Bumblefoot surgery - with pics and "how to"

[luzmiila]

Looks like the start of one. All it takes is a cut, scrape or puncture for infection to set in anywhere on the foot. They walk in poop alot, so that doesn't help.

I would start some soaking on that and then wrap with an iodine/sugar poultice. Try to do that every two to three days, changing the poultice out after the epsom salt soakings. After a couple of weeks of doing that, you can try to get the bumble out with surgery. I suggest doing a search on that here before attempting if you have no experience. It's very important everything is clean and sterile and that you have somewhere to cage the bird for a few days after surgery to keep the foot and bandages clean while the wound is closing up.

I've never had surgery. I'm super scared and did not have anyone to help me. But I think that is what I have to do. I've put povidone and I've bandaged finger. She pulls it out.
Just as it has on a finger, I do not know how to operate and as I have nobody to help me and do not know any veterinarian attending chickens.
The wound continues as in the previous photos. Yellow

 

[MrsBachbach]

I've never had surgery. I'm super scared and did not have anyone to help me. But I think that is what I have to do. I've put povidone and I've bandaged finger. She pulls it out.
Just as it has on a finger, I do not know how to operate and as I have nobody to help me and do not know any veterinarian attending chickens.
The wound continues as in the previous photos. Yellow

You should search this thread and read more on your options. I've posted pics of how to bandage their feet, how to apply the iodine/sugar paste, etc. I've done it by myself. You have to wrap the bird up snug in a towel when working on them on your own. Like you swaddle a baby, only throw an end of the towel over their head so they stay calm.

 

[chelprooster]

Hello, I have a rooster that I have done surgery on but the swelling is no better. It has been a little over 2 weeks now. I am soaking it almost everyday in Epson salt and using vetrycin. I also use a triple antibiotic on it wrap it and keeping him in a pin by himself. He has antibiotic in his water and also crumbles that is medicated. He doesn't act like it bothers him. He stands on it and uses his foot to scratch. I am at a lose to what I need to do. It has scabbed back over but his toe/foot is still very swollen. Please anything advise is appreciated.

 

[chelprooster]

Hello, I have a rooster that got bumble foot bad. We did not notice anything and was out of town for a week. When we noticed it the black scab was pretty big. I have since done the surgery and been soaking it with Epson salt. We have wrapped it almost every night. We are using vetrycin and triple antibiotic oint. It has a scab back on it but its not black like it once was but his foot/toe is still very swollen. It has been over 2 weeks since I first done the surgery. He doesn't act like it bothers him much. He will stand on it and scratches with that foot. We have him in a pin by himself with clean shaving. We have put antibiotics in his water and also he has medicated crumbles. Not sure what else I can do. Any advise would be appreciated.

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. I would put a dressing of a 2x2 with some antibiotic ointment, and vet wrap strips, and get him back in with his flock, so they don't forget him. If he is not limping, it is probably just fine. Did you get a pus plug out of the foot? Swelling kind of lingers with this. Antibiotics aren't usually necessary for bumblefoot, unless there is a big infection. Hoping for a quick recovery.

 

[chelprooster]

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

 

[casportpony]

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

Welcome to BYC! Can you post pictures of it?

-Kathy

 

[MrsBachbach]

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.

 

[chelprooster]

I can't get the pic to upload. I'll try it a different way tonight.

 

[jengui]

My husband just did a bumblef ooh surgery on one of our chickens yesterday got as much of the infection out never saw a plug. We cleaned wound packed with triple antibiotic and wrapped and today when we unwrapped to check and clean again the wound had a bad smell and seemed to look black. Heart (the chicken ) still eating and drinking and moving around yard. So we soaked in Epsom salts, put colloidal silver on and wrapped again. And suggestions on why it looks black under were the incision was made.