bumblefoot won’t go away

[SunnyRue]

I have a hen with bumblefoot on both feet. She’s had it for quite a while now, and no matter what i try it just will not heal. First my parents took her to the vet, where they debrided both feet and gave us antibiotics and painkillers. My mom and i fed her the medicine twice a day for two weeks, and when we unwrapped her feet she still had the telltale black scabs and puffy feet. So I tried another route, wrapping her feet every day and spraying them with Vetricyn, soaking her feet in warm water with bath salts. For months I tried this and still nothing. Finally I attempted to remove the kernel from one foot, but when i checked back up on it the scab was still there. It’s so frustrating and i’m at my wit’s end. A visit back to the vet would cost another $300 and i doubt my parents would be thrilled with that idea. I don’t want to give up on her because she’s such a sweet patient girl, but i have no idea what to do any more, it feels like i’ve tried everything. She does not seem to be in any pain; she eats, drinks, and walks normally. She’s 6 years old, which means according to the average lifespan of her breed she’s got about 2 years left. Would it be cruel to just leave the disease alone for the remainder of the time she’s got left as long as it’s not hurting her? I know that bumblefoot can affect the rest of the legs and be fatal, but i don’t know the actual risk of that happening and how long it would take. I really don’t want her to be in any pain. So, is there anything else i can do? Any advice helps. Thanks!

 

[Eggcessive]

Actually, if she is not limping or you are seeing a huge swollen mess, I would change the dressing until it heals over.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I’ve had a hen who’s had it for three years. All methods of treatment have failed. I’ve tried them all. Yet I’ve had another hen that I’ve successfully treated twice and a third hen I’ve treated once. In both success cases it took months of medication and foot wrappings for it to heal. I think sometimes it just isn’t curable. It is completely up to you to determine if you feel she is living a good quality of life or if you want to dispatch her. I personally love my gal and feel she has a good life. She loves snuggles. I only want to prepare you for that chance that it doesn’t always go away.