bumblefoot?

[mlploeger]

We just noticed these two brown spots/sores on the bottom of our 6 month old leghorn hens feet. Could this be the beginning of bumblefoot? She's not limping, she's laying daily, and seems all in all good health. If it is the beginning stages of bumblefoot, what's the typical treatment protocol.

 

[LJoWilly]

That looks like bumblefoot, hopefully someone with more experience will chime in.

 

[HeidiN]

Yes looks like bumble. There's a few good YouTube videos for treating it at home. You basically soak the foot in warm epsome salt water to soften, disinfect everything and wear gloves as its staph that your dealing with. You literally cut the infection out. There's a hard kernel that needs to be removed and if you don't get it all, it will come back (first hand experience there) Then coat it with an antibiotic ointment and bandage it up, change bandage daily for 10 days.

 

[Leighe]

Yes looks like bumble. There's a few good YouTube videos for treating it at home. You basically soak the foot in warm epsome salt water to soften, disinfect everything and wear gloves as its staph that your dealing with. You literally cut the infection out. There's a hard kernel that needs to be removed and if you don't get it all, it will come back (first hand experience there) Then coat it with an antibiotic ointment and bandage it up, change bandage daily for 10 days.

But you don't always have to cut it out. If you soak the foot in Epsom salt and warm water for quite some time, the entire wound gets soft and you can push the "kernel" out. So try that first before you cut. There are quite a few threads here that deal with bumblefoot....hope she gets better and so glad you caught it before it got worse.

 

[ChickNanny13]

I would not cut, do as Leigh suggested first since your hen's not limping & good health, it the start of bumble foot. I had 2 Wynadottes that had scabs, panicked thinking they needed surgery as I had read. I would not have known had I not did my monthly check, they weren't limping & eating/pooping/drinking. The "expert" at the feed store & the lady that got me started with chickens said "leave it alone". I do DLM so added more shavings, eventually the scabs disappeared. So being that your hen's not affected by the scabs, I'd do the least evasive treatment first and use gloves.

 

[HeidiN]

I am with you on least invasive. My hen was not limping either. I didn't cut, but picked the scab and squeezed as much as possible out. It didn't get all as it did come back. But I'm not keen on cutting, that was the advice others gave me. And since mine came back I wonder if I should have done more.

 

[ChickNanny13]

I am with you on least invasive. My hen was not limping either. I didn't cut, but picked the scab and squeezed as much as possible out. It didn't get all as it did come back. But I'm not keen on cutting, that was the advice others gave me. And since mine came back I wonder if I should have done more.

It's said to have a "plug", so thinking if you soaked in Epson Salt bath, then squeezed (using gloves & protective eye wear) until you see the "plug" get it out with tweezers or maybe squeeze out? I recommend the protective gear cause from what I've read it's nasty bacteria gunk. Understanding unless you get that "plug" out, it will keep coming back. This is just my thoughts, never tried cause my girls scabs disappeared Hope not to be seen again.

 

[mobius]

For bandaging, use Vetwrap.