Bumblefoot surgery - with pics and "how to"

[NathanZee]

Since its a duck, I would just keep an eye on it for around 4 or 5 days to see if it gets worse or not. Wrapping duck feet is a pain for noth them and us and I wouldnt recommend it unless it gets worse over the next few days. If it has, polyspoein is just a topical antibiotic ointment humans use for cuts etc. It will fight off any bacterial infection if there is one and help heal it. But wrapping a duck foot means you end up forcing them to stay onfined or walking around with a club foot which isnt good.

Will do. Thank you for the help!

 

[MrsBachbach]

My hen has had bumble foot for almost a couple of months now and its really bad looking, she is not limping and still walks and seems to run around alright. I removed the scab and a small hard yellow thing form under it, but there is no "plug" inside but on a large amount of gooey white substance that cant be squeezed out or grasped by tweezers. its is over1 cm deep of infection, the tweezers sunk right in, what do i do? Please help! I have the vet wrap, non stick pads, scalpel, neosporin and chlorhexidine solution, but i wasn't expecting a gooey mass that i cant get out. its also bleeding a lot more than i think it should...and its hot and obviously very swollen. ** I have sprayed it heavily with chlorhexidine and let dry then applied pain relief neosporin and wrapped well until tomorrow***

In a foot like that, where the infection hasn't come to a head, I would apply the sugar/iodine paste(poultice), then put on the gauzepad and vetwrap and recheck and reapply the paste every two to three days. The poultice will help draw the infection "down" over time and you will likely get another scab or more of a plug that you can then remove after a soaking. The plug is the infection dried up or that scab and what's attached to it. Sometimes you find solidified pus under it, sometimes you don't. Or in your case, the pus was still liquid like. Now, this method will take a couple of weeks to come about, maybe more, but I have had some success myself using this poultice method. After removing what you find, you have to put the antibiotic ointment on, rewrap the wound, keep her caged on clean surface a few days to give wound opportunity to close and then you can let her loose and change the bandages and apply more ointment at least every three days (more often if the environment is wet). If your conditions are wet I really recommend getting the Johnson brand (other brand wont stick) waterproof bandaging tape in the 1 inch size. Slap a large piece of that on the bottom of foot on top of the bandaging and maybe between the toes. It is my understanding that bumblefoot is very "spreadable", so finding it and doing something about it is important for the rest of the flock. Wrapping the birds foot, I believe, can help stop the spread. Keeping a dry coop floor and run is another important preventative along with removing sharp objects, imo. If you free range, well, you can't keep them from scrapping their feet or keep them in dry conditions so you just have to deal with it sometimes.
Swelling can persist for weeks, but if you don't see another plug form, you likely got it. Curing bumble foot is a long process, not something that is done in a week or two. The birds own immune system helps to fight this off too, so it's important the bird gets good nutrition.

 

[casportpony]

Here is some info I found:

http://hari.ca/avian-care/health-monitoring/symptoms-treatment-bumblefoot-parrots/

 

[Woobsie]

With that said I would like to add, eventhough it's a longer process...definitely more than 1 or 2 weeks, it shouldn't be a difficult thing and highly treatable. I have treated many chickens and ducks for bumblefoot and I have never been unable to treat it or even needed oral antibiotics and it shouldnt take more than 15 min a couple times a week to treat and inspect your flock for this very common problem. I will take bumblefoot over a respiratory issue or ascites any day! Don't be discouraged!!

In a foot like that, where the infection hasn't come to a head, I would apply the sugar/iodine paste(poultice), then put on the gauzepad and vetwrap and recheck and reapply the paste every two to three days.  The poultice will help draw the infection "down" over time and you will likely get another scab or more of a plug that you can then remove after a soaking.  The plug is the infection dried up or that scab and what's attached to it.  Sometimes you find solidified pus under it, sometimes you don't.  Or in your case, the pus was still liquid like.  Now, this method will take a couple of weeks to come about, maybe more, but I have had some success myself using this poultice method.  After removing what you find, you have to put the antibiotic ointment on, rewrap the wound, keep her caged on clean surface a few days to give wound opportunity to close and then you can let her loose and change the bandages and apply more ointment at least every three days (more often if the environment is wet).  If your conditions are wet I really recommend getting the Johnson brand (other brand wont stick) waterproof bandaging tape in the 1 inch size.  Slap a large piece of that on the bottom of foot on top of the bandaging and maybe between the toes.   It is my understanding that bumblefoot is very "spreadable", so finding it  and doing something about it is important for the rest of the flock.  Wrapping the birds foot, I believe, can help stop the spread.  Keeping a dry coop floor and run is another important preventative along with removing sharp objects, imo.  If you free range, well, you can't keep them from scrapping their feet or keep them in dry conditions so you just have to deal with it sometimes.
Swelling can persist for weeks, but if you don't see another plug form, you likely got it.  Curing bumble foot is a long process, not something that is done in a week or two.  The birds own immune system helps to fight this off too, so it's important the bird gets good nutrition.

 

[casportpony]

Everyone should read this:

http://hari.ca/avian-care/health-monitoring/symptoms-treatment-bumblefoot-parrots/

 

[KatieBird]

Thanks so much, Ive been changing the bandage regularly,and i'm going to get the stuff for the poultice. a scab is forming back slowly and it isn't anymore swollen than it was before, she still runs around and seems healthy, it doesn't seem to be bothering her much.

 

[NathanZee]

@Woobsie , or anyone else that can help. My duck Mildred still has a swollen bump on the middle joint of the middle toe. She has had it for two weeks now, and there is no callous or sign of bumblefoot. There is a tiny little puncture which looks like she maybe stepped on a sliver of wood or something. But the hole is tiny, the size of a period ( . ) She is limping a lot still, so it must hurt. What can I do to help her?

 

[Woobsie]

Can you take another clear picture and post it?

@Woobsie
, or anyone else that can help. My duck Mildred still has a swollen bump on the middle joint of the middle toe. She has had it for two weeks now, and there is no callous or sign of bumblefoot. There is a tiny little puncture which looks like she maybe stepped on a sliver of wood or something. But the hole is tiny, the size of a period ( . ) She is limping a lot still, so it must hurt. What can I do to help her?

 

[Woobsie]

You could try a vet that sees birds.

You could simply try to squeeze it out or if you are starting to get desperate buy or disinfect a scalpel (they sell them at Tractor Supply) and try carefully cutting back a thin layer tonsee if there is just an imbedded sharp thing you can get out? I have only dealt with bumblefoot and on the rare occasion had to cut into duck feet which can leave them open to further infection if not wrapped well after or ligament/tendon damage. If you do decide to investigate with a scalpel, y9u will have to treat the incision properly by disinfecting it and putting polysporin over it with vetwrap

@Woobsie
, or anyone else that can help. My duck Mildred still has a swollen bump on the middle joint of the middle toe. She has had it for two weeks now, and there is no callous or sign of bumblefoot. There is a tiny little puncture which looks like she maybe stepped on a sliver of wood or something. But the hole is tiny, the size of a period ( . ) She is limping a lot still, so it must hurt. What can I do to help her?

 

[NathanZee]

Can you take another clear picture and post it?

I will try to get one by tomorrow.

You could try a vet that sees birds.

You could simply try to squeeze it out or if you are starting to get desperate buy or disinfect a scalpel (they sell them at Tractor Supply) and try carefully cutting back a thin layer tonsee if there is just an imbedded sharp thing you can get out? I have only dealt with bumblefoot and on the rare occasion had to cut into duck feet which can leave them open to further infection if not wrapped well after or ligament/tendon damage. If you do decide to investigate with a scalpel, y9u will have to treat the incision properly by disinfecting it and putting polysporin over it with vetwrap

So just squeeze without making a cut? Okay, thank you. Is it possible that a epsom salt soak would help?