Bumblefoot

[Kyn Garcia]

I posted about my chickens Bumblefoot in another post but I’m still trying to figure out how to work the website and can’t find my post So a few of my chickens have Bumblefoot, all of their feet look like they are healing from me just putting meds… however I have one that hers was worse than the others.. the swelling has gone down A LOT, I was wrapping it but I ran out of wrap last night and I tried to push on it after unwrapped it and soaked her and it seems like it wants to come out but it doesn’t do anything.. I might not be pressing hard enough cuz when she starts taking her feet from me like I’m hurting her I get nervous.. lol yes this is my first flock and first experience with Bumblefoot.. here’s some pics of both of her feet.. should I continue wrapping it and putting the meds and let it heal itself, or will it not heal itself without me pushing the infection out?

 

[Eggcessive]

Here is your other thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/bumblefoot-help-pls.1585639/
To find your threads click on your user name, and “find all threads.”

Be a little careful dressing the foot with vet wrap and tape, since it can become too tight and impede circulation. With the purple, it is hard to tell if the toes are discolored or not. With most bumblefoot, I have done the surgery. Many use Prid drawing salve, or sugar plus Betadine 10% solution in a paste applied to the bumble with a dressing every other day.

Most people now like to do daily soaks in warm water using Epsom salts, Betadine, or dish soap. Then try to pick the scab off, and squeeze as much of the pus core out as possible. Then coat with Betadine or triple antibiotic ointment, a 2x2 dressing, and wrap it every other day. Here is a good video on the dressing:

 

[Kyn Garcia]

Here is your other thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/bumblefoot-help-pls.1585639/
To find your threads click on your user name, and “find all threads.”

Be a little careful dressing the foot with vet wrap and tape, since it can become too tight and impede circulation. With the purple, it is hard to tell if the toes are discolored or not. With most bumblefoot, I have done the surgery. Many use Prid drawing salve, or sugar plus Betadine 10% solution in a paste applied to the bumble with a dressing every other day.

Most people now like to do daily soaks in warm water using Epsom salts, Betadine, or dish soap. Then try to pick the scab off, and squeeze as much of the pus core out as possible. Then coat with Betadine or triple antibiotic ointment, a 2x2 dressing, and wrap it every other day. Here is a good video on the dressing:

Okay, thank you so much! I wasn’t sure if pulling the scab off was doing it right or now cause I was watching youtube videos of ppl doing it and some pulled the scab off and some cut where it was bigger, got the puss out and then still removed the scab… but all the ones I watched where they removed the scab it didn’t look like they removed anything but the scab so I was confused…I’m about to soak her now and go head and get this over with… say a prayer for us, I’m so nervous

 

[Eggcessive]

Good luck, you will be fine with some practice. I would look around for reasons that your chickens are getting bumblefoot problems. I dealt with it early on, and after a few surgeries, decided not to treat unless the foot had redness and swelling, or if the chicken limped. Look at your bedding in your coop and run. Look for sharp rocks or glass where they can get small cuts. Jumping down off a roost, they need a soft place to land. If there is moisture and droppings, there can be bacteria entering those little cuts. Then comes an abscess.

 

[ChickNanny13]

The first few times I found on their feet, I panicked but now know a bit more. Told to leave it alone unless it's causing them to limp, red, swelling & learned scabs fall off on its own & all is well. Until earlier this month ... One of my girls wasn't walking as much & limping when she did, checking saw the top of her foot was a pinkish lump, underside nothing.

Thought of "cutting" but couldn't bring myself to do it so called the Vet, he recommended the soaking method which I did. Long story short ... Soaked everyday for a couple of weeks, wrapped with a glob of Prid on the underside, it's been 15days today but stopped soaking 3 days ago, still wrapping & cleaning. The underpaid did give off some white pus, would have liked to drain it more but like you I stopped squeezing when she pulled away. The swelling on her under foot is gone, the lump on top remains but she's back to normal bossy self & it's not bothering her.

2x @Eggcessive Figure out why it's happening ... I now keep more shavings than I usually keep in their enclosure, always removed any rocks junk they dig up. Remember to wear gloves when handling, expecially squeezing & disinfect after.

 

[Kyn Garcia]

Good luck, you will be fine with some practice. I would look around for reasons that your chickens are getting bumblefoot problems. I dealt with it early on, and after a few surgeries, decided not to treat unless the foot had redness and swelling, or if the chicken limped. Look at your bedding in your coop and run. Look for sharp rocks or glass where they can get small cuts. Jumping down off a roost, they need a soft place to land. If there is moisture and droppings, there can be bacteria entering those little cuts. Then comes an abscess.

Yea I learned that the hard way. I had stop putting shavings in their coop, I started just putting it in their nesting boxes and I would clean the poop out the coop every day. The wood would stay moist from their poop and also the coop leaks. When it would rain the shavings would get wet and I would have to change it every time it rained… so I’ve put the shavings back and sealed off where it was leaking. Im thinking that had to be what happened though. I did take the scabs off but I couldn’t get anything out of it, it was stringy. The next day I unwrapped them to see how they were doing and the bad one looked like it was swelling up again so I cut a little in that spot and the puss came right out. I didn’t mess with her wrappings yesterday but I am going to undo them today and see how they look. She did seem like she was feeling a lot better today though. When do I know that it’s healed enough to stop wrapping them?

 

[Eggcessive]

I usually did the dressings for a few days, and when the skin seemed to close, I stopped. Glad that you got some pus out.

 

[Kyn Garcia]

The first few times I found on their feet, I panicked but now know a bit more. Told to leave it alone unless it's causing them to limp, red, swelling & learned scabs fall off on its own & all is well. Until earlier this month ... One of my girls wasn't walking as much & limping when she did, checking saw the top of her foot was a pinkish lump, underside nothing.

Thought of "cutting" but couldn't bring myself to do it so called the Vet, he recommended the soaking method which I did. Long story short ... Soaked everyday for a couple of weeks, wrapped with a glob of Prid on the underside, it's been 15days today but stopped soaking 3 days ago, still wrapping & cleaning. The underpaid did give off some white pus, would have liked to drain it more but like you I stopped squeezing when she pulled away. The swelling on her under foot is gone, the lump on top remains but she's back to normal bossy self & it's not bothering her.

2x @Eggcessive Figure out why it's happening ... I now keep more shavings than I usually keep in their enclosure, always removed any rocks junk they dig up. Remember to wear gloves when handling, expecially squeezing & disinfect after.

Yess that was my mistake.. I stopped putting shavings in their coop and just cleaned it out everyday. The wood was staying moist from their poop and also when it would rain the coop (their brand new coop has been more of a pain in the butt than the junk one I had thrown together when I first got them) was leaking. Which was why I had stopped putting the shavings cause every time it would rain I would have to change the shavings cause it was soaked. So anyways I’ve fixed the leak problem and put shavings back. I felt so bad, I was like my poor babies I’m so sorry I messed y’all all up. Lol I never thought I’d be so attached to some chickens but they are definitely just as much apart of our family as our dogs. I hated seeing her not feeling good.

 

[ChickNanny13]

We learn from our hind site ... Have you heard of the horse stall bedding pellets? It's compressed pine dust and it really helps with absorbing water. I had a section in the CH that was wicking water (puddle) from the ground during heavy rains.

Picked up a 40# bag (went a long way) from TSC, dumped some in the puddle and it did the trick, the chickens move it around. What I eventually did was (when dry) dig up about 6" down in the spot & put some pellets in, covered it back up ... I'd toss MW at the other end while doing this to distract the chickens. If they dig it up, I just rake it back.

Yes, shaving get pretty yucky when soaked, I use to rake it up onto a tarp in the patio to dry which took day but using the pine pellets, never had to do it again. Oddly haven't had to use them for a while. Something's changed but I'm not sure what ...