Bumblefoot! Help!

[cherpoli]

My Gold-Laced Wyandotte Rooster has a horrible case of Bumblefoot. A few months ago, his foot became swollen and he had trouble walking on it. We brought his nastiness into the house and found a black scab on the bottom of his foot. Since he kicks everything, including my car, I am sure that is how it started. Brought him to the vet, had it cleaned out and he was on tetracycline for 10 days. Also, the vet injected him with Penicillin. We soaked him in epsom salts and changed the bandage on the foot every night The swelling went down but he did not get much better. Back to the vet we went, this time he got a shot of tetracycline and was on oral tetracycline for almost a month. There is still a small amount of swelling to the foot and he barely stands on it. I don't know what else to do to help him at this point. Does anyone have any experience with bublefoot? None of my other chickens have ever had this. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[OldChurchEggery1]

I'm almost certain there was an article in Backyard Poultry about bumblefoot- it had pictures of how to remove the cyst and how to stitch back up and everything. I think it was one of the late summer issues. I will look through my issues at home and see if I can find it. You can order back issues through their magazine's website. Will get back to you.

 

[CMV]

Here's the best post out there regarding bumblefoot surgery:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=236649&p=1

I hope it helps.

 

[cherpoli]

Thanks for the info. We went back to the vet yesterday. He was going to open up the foot but since the whole foot is now so swollen, he cannot feel any particular area where the pus pocket is. He attemted to aspirate and also could not find it. He injected my roo with penicillin again. I am soaking his foot in epsom salts every night and wrapping it with ichthimol ointment. Unfortunately, I do not know of another vet in my area that knows anything bout chickens. But, I am not giving up yet.

 

[stoopid]

We have hundreds, maybe thousands of cases of bumblefoot here on BYC. Go to the index and search for bumblefoot surgery.
Lots of graphic pics, and procedures for doing the surgery yourself. It sounds as if you wouldn't mind doing it, since he is a rotten roo.
Save some money, and try it. You CAN do it, unless you throw up easily....

 

[stoopid]

And it really isn't a pocket of pus, chickens handle infection differently. You should find what looks like a kernel of corn. Squeeze. Soak, and squeeze.
And welcome to BYC!
So if the vet is looking for pus, maybe he/she isn't that experienced with it...JMO