Bumblefoot advise - please let me know !

[DTRM30]

I know there are many topics on here about bumble foot - and I did read them.
First I was battling the heat and now bumblefoot - that I hadn't noticed until today - and her foot is pretty darn swollen. Can't believe I hadn't noticed it earlier .... but it is what it is.
I can't catch a break.
I read somewhere on here to soak the foot which I did - and remove the black scab and let the puss drain.
I removed the scab - it was rather large - and now she has a rather large hole in the bottom of her foot. No puss draining - and I don't have a knife to actually lance it. I soaked it again in some salt water and I packed it with neosporin and covered it up well. She seems Ok if not a little sore.
I ordered some amoxicillin 250mg capsules - to treat the infection. I read somewhere in a search on bumblefoot that 250mg of amoxicillin per bird per day for 7-10 days.
Have I done the right thing ?
I've already lost two birds this week to the unexpected heat - I don't want to lose another ....

 

[dawg53]

I hear you about not catching a break, it seems like it's one thing after another...I've got some chicken issues going on too. It sounds like you've done everything correctly. I have only one question. After you removed the scab, did you squeeze it? After soaking for about 20 minutes in warm salt water, I squeeze the opening to get the plug or pus out,then resoak and squeeze again. I might dig around in the hole with tweezers if I think there's more goop in it. Then I wipe it with iodine and fill the hole with neosporin...like you did and wrap it up. I never had to use any antibiotics, but it's ok if you do. I check it again the next several days and repeat everything if I have to, most of the time I get it all the first time.

 

[DTRM30]

Thanks dawg53 - some reassurance goes a long way ... I've never had to deal with bumblefoot before so was taking a stab at it ... figure worst case - I see a vet which I prefer not to do at this point due to finances.

I didn't really squeeze too much - I did gently and nothing was comming out so I didn't want to further aggrivate anything.
I soaked only for about 10 minutes in the salt water though .... and then rinsed it again afterward for a few minutes in the salt water. Didn't have any iodine in my house - so just did what I could with what I have on hand. When I removed the scab - it took a pretty large chunk of stuff with it though

so she has a pretty large open sore on her foot at the moment (well, when I say large, probaly about 1/8" - 3/16")

I figure it can't hurt to treat with the antibiotic - she is the only one that lays green eggs so they'll be easy to spot and not eat while she's being treated. Her whole foot was starting to swell - the reason I've decided on a course of oral antibiotics - not just the bottom - that's how I noticed it - the area's between her toes is all puffed and stuff. She's walking OK on it today, but it's still pretty swollen. I'm going to soak again tonight and re-bandage.

 

[Sillystunt]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=303829


read this thread!!!!!

 

[DTRM30]

Thanks - I'll definately try that route - sounds like there's been some good success with it

Her other foot has started with it, but it wasn't bad enough for me to treat - I like the wait and see route - if it starts to get really swollen, then I'll treat. Sometimes things do resolve themselves on their own.

Off to order some Tricide Neo

EDIT - Well, I've ordered the Tricide Neo from Koi Acres - I'll let you all know how it works - as I think I've spotted bumble on the other foot as well. I suppose while I'm at it, I'll just check them all tonight - they're due for their monthly quick once over anyway for lice, signs of illness and stuff.

I ended up getting the 5 gallon packet - figure if I'm buying, I might as well have enough to last for the next time.

 

[MotherJean]

Quote:
I tend to be a "wait and see" person myself, so I don't say this lightly...don't wait until it gets really swollen to treat. Dawg53 can tell you about recent bumblefoot case he was helping on that the infection went too long untreated and spread too far. There was a postmortem exam and he told me, "The vets said there was no amount of antibiotics that could have cured her..." Seems like we're always having to walk a fine line when trying to medicate and treat our birds on our own.

 

[DTRM30]

Quote:
I tend to be a "wait and see" person myself, so I don't say this lightly...don't wait until it gets really swollen to treat. Dawg53 can tell you about recent bumblefoot case he was helping on that the infection went too long untreated and spread too far. There was a postmortem exam and he told me, "The vets said there was no amount of antibiotics that could have cured her..." Seems like we're always having to walk a fine line when trying to medicate and treat our birds on our own.

hmmmm - good point. I do have treatment stuff on the way - so I'll check them all and treat early in this case. I'm just so unsure about this whole thing - I wish I had someone who could show me exactly what to do since I've never dealt with this before.

I'm a person that does better by seeing than by reading ...

Like - what exactly does the plug look like ? I had a large hard chunk come out of her foot - but it seem like it was attached to the scab ? Not sure if it was just skin or the infectious plug it wasn't really inside the foot .... ya know ?

I washed her foot and used hand sanitizer since I didn't have anything else - dried it off - then soaked it in salt water for a few minutes (probably not long enough) - softend the black scab - and when I started to pry at the scab with tweezers and a hard chunk about 1/8" to 3/16" wide and about the same deep - just kinda popped out of her foot leaving a hole. Does that sound right ?

I then soaked it in a salt solution again for a few minutes to rinse it all out and packed it with neosporin.

Unfortunately, her foot is pretty swollen - the bottom not as bad as inbetween her toes. I tried to squeeze, but nothing came out and all I saw in the hole was pink fleshy looking stuff so didn't pick too much.