Bumble Foot

[Marsha DeVaughn]

Please help me! I’ve been treating this little chicken’s foot for two weeks. How long does it take to get better? I bought the spray Bannix and have been using it and Neosporin. Did the Epsom salts soak. I did have to cut a bumble out the first night and bandaged and thought it would start getting better. Well it has stayed swollen and hard and the spot never went away, so I wondered if there was more in there. Thing is there has never been any puss that has come out! It bled a little, but no puss. So night before last I did remove some more hardened tissue or I guess another bumble and put Neosporin on and bandage. Darn it, today it seemed more swollen and hot like the first night.

 

[The Coop Crew]

I know Bumblefoot can be pretty stubborn sometimes. It sounds like you’re doing the right thing! There just may be some pus left in there that isn’t allowing it to heal fully. Keep up the good work and hopefully it’ll be better soon!

 

[Loving my girls]

Think of a bumble as a dandelion, it has a root. What you see is the flower and you are removing the flower but the root continues to produce more flowers…and the root grows.

So, you cannot cure bumblefoot (or kill the dandelion) without removing the root.

Surgery is the only option and get out as much root as possible not just the scab. I always found that this would leave a dent in the bottom of the foot, a dimple if you like. Fill this with neosporin cover with a dressing with neosporin on it, bandage. Keep her in a cage for a week reducing her walking. Put her on antibiotics during this week. Change the dressing and repeat with the neosporin after four days.
Release with the bandage and a week later remove the bandage with fingers crossed.

Don’t be surprised if it comes back and you have to do it again but it looks like you have caught it early so good luck.

Update - before you start fill a sink /bowl with Luke warm water and betadine liquid so it looks like weak tea. Keep her feet in the water solution for a minimum of 20mins to soften the scab. Also do not just remove the scab remove a little bit of skin, slightly, around the scab.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Here is what has worked for me without cutting into the foot as that can cause more damage and irritation.

Soak in water with iodine for at least 10 min. (longer is better). Apply prid (or other drawing salve) and and antibiotic ointment place a piece of gauze and wrap with vet wrap. Leave for 3 days unless it falls off before that. Then, repeat the process checking every 3 days. At this point, it will be easy to just pick at the scab with a gloved finger. Most likely once you soak the 2nd time, it will become soft enough to pick at. Only pick at it so much, as you don't want to cause pain. Regardless what people say chickens do feel pain. Once all of the staph is removed you will see a hole. I still soak and apply antibiotic ointment at this point. The skin will start healing and once that happens, you can stop the soaks. You can spray with vetrycin or another poultry aid if you want, but it's not necessary.

If bumble is caught early enough, softening with a spray has been all that is needed to pick the scab off.

Look up Non-invasive ways to treat bumblefoot. The blogger Tilly's Nest has a good write up and there are a few good you tube videos demonstrating the method I've described.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

This thread has the videos listed.

Post in thread 'Is this bumblefoot?' https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/is-this-bumblefoot.1632858/post-27878741

This post has the link for the blog:
Post in thread 'Is this bumblefoot?' https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/is-this-bumblefoot.1632858/post-27878688

 

[Loving my girls]

Here is what has worked for me without cutting into the foot as that can cause more damage and irritation.

Soak in water with iodine for at least 10 min. (longer is better). Apply prid (or other drawing salve) and and antibiotic ointment place a piece of gauze and wrap with vet wrap. Leave for 3 days unless it falls off before that. Then, repeat the process checking every 3 days. At this point, it will be easy to just pick at the scab with a gloved finger. Most likely once you soak the 2nd time, it will become soft enough to pick at. Only pick at it so much, as you don't want to cause pain. Regardless what people say chickens do feel pain. Once all of the staph is removed you will see a hole. I still soak and apply antibiotic ointment at this point. The skin will start healing and once that happens, you can stop the soaks. You can spray with vetrycin or another poultry aid if you want, but it's not necessary.

If bumble is caught early enough, softening with a spray has been all that is needed to pick the scab off.

Look up Non-invasive ways to treat bumblefoot. The blogger Tilly's Nest has a good write up and there are a few good you tube videos demonstrating the method I've described.

Great ideas, if I have this problem again I will definitely try this. I hate all the operating stuff and hubby, who is about as squeemish as they come, is about as useful as a chocolate teapot.

 

[Marsha DeVaughn]

Think of a bumble as a dandelion, it has a root. What you see is the flower and you are removing the flower but the root continues to produce more flowers…and the root grows.

So, you cannot cure bumblefoot (or kill the dandelion) without removing the root.

Surgery is the only option and get out as much root as possible not just the scab. I always found that this would leave a dent in the bottom of the foot, a dimple if you like. Fill this with neosporin cover with a dressing with neosporin on it, bandage. Keep her in a cage for a week reducing her walking. Put her on antibiotics during this week. Change the dressing and repeat with the neosporin after four days.
Release with the bandage and a week later remove the bandage with fingers crossed.

Don’t be surprised if it comes back and you have to do it again but it looks like you have caught it early so good luck.

Update - before you start fill a sink /bowl with Luke warm water and betadine liquid so it looks like weak tea. Keep her feet in the water solution for a minimum of 20mins to soften the scab. Also do not just remove the scab remove a little bit of skin, slightly, around the scab.

Ok, I have done all of this. The other night we soaked and did it again and this did leave the hole in her foot you speak of. In trying to make sure it was clean before rebandaging it finally did release some puss. I just knew in a couple days it would be no longer swollen and healed. Well, took the bandage off to clean and apply more Prid & Neosporin and my gosh it feels so hard and still some swelling! I’ve kept her in a cage in my house to closely watch and keep from much walking for three and a half weeks now! She has decided she’s a house pet! So have my dog and cat! . The cat is fascinated by her and they just hang out and look at each other! No aggression whatsoever! It’s really funny. When I’m soaking her feet the cat loves to just sit and watch. I’m not sure the chicken wants to go back out with other chickens!