Bumblefoot scab, but no kernel underneath...what next?

[Austin Chichens]

Hi

I'm new to the forum but have had my ladies for about a year and a half now. Four of my 7 ladies have had Bumblefoot - inflammation of foot pad with a big black scab. I have yet to see the infection bubble up between the toes - I'm pretty on top of foot care and catch it too early for that. I have performed the "surgery" on all four and have found nothing underneath. No kernel, no yellow, black or white waxy tissue of any kind. Just pink or grey (easter egger) healthy looking tissue, under the plug. After soaking in epsom salts, removing the big black scab (plug) with a scalpel and covering with Vetericyn and bandages for a week or so, all of the chickens have gotten better, except for my EE, Rue and I don't know what to do.

When I remove the plug, there is nothing but obvious fleshy tissue, clearly inflamed, but nothing hard that I can feel, and I really massage the area, squeeze (hard) and feel around, but nothing comes out. Making matters more complicated is that she has a bumble on the joint of her little twisted toe, so I can only dig so deep without risking cutting something more serious. I don't know if I'm just not leaving the bandage on long enough and gets re-infected or if I need to get more invasive (don't know how I could and frankly don't feel good about it).

Has anyone else had this experience, of not finding something underneath, and if so, do I have any other options, if cutting yields nothing and it doesn't get better?

Photo attached (post surgery after a few days in bandages).

I should have taken photos during surgery, but only managed to get one after I took off her bandages (I was performing the surgery alone and had help with the camera later).

 

[Judy]

Here is a thread about an alternate treatment. Maybe this will help you.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/554991/antibiotics-for-bumblefoot/0_20#post_7139022

 

[Austin Chichens]

Thanks! I am thinking about trying the Tricide Neo. I also really wanted to know if anyone out there has never consistently found anything under the scab/plug. I have never found any waxy/yellow white substance and don't know if I'm getting the infection out or not - clearly it has worked in some of the chickens, but not this time. Is the kernel or infection obviously different than regular fleshy foot pad material? Would the kernel be underneath all of that? Do people often have to go beyond a layer of flesh to get to the infected part?

 

[SherlocksChicks]

I have also had this experience! One of our girls who used to be a really large chicken started to loose weight rapidly - we found a round black scab presenting just like bumblefoot on each of the pads of her feet. One was more pronounced than the other and her feet were slightly inflamed. I have just given her an epson salts bath, washed the area and scrapped off the scabs on both feet but have found nothing underneath. I have cleaned and dressed the holes and bandaged her up gently to keep out nasties but am hoping that I have gotten it before it is too advanced. Playing the waiting game now to see if they come back and will keep you posted!

 

[sktlmt]

I have 2 birds with what I thought was bumblefoot I took them to the vet. She opened one up and found no kernel inside. Diagnosed the hen with Viral Tendinitis. But also said it could be salmonella. Fecal samples have been sent off to the state lab. fingers crossed.
Hope your birds all recovered.

 

[Tanya22]

I have gone nuts with the same issue! My rooster has a large scab with very hard swelling around it. It's so bad and I'm at my wits end on what to do! I've been advised to do surgery, but I'm no doctor and cannot touch scalpels. I've removed the scab twice and each time there was nothing inside, and I had to wrap it up and the scab came back. The hard swelling (which I'm told is hard pus) never went down.

@Saaniya

 

[Anime2lover]

I've seen this in my ducks. But Epsom baths daily after the surgery seemed to do the trick for them.

 

[Tanya22]

I've seen this in my ducks. But Epsom baths daily after the surgery seemed to do the trick for them.

I've never given my roo foot baths after the surgery, as I keep it wrapped. Do you think I should? I mean nothing comes out from under the scab, but the hard swelling is still there so obviously something remains wrong with his foot.

 

[Anime2lover]

I've never given my roo foot baths after the surgery, as I keep it wrapped. Do you think I should? I mean nothing comes out from under the scab, but the hard swelling is still there so obviously something remains wrong with his foot.

The foot bath works as a disinfectant and cleanser, it helps to soak it for five minutes every day as a preventative from stuff getting by the bandage and for the infection it's self. Though even that isn't foolproof. We also put vetrycin, vet rx, or bluekote on ours as well when we notice it. That course has worked on all but one of our animals that developed bumble. Unfortunately for the first one it wasn't caught on time and had gotten into the poor drake's bones. But the rest after that have responded well to it.

 

[Saaniya]

Hi

I'm new to the forum but have had my ladies for about a year and a half now. Four of my 7 ladies have had Bumblefoot - inflammation of foot pad with a big black scab. I have yet to see the infection bubble up between the toes - I'm pretty on top of foot care and catch it too early for that. I have performed the "surgery" on all four and have found nothing underneath. No kernel, no yellow, black or white waxy tissue of any kind. Just pink or grey (easter egger) healthy looking tissue, under the plug. After soaking in epsom salts, removing the big black scab (plug) with a scalpel and covering with Vetericyn and bandages for a week or so, all of the chickens have gotten better, except for my EE, Rue and I don't know what to do.

When I remove the plug, there is nothing but obvious fleshy tissue, clearly inflamed, but nothing hard that I can feel, and I really massage the area, squeeze (hard) and feel around, but nothing comes out. Making matters more complicated is that she has a bumble on the joint of her little twisted toe, so I can only dig so deep without risking cutting something more serious. I don't know if I'm just not leaving the bandage on long enough and gets re-infected or if I need to get more invasive (don't know how I could and frankly don't feel good about it).

Has anyone else had this experience, of not finding something underneath, and if so, do I have any other options, if cutting yields nothing and it doesn't get better?

Photo attached (post surgery after a few days in bandages).

I should have taken photos during surgery, but only managed to get one after I took off her bandages (I was performing the surgery alone and had help with the camera later).

I've been treated Bumblefoot thrice on my rooster ..one of my rooster healed and he had kernel in his scab after pulling the kernel his foot completely healed .other one neve shown to have a kernel but his scab never heals completely in 2 years

I recently removed a developed kernel and his foot seems to be healing now

I am using Boric acid ointment called Boro line
And Dressings With Saline wash , Betadine rinse and Silver Sulfadiazine ointment.along with Oral Baytril

. it's not always u find kernal so calm down just wrap it with triple Antibiotic ointment and look for the healing