Bumble foot treatment questions

[georgiashens]

One of my hens has bumble foot and I have started to treat it following Tilly’s nest article. I was able to get the black scab off and bandage it and i think it looks like it’s starting to heal but I’m not sure. I took the scab off 2 days ago. Please let me know from the added pictures!

I have been soaking it everyday in a warm Epsom salt bath, spraying vetericyn on the foot and then putting antiseptic cream on gauze and wrapping it in place with vet wrap. She is been kept in the covered part of the run since it’s been raining quite heavily and I don’t want the bandage to get wet. However, when I soak her, her chest gets wet and then she lays on her feet making the bandage wet. Does anyone have any tips on how I can prevent her chest from getting wet? The bath is quite shallow but she still lays down in it! Thank you

Pic 1 - before treatment
Pic 2 - after removing scab
Pic 3 - after 24h of removing scab

 

[talkinboutchickens]

It seems like you are doing a great job! It seems as if it's healing! That is a very good article with very good directions.
If you are using vetwrap as a bandage, it can get wet as it is waterproof I believe, so you don't need to worry...You could put a towel under her chest and hold the towel so that it elevates her out of the water. Also, did you remove the core as well?

 

[talkinboutchickens]

Oh and I just wanted to add that you may want to bring her inside and let her heal in a hospital cage because her being in the run could lead to dirt and/or poop getting into her wound and causing an additional infection/more bumblefoot.

 

[georgiashens]

It seems like you are doing a great job! It seems as if it's healing! That is a very good article with very good directions.
If you are using vetwrap as a bandage, it can get wet as it is waterproof I believe, so you don't need to worry...You could put a towel under her chest and hold the towel so that it elevates her out of the water. Also, did you remove the core as well?

That’s great! Thank god it seems like I have done it properly! I pulled the scab out and the rest seemed like healthy tissue to me but I’m honestly not sure. How would I know?

 

[DLA]

One of my hens has bumble foot and I have started to treat it following Tilly’s nest article. I was able to get the black scab off and bandage it and i think it looks like it’s starting to heal but I’m not sure. I took the scab off 2 days ago. Please let me know from the added pictures!

I have been soaking it everyday in a warm Epsom salt bath, spraying vetericyn on the foot and then putting antiseptic cream on gauze and wrapping it in place with vet wrap. She is been kept in the covered part of the run since it’s been raining quite heavily and I don’t want the bandage to get wet. However, when I soak her, her chest gets wet and then she lays on her feet making the bandage wet. Does anyone have any tips on how I can prevent her chest from getting wet? The bath is quite shallow but she still lays down in it! Thank you

Pic 1 - before treatment
Pic 2 - after removing scab
Pic 3 - after 24h of removing scab

Use a blow dryer on low setting when you're done. Will dry out the feathers pretty quickly. The first time they're a little skittish as it's something new but after that they usually seem to really enjoy being blow dried. Like a chicken spa day. LOL.

 

[Synthlady]

Hello, I did a similar non-surgical bumble foot treatment for my Easter Egger "Cheekies". After removing the plug, It took about 3 weeks for me to feel comfortable not to wrap her foot. During those three weeks, I treated her wound by cleaning it, spraying it with Vetericyn, then applying Neosporin. I used a piece of gauze over the treated wound, then wrapped it with vet wrap, then topped the wrap with waterproof medical tape. I did this every 3 days. There's no need to soak in Epsom salt after the plug has been removed - atleast I didn't feel the need. The Epsom salt already did it's job by removing the plug.

From the pics you posted, The wound looks very healthy. Just give it time to heal, about 2 to 3 weeks. I wouldn't soak her feet anymore. Also, if you want to be sure she no longer has an infection, do the touch test every time you check up on her wound. It should not feel hot. Let your hen loose, it will be good for her to walk, it encourages healing.

 

[georgiashens]

This is what it looks like today. Is the infection back?? Should I be taking the scab off again?

 

[Synthlady]

Hmm...does it feel hot to the touch? Does she limp or stand on one foot?
I would wait it out, keep putting ointment on it and keep it wrapped up. Perhaps she is just developing a healing scab.
If within a week it looks worse, repeat the extraction process: soak her foot in Epson salt, spray with Vetericyn, then apply Prid drawing salve and wrap it up. Repeat this everyday until you see the bumble foot scab/core is ready to extract. Once extracted, keep her foot wrapped with ointment until it completely heals. Hope this helps.

 

[talkinboutchickens]

That’s great! Thank god it seems like I have done it properly! I pulled the scab out and the rest seemed like healthy tissue to me but I’m honestly not sure. How would I know?

Inside under the scab there *should* be a dried "clump" of puss called a core...
Here's another good link with a pic of the core.
https://hencam.com/henblog/2012/08/bumblefoot/

Read this thread on BYC as well..
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/bumblefoot-surgery-but-no-kernel-core.1478735/