- Apr 2, 2014
- 22
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After a wet spring, we have had an abundance of goat-head stickers on our property. Three of my girls developed bumble foot, probably from the stickers. This is my first time dealing with this. I'm a retired nurse, so after watching video instructions on removing the kernels, I was able to do the procedure without difficulty. It's been a little over a week, and after a nightly soak, I remove any new scab forming on the foot, spray with Vetericyn, and bandage their feet with antibiotic ointment, a small gauze pad, and vet wrap. The wounds look good, with healthy, pink tissue filling in. But one hen, Twilight, has me a little concerned. The pad of her foot is soft, the hole looks healthy & pink, and it doesn't seem tender. After soaking, I still get a small amount of stringy, clear-to-opaque drainage from the center of the hole. She had a firm lump between 2 of her toes when I started treating her, and it is still there. It doesn't seem tender at all when I press on it, but it doesn't look any smaller, & it is still firm. A couple of days ago I tried to probe into the center of the hole again, to see if there was more infection, but I stopped because it really seemed to hurt her. The initial surgery didn't seem painful at all, since there was infection & dead tissue. Money is an issue, so I would like to avoid going to a vet if I can. My gut tells to be patient, keep doing the soaks & dressing changes & to avoid further probing around in the wound. Any advice would be appreciated.
