Does this look like gout?

[buckabucka]

I have a year old Basque rooster with swelling in his toes and lower legs. Late in the winter, we saw he was limping a bit. We examined his foot and found nothing out of the ordinary. Now, he is not limping, although he appears to walk in a gingerly manner and there is clearly swelling going on. I didn't think this is bumblefoot, because I don't see a scab area, but I've never seen bumblefoot before, so I may be mistaken. I was reading about gout, and photos look similar. Or perhaps there are other diseases I am unaware of that may cause swelling like this. I appreciate an information or advice!

 

[ShellP]

Bump - I hate when I don't get an answer! I wish I could help you!

 

[buckabucka]

Thanks. We like this rooster okay, but were considering replacing him if we get a nice one out of our hatch. This problem with his feet will probably make the decision for us.

 

[ShellP]

Actually his feet kinda remind me of MY feet! Short and chubby. I always say I'm the only person I know with muffin top on their toes. Haha.

 

[buckabucka]

Actually his feet kinda remind me of MY feet! Short and chubby. I always say I'm the only person I know with muffin top on their toes. Haha.

Maybe you ought to be checked for gout!

 

[Yazzo]

I have a rooster with one foot that looks almost exactly like this, and I'm trying to get a diagnosis. Hope you get some answers!

 

[Green Lantern]

I have a roo that has feet that look just like that. They seem to be even more swollen on hotter days - so today they looked very swollen. I took him to the vet a couple of months ago but didn't get any help there. The vet thought maybe it was caused by trauma from jumping down off the roost as heavy as he is. So I kept him in a cage at night for a while to try to give the ankles and feet a chance to heal, but it didn't make any difference. She never mentioned gout. Did you ever find out what the cause of your roo's swollen feet is?

 

[buckabucka]

I have a roo that has feet that look just like that.  They seem to be even more swollen on hotter days - so today they looked very swollen.  I took him to the vet a couple of months ago but didn't get any help there.  The vet thought maybe it was caused by trauma from jumping down off the roost as heavy as he is.  So I kept him in a cage at night for a while to try to give the ankles and feet a chance to heal, but it didn't make any difference.  She never mentioned gout.  Did you ever find out what the cause of your roo's swollen feet is?

No. I have been assuming it is gout, at this point. It does look worse, but he still gets around okay, even if he doesn't move quite normally.

One reason I haven't pursued it more actively is that this roo has always tested me. It took a while to train him not to challenge people. He behaves pretty well now, but I hatched many cockerels this spring and will be selecting a healthier, friendlier rooster come fall.

If you think yours has gout, I read that you should keep the water acidified with vinegar and that feeding him lots of cherries may help. Did you inspect the bottom of his feet to check for bumble foot? You can find images for that on here, but I would think the vet would know about that. Good luck with yours!