Bumblefoot on more chickens??? CONFUSED!

[BLaBauve]

A few days ago I noticed an abscess on one of my chickens feet, so since then I've been treating her for bumblefoot. Today I noticed a few of my other hens have the scabs under their feet as well. But they don't have any swelling on abscesses, and they seem completely fine. They still walk and run around like normal. Do I really have to rip into their feet as well? Couldn't they become calluses? I worry that if I try to treat them without any other symptoms I will just cause an infection. I have no idea why they're getting bumblefoot. They don't free range, but instead are in a large safe run all day. I recently got a new coop, but the roosts are just like my old ones. But now I'm hearing round roosts are better...

Please advice!

 

[Chickenaddict]

Treat it reguardless because at some point it will rear it's ugly head and you will have much more of a problem on your hands. They can cut their feet on anything like rocks, twigs, pine needles ect. If left untreated this is what can happen.... along with loosing toes and feet in general. Below is a pic of a frizzled 6 yr old hen I rescued last winter.

It took me well over a month to get her remotely back to normal and she still can hardly walk. Her toes from the damage done are now falling off.... Definately NOT worth letting go.

 

[LarryPQ]

Addict--I followed that story closely. How is she doing?

 

[Chickenaddict]

She is doing well but as I stated her toes are now starting to fall off

I sure worked hard and continue to do so. Weekly foot soaks and slathered with triple antibiotic on a daily basis since I have had her, multiple bumblefoot surgeries as well, none on the bottom of her feet but all on the tops of them. It was horrific for both her and I. DO I regret saving her? NO way

I'd do it again if need be but definately not on the top of my list of favorite things to do.

 

[BLaBauve]

Wow, that's scary. Really, though? Cut into her foot and cause a possible infection when she seems fine? The scabs are the size of a pea right now and a few hens have them. I have ordered the fish antibiotic. . . would that work on a minor case like this? I already have one chicken separated from the flock, I don't want to have to separate any others. . . and no place to put them!

Thanks for your help!

 

[Chickenaddict]

Quote:
YES! Seriously! Believe me been there done that with several hens around here. More then one at a time too. without seperating them. It's a process but cruel if you just leave it as it turns into that pic. What worked best for me was 1 week of vigilant soaks in an epsom salt/betadine solution ( in the case of the hen in that pic it took over 1 month of vigilant soaks and wraps). Add enough betadine to make the warm water look like a weak tea. Soak for 15-20 minutes. You will need the following things....

Exacto knife
Rubbing alcohol
Neosporin (without pain reliever) or any generic brand triple antibiotic ointment you can find at the local drug store
Gauze
Tweezers (sterilized)
Vetwrap in the horse section of the feed store comes in various colors cut in thin strips
Betadine
Epsom salt
DIsh tub for soaking (works well because then chicken can just stand in the water rather then having to hold in the tub for 15-20 minutes
A towel or 2
Rubber gloves because bumblefoot is a staph infection and you definately don't want to risk exposure

After the first soak take a towel and place it over the chickens head, keeps them nice and calm while you work on the foot. I put the chicken on their back so I got a good angle to work with, they usually just lay there. Take the knife and cut across the scab, usually the scab comes right off with the knife with some of the gunk inside. sometimes ya get lucky and the whole core comes out before ya have to dig around in there. Make sure the entire plug is out because it will come back if you didn't. Clean out the water and mix up a new solution and soak the chicken again for a few minutes making sure the area is nice and flushed out. Dry off the feet/legs and pack the hole with the triple antibiotic ointment, grab the gauze and place it over the bottom of the foot. Take strips of vetwrap going in between the toes so they can still walk ok and wrap the whole foot several times over but make sure it's not too tight. This makes kind of a boot for them so it doesn
t hurt to walk on and keeps the open wound protected. Soak every night and repack and rewrap the foot again. By day 3 the wound will have almost completely closed and new skin begins to grow back, by the end of the week it should be good to go if not give it a few more days with the wrap on the foot with the triple antibiotic.

I know this sounds crazy and overwhelming when you have more then one with the issue but trust me, you don't want them to suffer like poor prissy did. Take it one chicken at a time, once that one is well again onto the next one. You don't have to tackle em all right now but I wouldn't wait tooo long.

ETA the reward for all my hard work on that hen... Can't put a price on it

and the pic of after I made major progress on her...

 

[tammyd57]

Bumblefoot IS an infection. If a chicken has it they already have an infection that WILL get worse over time. It is much easier to treat when it is small and relatively harmless. You may not need to do any cutting, or even separate all the chickens that have it.
But I would treat it as early as possible to prevent having a major problem later.

 

[rancher hicks]

Quote:
Looks like a really bad case of mite infestation too.

 

[Chickenaddict]

Yes rancher it was a double whammy for her

She was a wreck and for awhile there I wasn't sure she would pull thru. Under all that scaley leg mite crud was massive lumps of infection I had to cut out.

 

[BLaBauve]

Thank you SO much for all the info. I think I'll take it one bird at a time. I also ordered that fish stuff to try. This is my only hen that has swelling. I cut it open last night and got lots of gunk out. I don't know if I got it all. I put neosporin on it and wrapped her feet. The other chickens feet look nothing like this. I'm glad your girls feet look so much better!

How the heck do you prevent it from happening?