Bumblefoot non invasive treatment?

[Godiva]

I have a very large English orpington hen that has what I believe is bumblefoot. She's had it for a couple of weeks and I have been doing Epsom salts soaks and honey dressings. The swelling is actually mostly on the outside of her foot - not directly under her foot. I have been waiting for a sharp blade to arrive in the mail. This afternoon we soaked her foot for about 15 + minutes, lay her on her side with her head covered and braced myself to cut it open. I couldn't get the blade to penetrate the skin/callous and was concerned that applying more pressure put both of us at too much risk! I am not sure what on earth to do now? I thought if I cut through the center I could remove the plug - no way I could do it. So, now my question is - is it possible for me to treat this with meds and dressings? Has anyone had bumblefoot resolve without surgery? I can't take her to the vet, so it has to be something I can do at home.

 

[BGcoop]

can you just try almost picking at the scab instead of cutting into it? I have had a couple come out that way. Also, besides the swelling and scab, how is she doing-any limping on that foot or change in behavior? Do you have pictures? I have also had some more mild cases resolve on their own once I improved their situation contributing to the injury, for me it included adding ladders for the heavy birds to get up and down off the roosts and improvement of the run area to decrease moisture.

 

[333113]

I have had chickens with bumblefoot who survived for years without any treatment.

My vet who is, yes, a chicken guy, told me that the only time bumblefoot should be "treated" is when it's causing a problem for the chicken, such as limping.

 

[Godiva]

I have resolved the moisture issue when I first noticed her problem. She's limping very slightly, sometimes not at all. I felt like I was going to have to get carving tools out to get through the hard shell or callus. It is quite a lump - but it hasn't gotten worse since we've been treating it. I forgot to take a picture today - I try to move fast because she's heavy enough that she can't be carried for long or she struggles to breathe. Otherwise, she's behaving totally fine. She's eating and drinking normally

 

[Mamatomany123]

When my larger EE had bumblefoot I soaked her foot in an epsom salt bath 1x a day then applied neosporin put on a gauze pad, then wrapped it. That seemed to soften it to the point that the edged pulled away and I was able to grab it and pull the whole thing out. I then continued the neosporin and wrap until it healed over some.

 

[BGcoop]

Ok if she is limping on it I guess I would continue to soak it and see if you can work the scab loose. Maybe try applying an antibiotic ointment and wrapping the foot after the soaks. The ointment should help to loosen up the scab over time as well.

 

[dawg53]

@Godiva It may or may not be bumblefoot. A photo will help. Thanks.

 

[kerbotx]

Colorless iodine can be applied 2x a day to help dry out & "shrink" a bumblefoot wound, but if softening it is preferred, then coconut oil may work better. Tractor Supply has a good wound spray called Poultry Aid that contains coconut oil & lanolin.
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/poultry-aid-16-oz

 

[Godiva]

Thanks kerbotx!

 

[aprattsky]

I've had good luck using Tricide Neo in the past to heal bumblefoot. The treatment is easy and completely non-invasive. Here's a link to a really helpful article describing the treatment-

https://ouroneacrefarm.com/2013/11/09/bumblefoot-treatment-tricideneo/

and here is where I bought the tricide neo-

https://www.koiacres.com/featured/tricide-neo.html.

If you prefer a more natural route I can also suggest this herbal bumblefoot treatment-

https://www.moonlightmileherbs.com/herbaltinctures.html

I actually used both in combination, the tricide neo as a soak and the herbal remedy orally with great results. Good luck!