Chicken bumblefoot surgery mistake?

[AidKD]

Arnica is a really good pain killer just so you know.

 

[thinkfreee5]

It sounds like what you're treating with is good, but I thought I'd just throw it out there. Keep me updated on how she is!

Thanks, I appreciate the recommendation! I will update as things progress.

 

[thinkfreee5]

That's a humdinger for sure! I'm not surprised she's not closing her foot. This kind of wound will take time to heal -maybe a month or two. For optimum healing she needs oral antibiotics along with pain medication. A veterinary visit would be her best option. This wound will need to be kept clean and dry which means she needs to stay in a hospital cage with clean bedding. I've used a nylon puppy playpen to keep injured chickens in and it works quite well. Best of luck!

Thanks! I appreciate the advice. I just ordered a really small coop to use for a "chicken hospital" and will keep her separated until it gets here. Getting antibiotics! I haven't administered any pain medication but honey was recommended to help.

 

[thinkfreee5]

Arnica is a really good pain killer just so you know.

Great to know!

 

[theoldchick]

https://bitchinchickens.com/2021/03/22/dealing-with-pain-in-chickens/

 

[SarahsGarden]

Hi! I'm new here, looking for some insight on a bumblefoot operation performed last night. I have a chicken that had a VERY bad infection. By the time I noticed it, it was pretty far along. I did my best to go the non-invasive route with Epsom salt soaks and Prid drawing salve, but it seemed to only get worse. I decided "surgery" would be the best route to take at this point, so I did that last night. Now she is not closing her foot at all. Obviously it probably hurts like heck and is bandaged up so I thought maybe that would be the reason, but it's looking less like she doesn't want to close it, but that she can't. A little concerned I may have hit something important when I made the incision.

Anyone have thoughts here? Experiences? Advice?

Thanks!

**Can include photos if needed, though they are pretty gruesome.**

Hey there! Not sure if anyone has told you yet, but GOOD JOB! That was a massive task and you kicked butt popping that monster out of there. The surgery you did, in my opinio, looks fantastic. Exactly what it looked like when my vet did my ducks foot the first time. It was huge just like that but no kernel was found. She dug around in there to the point of having to cauterize the whole foot pad. Took nearly 2 months before I saw any pink fresh skin.
These big ones take a looooong time to heal. Meds are helpful and if there’s a vet who sees chickens near you, trust me you will not be judged for your surgery. Take her in to get it checked and for meds. Shouldnt be more than $100. Or, if you dont have a local vet or want to keep going on your own as most of us do, keep it dry, clean, and padded with meds and she will be ok I’m sure!
As far as hitting a nerve or something, I’m sure it’s possible but most likely not that. Probably just hurts like hell lol. If I were you I’d put a stack of cotton pads not balls (those makeup remover pads) and create a big platform for her to walk on for cushion. But spray it with some vetericyn and then squeeze a ton of neosporin on it first.
good luck!

 

[thinkfreee5]

Hey there! Not sure if anyone has told you yet, but GOOD JOB! That was a massive task and you kicked butt popping that monster out of there. The surgery you did, in my opinio, looks fantastic. Exactly what it looked like when my vet did my ducks foot the first time. It was huge just like that but no kernel was found. She dug around in there to the point of having to cauterize the whole foot pad. Took nearly 2 months before I saw any pink fresh skin.
These big ones take a looooong time to heal. Meds are helpful and if there’s a vet who sees chickens near you, trust me you will not be judged for your surgery. Take her in to get it checked and for meds. Shouldnt be more than $100. Or, if you dont have a local vet or want to keep going on your own as most of us do, keep it dry, clean, and padded with meds and she will be ok I’m sure!
As far as hitting a nerve or something, I’m sure it’s possible but most likely not that. Probably just hurts like hell lol. If I were you I’d put a stack of cotton pads not balls (those makeup remover pads) and create a big platform for her to walk on for cushion. But spray it with some vetericyn and then squeeze a ton of neosporin on it first.
good luck!

Thank you so much! I've been needing to update. A friend of a friend called in oral amoxicillin for her but we didn't see much progress. I finally found a vet in the next town over that will see chickens! I took her in and they cleaned out all of the infection, I guess I hadn't gotten all of it before. They gave us Animax to apply when changing bandages and rinsing with diluted iodine daily. We still have a while to go but it looks so much better! Her strength is back too, she puts up a fight now when I wrangle her for treatment.

The toe is still very noodle like, I don't think it's going to make a comeback. The vet said I could have hit something, or the infection was just so bad that it permanently damaged her toe. She's getting along just fine without it though! Her name is Hen Solo, we have affectionately nicknamed her Dead Toe Solo, which sounds pretty badass.

I appreciate the kind words and advice!

 

[SarahsGarden]

Thank you so much! I've been needing to update. A friend of a friend called in oral amoxicillin for her but we didn't see much progress. I finally found a vet in the next town over that will see chickens! I took her in and they cleaned out all of the infection, I guess I hadn't gotten all of it before. They gave us Animax to apply when changing bandages and rinsing with diluted iodine daily. We still have a while to go but it looks so much better! Her strength is back too, she puts up a fight now when I wrangle her for treatment.

The toe is still very noodle like, I don't think it's going to make a comeback. The vet said I could have hit something, or the infection was just so bad that it permanently damaged her toe. She's getting along just fine without it though! Her name is Hen Solo, we have affectionately nicknamed her Dead Toe Solo, which sounds pretty badass.

I appreciate the kind words and advice!

Hahaha! Love the name that’s fantastic. Mine Are yum yum, ginger and yuzu……all my favorite Chinese sauces that pair perfect with duck Lolol. No I do not eat my birds they are pets. But I regularly threaten them with recipe ideas when they jump in my swimming pool. Little bastards act like they’re lying down and wait until I walk into the house. Then they cheetah sprint to the pool.
so glad to hear your girl is doing better! Don’t worry about dead toe. Shes got extras.