Can someone help diagnose this condition?

[beejay86]

Can someone confirm this is bumblefoot? I have read up on this disease and possible ways to "cure" it, but does anyone have any tips or other suggestions? Thanks so much for the help!!!

 

[slyfoxpeeps]

Calling Specklehen.....

 

[SpottedCrow]

Certainly looks like it to me.
You have to take the infection out...it's like a plug of solid cottage cheese looking crud...
Specks has had a better outcome than I did with my hen who got it.

 

[McChix]

Hi, beejay6.

Bumblefoot seems to be a catch-all term for chicken foot infections so I would say yes, that looks like it. My hen had a case similar to that with swelling around middle toe - it didn't get that enlarged, though. She had a tiny scab on the bottom of her foot that kept getting bigger even though I was soaking her foot nightly in Epsom Salts, cleaning with betadine, and applying neosporin and bandaging. (VetWrap is great stuff!)

If the foot is still soft you can probably fix it with antibiotics. I got cephalexin from Peter Brown at First State Veterinary Supply (also of Feather Fanciers) - google that and call him, he's a very helpful guy!

My bird's foot was noticeably better after only 1 day on cephalexin. We're on the 8th day now and her foot looks completely normal.

Good luck!

 

[speckledhen]

McChix is correct; pretty much any staff infection of the foot is bumblefoot. And the treatment described is good, too. I have one girl who has had bumblefoot, but not as bad as the pic shown, on and off for most of her life. She has been on cephalexin, doxycycline, penicillin, you name it and none work for her. She begins to get better, then BOOM! it's back. I finally quit giving her any antibiotics and only treat it physically because her eggs would probably glow in the dark if I kept it up. Plus who can afford it? It's not an easy thing to cure sometimes. Hopefully, your girl will respond to treatment. Does she have a callous-looking thing on the bottom? If so, that is the cap on the pus plug and should be removed, the infection squeezed out as much as possible, flushed with saline solution then gauze and wrapped and antibiotics. I used a wet to dry dressing, which will take forever to write about-HenHaven helped me with that idea and it worked well for awhile. I've also used tea tree oil dressings, which seem to have an effect as well. (tea tree oil on a piece of gauze over the wound then vetwrap, changed daily)