[azygous]

So glad to hear she's getting better!