Bumblefoot hard scab. Please help

[Tmartin7711]

Hello all!
My hen Fall has bumblefoot on her toe. Just noticed it today. She didnt limp at all or show any sign just a bump. I quickly put her in a Epson salt bath for 30 minutes then tried removing the scab. Then there was just more of it. I picked for about 45 minutes before it was getting to much. I've dug down into it and have removing quite alot but there is still more. Any advice? Should I soak her again today or let her rest and try tomorrow? Do I need to cut her foot open?

 

[Tmartin7711]

@Eggcessive

 

[Tmartin7711]

@azygous @Wyorp Rock

 

[azygous]

Bumblefoot that involves swelling may not be easy to get rid of the swelling. I had a hen with such a case, and I tried to treat it for two years. I would do as you're doing, digging deep trying to remove all the white stringy stuff below the pus kernel, and I never could get it all. I even tried oral antibiotics, and went as far as sprinkling the powder on it from a penicillin capsule.

Eventually, I decided that the bumblefoot was never going to resolve into the original state of her foot, and that the white stringy stuff was serum from her white blood cells and part of the tissue. In other words, I got the pus kernel removed and the staph infection seemed to be gone, but the foot never returned to normal. You will reach a point where good enough just needs to be good enough.

 

[Tmartin7711]

I ended up soaking her again and dug with a exaco knife. Then I squeezed it like a zit and pop out it came. Very bloody but it stopped and I cleaned her up wrapped her and now she is sleeping in a separate area for the night. Very good girl!