bumble foot

[rrbriss]

We have a fock of 80 organic egg layers. One of our girls (just started laying and is a good layer) has bumble foot. It did not originally appear with the dark scab on the bottom of the foot but as an infection on the top / side 1st photo. The scabs you see now in the photo are from incisions but it is just as bad as day one. I drained and cleaned them and got all the usual puss and hard white dried up infection out. 2 days later I checked the area and it was infected again. Again drained it and cleaned it all up getting everything out again. 2 days later (today) I checked it again and as you can see it is just as bad as day one and actually sightly worst (2nd photo). It now is on the bottom and going to the rear toe. Not sure what to do at this stage if there is anything I can do. Even though I live in farm country there are no Vets that will work on chickens let alone organic chickens. I do all vet work myself. Anyone out there with ideas? any vets out there that can give me some advice? How I did the surgery - soaked foot in epsom salts to soften all up, sterilized everything, put iodine on the foot and did the surgery, put gauze with triple antibiotic creme and wrapped with vet wrap.

 

[redfordchick]

Oh boy, poor girl. Bumping to hopefully find you some help.

 

[Eggcessive]

I think you may need to soak the foot with betadine and water, then try to reopen the swollen area and make sure there is no more pus inside. You may not have gone deep enough. A vet could do this for you. She may need some antibiotics to heal it.

 

[Plucky Duck]

What you are doing is exactly how we treated a case of bumble foot. The only other thing I know of that you might try is soaking every day for three days in very warm Epsom salt water for 20 minutes before you try expressing the infection out and then changing the dressing. After the third soak and dressing change it should be greatly improved.
If it continues to look worse or it starts preventing her from walking, roosting, etc, you might consider antibiotics.
Good luck!!

 

[Plucky Duck]

I was doing some research on another topic and ran across this thread you might find interesting/useful:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/303829/vet-suggestion-for-non-invasive-bumblefoot-cure

 

[rrbriss]

Thank you Plucky Duck I actually ordered the tricide-neo today. I will post once I have tried it. I actually found another hen with it starting on the bottom of her foot. Not sure where they are getting it since we keep our coop very clean (clean it every day) and I searched the yard for items they could get injured on. Hopefully I find the source of where they are getting injured before more get it.

 

[funkfairy]

Hi,
I am new to this. Reaching out for some advice. I have a rooster with a swollen foot pad. Warm to the touch, but not hot. He has resorted to laying down. Ive isolated him, and ive been soaking his foot 3x a day in warm water and epsom salt to draw a scab. I for the life of me can't find a scab that looks like pictures of bumblefoot. I know he has a yellow discoloration under his one nail, but he has the same marking on the same toe on his good foot. I will try to post pictures. Both feet, good foot, and then bad foot. Any advice would be so helpful. Thanks so much!!!

 

[Plucky Duck]

@funkfairy have you tried spraying with Vetericyn spray after soaking? Or you could try blu-kote or something similar

 

[funkfairy]

Plucky Duck.... thank you. I started to yes.