I did get a big core out. I am just so afraid I didn't get it all because it didn't ever have a hole in it like I have seen. He bleed pretty good to. I have opened it back up again because it looked like it was pus in it and it needed to get out. He is eating and drinking fine. His foot just is very swollen and has a scab on it. The skin is not healing back like I thought it would. Do you think he would be ok to put back in during the day and maybe leave him in his cage by himself at night. If bumble foot was going to kill him does it do it fairly quick or can it take a while to get into their system. I just worry about him to much. I hate for any animal to hurt or be sick. Please advise
Pictures would be helpful. I normally soak the foot several times for several days
before doing the surgery and I apply an iodine/sugar poultice to the foot and bandage after each soak. I don't soak the foot in the salt bath after the surgery(that's got to sting!) unless you are sure the foot is very clean and sanitary and the bird won't poop in the water! Then you just re introduce bacteria to the wound. So I don't soak after surgery. Now, if you feel you left some pus kernels in there, you may go back in and look. I have had to do that before, it's not easy, and I don't always find anything, but I try not to dig to far or create more problems. A bunch of squeezing and rinsing with sterile water to see what's in there helps. So, if you feel you must do that, soften the scab by soaking, then remove it like before.
If you do that, make sure you clean the foot very well before starting. I use betadine to prep the area. I highly suggest after opening and cleaning, making a sugar/iodine poultice paste (doesn't take much, just a teaspoon), applying that to the wound, then put a pad on it and wrap good with vet wrap. I would place some waterproof bandaging tape over the bottom of that to help keep dirt and moisture out. Check it in a couple of days. Remove any pus the poultice may have drawn down and then re apply it again and wrap again. A few times of using this poultice should help draw infection out and then I would just use the topical antibiotic, wrap and let the foot heal, changing the bandages every couple of days. Depending on how big the wound is could take two to three weeks for the foot to close up good enough to prevent entry of more bacteria. Just make sure it is closed up good before removing bandages. Like Kathy said, swelling usually lingers for weeks or a couple of months. There isn't any need to put the bird on medicated feed as that will do no good for bumble foot. The only antibiotic I use, if I feel it is severe enough, is penicillin G shots. I have read that is helpful for bumblefoot. Make sure you restore gut flora with probiotics after use. Btw, if your pen is fairly dry, no need to keep him penned up indefinitely. Maybe for three or four days right after surgery, but once a scab starts, wrapping good and letting him run loose in a dry pen is ok. It's mud and moisture you want to avoid til completely healed.
