Bumblefoot Questions

[Lady J]

I have been reading the various threads about bumblefoot, but still have a question in my mind.

My hen was limping and not wanting to put weight on her foot. There wasn't a lot of swelling, but the black scab was present.
I dug it out and removed it. I squeezed and squeezed and squeezed different directions and angles trying to extract pus or the kernel.
Nothing came out and there is no foul odor. I am still wondering if there is a kernel in her foot that didn't come out. Should I have dug a little deeper with tweezers or something? I don't want to cause further injury to her, but what if it is still in there?

I have followed all of the other recommended steps to treat her. She is alert, but not eating or drinking or wanting to put weight on her foot.
Thoughts, opinions welcome.

 

[azygous]

I would soak it at least every other day. It doesn't look resolved to me, but I have trouble with getting enough information from a to dimensional photo. Keep the antibiotic ointment on it and keep it bandaged for now.

 

[Lady J]

Done. I felt bad opening the hole back up and digging around in there. I dug out some almost white/cream colored grass-looking stuff. It's hard to describe. Anyway, when I got finished, there was a perfectly round, pretty deep hole in her foot. It did bleed a little.

It is packed with triple antibiotic ointment and a wound dressing.

I noticed her drinking water on her own, so I am grateful for that. Positive sign.

Thanks for all of the helpful advice. I am doing my best to save her.

 

[azygous]

You did fine. Not all bumblefoot has a defined kernel. Shallow cases just have a scab with maybe a tiny amount of pus clinging to it. It's still important to debride (removing the scab) and clean out the wound and put antibiotic ointment on it, perhaps bandaging the foot for a few days until another healthy scab forms. You can tell the difference as a healthy scab isn't black and it's thin instead of thick.

Chicken pus is solid like wax or wood putty, by the way.

 

[azygous]

My first impression from your photos was that there seemed still to be pus in the wound. I suggest you do a nice long soak of twenty minutes in very warm Epsom salt water. Then be very aggressive at debriding the wound. You may cause her a little pain, but I guarantee it's hurting her a good deal anyway.

Where you see the swelling, you need to pull that plug out. It will leave a crater when you get all the waxy stuff out. It may bleed. That's fine. Bleeding is meant to irrigate a wound. All that should be left is pink, raw tissue.

Flush well with saline or clean warm water and soap or Betadine, let dry, then spray with Vetericyn. Let dry, then pack the crater with anitbiotic ointment and bandage with a non-stick gauze pad and Vetrap so no dirt can get in. You may need to repeat this process every two days for at least a week.

It's been my experience that serious cases of bumblefoot do not resolve and heal all that quickly. The infection runs deep, and a lot of tissue has been harmed. It takes time (Vetericyn can help) for new tissue to grow in and replace it.

 

[azygous]

The toe discoloration my be due to the original foot injury, and the purple swelling is what it looks like when tissue is damaged and the chicken's body isolates the damage, cutting off oxygen to that damaged tissue. This all means the toe could continue to die and the toe will then fall off. After that, the swelling will go away from the rest of the surviving toe.

The lumpy tissue on the back appears to be keloid scarring from an old injury.

Tip: Cut a longer strip of the Vetrap and finish the wrap higher on the shank, and the chicken will be less able to pick it loose with her beak.

Disclaimer: I could be wrong in my guesses. It happens every few decades or so.

 

[Lady J]

I removed the wound dressing after two days. She still doesn't want to walk on it. Here is what it looks like. I can feel a little knot in there, but I don't want to do any digging and open it back up if y'all think it looks like it is healing properly. If it looks good to you, I am going to redress it and bandage it back up.

 

[Lady J]

Y'all, it's been days, and my little chicken still is not wanting to put weight on her foot and is still not eating or drinking. I am having to give her water through a syringe. I hand fed her some hot dog. I began dropping small bits of it in front of her face and she pecked them up. But, nothing since then. No interest in anything to eat or drink. Is it typical for them to go this long without wanting to put weight on the foot? Has she given up?

 

[Lady J]

Photos: Day 9 of bumblefoot. Day 2 since 2nd debriding post-op.
Chicken doing better at eating, drinking on her own & is beginning to beginning to put weight on the foot. Wound is looking better. I credit the 2nd debriding for such a marked improvement.

Two more problematic observations needing advice:
1. The swollen, purple-looking big toe in the 3rd pic. Same foot as bumblefoot. Is this part of the continued infection? I really don't believe I am wrapping the dressing too tight. It is included in the Epsom salt soak.
2. Photo 4: The rooster has destroyed her back. There were deep lacerations from his claws that have healed during her hospitalization for bumblefoot, but I notice what feels like a big knot under the skin. She doesn't have a tumor, does she?

Side note: Oddly, she is the only hen out of 11 others he does this to. Any thoughts out there on why that is?

 

[Lady J]

I am learning so much from y'all. Always appreciate the good advice and guidance.