Bumblefoot help. Need a vet or experienced help on this one!

[CristinaB]

I have treated Bumblefoot before with plenty of success. I use Penicillan when needed and most of my birds recover. Except for this Silkie. This has affected her 5th toe and it is pointed up. I did surgery on her and cleaned it out, it improved but never went away. After a few weeks of soaks, new bandages, and foot care I went in again and tried to clean it out. There is a lot of hard material in there and I worry I might be digging at a tendon or even possibly bone due to the position of the toe. It is huge and abscessed and looks bad. No horrible smell, but I would love to see this girl heal. Soaking, cleaning and antibiotic ointment daily. She gets to go outside and exercise on the grass every day which improves her spirits. No kernel I can find, no obvious location of distress, just large, hard, and very ugly. Take a look and tell me what you would do. Husband says I should amputate the toe but I really do not feel right chopping off the 5th toe. Thoughts?

 

[Stiggy]

That doesn't look like bumble foot to me..., and honestly in 14 years ive never seen or heard of a silkie with bumble foot ( it seems to be rare in flightless birds and bantys/ light breeds) It doesn't look like it will heal on its own and I would suggest taking her to a vet for amputation as at home amputation is risky very risky. I would suggest this since it sounds like you have tired other options and done a lot of wonderful tlc, sometimes things just don't go as planned and I personally would contact a vet.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would get her seen by a vet if possible. It could be a tumor, or maybe a stronger antibiotic such as Baytril would be given by the vet.

 

[CristinaB]

I am in Frederick MD area and so far have found no vets willing to look at a chicken. Anyone have thoughts on this? She gets better, I clean the wound and wrap it. She is in isolation with another girl for company because she has been on isolation for so long. I don't care to cull the bird but this is not healing. Would consider a vet as long as it does not cost me a couple hundred dollars.

 

[Eggcessive]

I wish I could offer advice, but I'm not sure of what is causing it. Maybe someone else has seen this. Keep your thread alive by posting every day because some one may recognize this. Check around on the state threads around Maryland, VA, W.Va and PA. There are so many chickens and turkeys, that someone should know a vet. Here are links to 2 of the Maryland threads:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/63745/maryland-thread/1590
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/101873/maryland/100

 

[PoultryQueen101]

That doesn't look like bumble foot to me..., and honestly in 14 years ive never seen or heard of a silkie with bumble foot ( it seems to be rare in flightless birds and bantys/ light breeds)   It doesn't look like it will heal on its own and I would suggest taking her to a vet for amputation as at home amputation is risky very risky. I would suggest this since it sounds like you have tired other options and done a lot of wonderful tlc, sometimes things just don't go as planned and I personally would contact a vet.

Then you havent met my jessie! He has serious bumblefoot due to our personal mistake. We were trying to fix his curled toes.

 

[Stiggy]

Oh deer, that looks like much more than a bumble foot infection. Personally I never try to fix curled toes, I've seen it cause more pain than good and since I've never tried it nor will I feel it would be more problematic than a curled toe, which is often caused by an incubator fault ( like wrong temp, humidity etc)

 

[Eggcessive]

Then you havent met my jessie! He has serious bumblefoot due to our personal mistake. We were trying to fix his curled toes.

I would soak those feet in warm epsom salts every day, and then do the bumblefoot surgery. You may even want to use some Penicillin injections, or take him to a vet. There is a video in this link: http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2011/07/bumblefoot-causes-treatment-warning.html