Bumblefoot that wont go away

[LadyKisa]

Hi,
I'm new here but I've been reading a lot of your posts and articles for a time now, since I got my two Icelandic hens (I'm Icelandic).
Shortly after I got the hens one of them got bumblefoot. I'm told it's very rare here to get it so they say I'm unlucky :S
I noticed the bumblefoot when the hen started limping. Her foot was all swollen and the dark bit was on the swelling underneath the foot. I took her to the vet who was surprised to see a chicken. Apparently it's rare for vets to treat chickens here. She did some reading and removed the kernel. She was put on anti biotic cream, fucitrin, which I lotioned on her for a week. The wound closed but the swelling didn't go down. She was then put on baytril and I have been feeding that to her for a week. Still no change, at least very very small.

I have been wondering what to do next :S The vet thinks that if the hen hasn't responded to this it's best to put her down, she isn't laying and limps so she probably doesn't feel well.
Do you think bathing the foot in hydrogen peroxide would help? I also heard of the koi fish medicin but I don't think it's available here in Iceland, at least I haven't been able to find it. How about epsom salt baths? I actually have that here at home. Then again, I am not prepared to bathe the foot more than once a day for an extended period, I wouldn't be able to find the time for that. Her treatment is already taking half an hour every night :S

So...any tips?

 

[LadyKisa]

Also, her toes are all bent to the side. That is also the case with the other hen. The vet told me that that probably was a factor in her getting the infection, since she isn't walking correctly with her toes like that.

 

[aart]

It may require a second surgery....here's a good tutorial.

 

[welasharon]

I've got a hen that has had bumblefoot for a two year period. I have taken her to the vet last summer and then again this summer. I decided not to take her any more. I learned to do it myself. If all the stuff doesn't come out it will flare back up. This time I am aggressively watching her feet. A few days ago I had to lance a spot on the top of her foot and squeezed out some firm gunk. I am putting betadine on it to clean it each time and then Neosporin and then rebandaging it. I will see. I don't think mine is hurting too much. Probably uncomfortable mostly. She hasn't laid in over a year but she has never laid much.

 

[LadyKisa]

It's unfortunate that I just cannot imagine doing this myself :S

 

[welasharon]

I thought I couldn't either until I took her again this summer to the vet. Last year it was $124 ...this time it was $188. I can't keep paying that for something that I could learn to do. So for me it was a matter of economics as well as good for the hen as I can get to her quicker than can the vet.