Bumblefoot 'surgery' done, am I set?

[epeloquin]

My Plymouth Rock had a case of bumblefoot. A couple weeks ago we noticed some slight swelling between her toes but no ulcer or sore. Today I noticed her picking at the spot so I checked her foot. She had a rather large 'scab' under her foot. We took her in, soaked her foot in water and epsom salts. The scab was rather thick with dirt etc. Once I got it off it was not a small hole like I have seen in some pics but it was a sore about 1/2 x 1/4 in. I did not see any of the pasty pus I have heard tell of either. It was a little bloody and fleshy looking. I cleaned it all up well, put neosporin and wrapped it.

Does this sound like I handled it right? When should I check the dressing?

 

[sharol]

I doubt you are done if it is bumblefoot (and it sounds like it is). I went through a bumblefoot emergency about a year ago, and one of the treated feet looked just like that. I ended up going back in again -- still no hard kernal, though there was some pus. She is still with me. I used Tricide-neo https://www.pondrx.com/products/16165.html and soaked her feet twice a day for about 10 days wrapping them during the day. The stuff isn't cheap, and I recommend mixing only a quart at a time (you can measure the packet and divide it out) since it is only effective for 5 days and then has to be replaced.)

Good luck with it. Nasty surgery. Just be carefull with cleanup - it is staph, you know

Sharol

My Plymouth Rock had a case of bumblefoot. A couple weeks ago we noticed some slight swelling between her toes but no ulcer or sore. Today I noticed her picking at the spot so I checked her foot. She had a rather large 'scab' under her foot. We took her in, soaked her foot in water and epsom salts. The scab was rather thick with dirt etc. Once I got it off it was not a small hole like I have seen in some pics but it was a sore about 1/2 x 1/4 in. I did not see any of the pasty pus I have heard tell of either. It was a little bloody and fleshy looking. I cleaned it all up well, put neosporin and wrapped it.

Does this sound like I handled it right? When should I check the dressing?

 

[klmclain1]

Did you press the swollen area between your fingers? If there are kernels in there - you'll usually feel them. Then you have to cut directly over them fairly deeply to get them out. I had to PULL them out (ick) with tweezers!

 

[epeloquin]

I did not see anything nor feel anything that seemed like the 'kernels' of pus I have heard tell about. There was one bright white spot in the middle of the wound that I am quite sure was a tendon. The rest of her pad felt normal, it was not swollen like I have seen in other pics I have seen.

Like I mentioned, her ulcer was about 1/2" x 1/4". It was not the small hole I have seen in other posts/pics. I am hoping that because the wound was more open it did not allow the build up and impaction of pus. I did not see any.

 

[RedDrgn]

Was there anything attached to the scab (yellowish/whitish/greyish gunk) when you first pulled it off? We've got a hen recovering from bumblefoot now and with her one foot, when I removed the scab, the "kernel" came with it (semi-hard, long, thin glob); not very big, but somewhat deep. The foot immediately bled and then I squeezed all around the open wound (basically like you would a pimple) and swollen areas in case there was more. Didn't get anything.

The second foot was different, though. The scab came off alone and a small disc of grey/yellow was beneath it. That needed to be pulled out with tweezers. Then, while repeating the squeezing process a very large, deep plug of yellow/white gunk popped up from the wound (never saw it coming or knew it was there!) and then the foot bled....and bled and bled and bled.

Soaked both feet in a warm epsom salt bath for ten minutes, cut off all dead skin around the wounds, flushed both wounds with iodine, packed with neosporin, padded with medical gauze and then secured with vet wrap. Open everything back up and soaked the second day and then cleaned and closed up the same way. Let it go for two days and then repeated. The swelling has gone down and everything is looking great. I will unwrap and check them tonight, but will not remove scabs unless I see signs of persistent infection (or they'll never heal) and then will re-wrap (to keep them clean) and check every two days thereafter until I can confirm the road to recovery is close to an end.

 

[epeloquin]

No, there was no gunk at all. When the scab came off it there was some blood and it all looked fleshy and red with one small bright white spot which I am almost positive was a tendon. I did touch at it with the tweezers to be sure and I am fairly convinced it was not pus or gunk. There was really no swelling on her foot pad, just between the toes. In other pics I have seen the was considerable swelling of the foot pad, I assume partly because of the build up of the gunky pus inside.

I was going to clean her up tonight and redress the wound. Should I?

 

[RedDrgn]

No, there was no gunk at all. When the scab came off it there was some blood and it all looked fleshy and red with one small bright white spot which I am almost positive was a tendon. I did touch at it with the tweezers to be sure and I am fairly convinced it was not pus or gunk. There was really no swelling on her foot pad, just between the toes. In other pics I have seen the was considerable swelling of the foot pad, I assume partly because of the build up of the gunky pus inside.

I was going to clean her up tonight and redress the wound. Should I?

Good and glad to hear it!

Chickens are awesome at finding the muckiest, gunkiest, and nastiest places to put their feet in, so if you don't have her quarantined somewhere that you're keeping very tidy I would clean and redress and monitor for any new or persistent swelling or redness.

 

[epeloquin]

They spend most of their day in their run and we give them a couple/few hours to free range in the yard. The ground in the run has dry straw and the area where they run the most I raked clean and put down a thick layer of fresh wood shavings. I think this is the best I can do right now. Praying for the best.

 

[sharol]

When I was fighting bumblefoot, I soaked her feet in the evening after they had gone to roost and left her feet unwrapped during the night (I did clean the roost and disinfect is each afternoon). Then I wrapped her feet after the morning (early, very early) soak and left them wrapped during the day. I got green vet wrap, and her legs are green, so the wrapping wasn't too obvious and no one bothered her. She was able to be with the flock and did fine that way.

They spend most of their day in their run and we give them a couple/few hours to free range in the yard. The ground in the run has dry straw and the area where they run the most I raked clean and put down a thick layer of fresh wood shavings. I think this is the best I can do right now. Praying for the best.