First Bumblefoot experience

[ThelmaOrLouise]

So I have 2 chickens. I'm a new chicken owner. Since the spring. Noticed my girl had what I thought was a tumor on her foot. After researching and reading these threads extensively I lanced her foot tonight. She didn't have the typical black spot on the bottom of her foot. More of a dimple with a small black spot in the middle. Her pad and between her toes was very swollen. I lanced it with a and we expressed a lot of pus and 2 large firm kernels. There was a lot of gray (necrotic) looking tissue that was attached and very vascular. It didn't come out easily so we cleaned and dressed the foot. Will the necrotic tissue just sloth off or heal some how?

 

[TwoCrows]

Welcome to BYC!

Looks like you did a fantastic job! Yes, infection attaches itself to the tissues inside the pad. You got the worst of this infection out and it should heal completely. Did you pack the hole with some antibiotic ointments?

Make SURE to bandage up the foot well with vet wrap. Wind down the leg, around the pad and webbing and back up. I usually put a piece of gauze over the hole as well. Give it a good squeeze so it sticks to itself. Check the foot about 5 mins after you have let the bird lose to make sure the toes are warm. If they are cool or cold, you wrapped too tightly,

For the first week or so, check it daily, removing the wrap, reapplying ointment and rebandaging. NEVER let the wound get wet or dirty. In this first week, you want the hole to scab over. It should have a reddish color scab develop. If it turns all yellow, you will need to go back in. After a couple of weeks, the scab will pale a bit as it dries out. The pad will be swollen and red for a couple of weeks, but should shrink and soften over time. You can also apply Preperation H to the pad to help reduce swelling so blood can get in there and heal things.

Keep it bandaged for 4 or 5 weeks or until the scab falls off by itself. Somewhere around 3 weeks, I usually stop applying ointment so it dries out.

Great job and keep us posted!

 

[ThelmaOrLouise]

I did pack it with triple abx ointment. When we lanced it we made a Y incision. I'm a little worried we cut it to big but we couldn't get all the pus out without making the cut bigger. I applied gauze over it and wrapped it with vet wrap. I laid fresh pine shavings all in the coop so she wouldn't step in old poop and dirt.

 

[ThelmaOrLouise]

Maybe you can see how I wrapped it here. I couldn't get a good pic. She was pretty skittish after. Her toes are free.

 

[TwoCrows]

Looks like you wrapped it well. As long as the wrapping is not to much like a ball on the bottom of the foot, she should be good to walk. It looks soft on all that bedding so I think you did a great job!

I try not to cut into live tissue since it opens up more places for infection. I usually just dig straight down into the hole. But her pad should heal just fine as long as it stays dry and clean. Keep it wrapped, check it daily for infection, go back in if you see more pus, apply ointments to the scab/hole for a couple of weeks, and keep it wrapped for 4 or 5 weeks when the scab should fall off by itself.

You did great!!

 

[MagpieDucks]

I have an RIR with bumblefoot right now and I think I finally found somebody to treat it!

 

[TwoCrows]

After a few weeks and the wound looks good, you can then check it every other day or every 3 days as it heals.

Keep us posted!

 

[ThelmaOrLouise]

Thanks for all the advice and words of encouragement!!

 

[ThelmaOrLouise]

Ok so I changed the dressing for the first time today. The foot did not have any drainage but remained swollen and firm. It wasn't much warmer than the other foot. It still looked the same as it did before we opened it (as far as swelling and firmness of the foot). The incision was pretty much closed together. I tried to spread it apart gently but it didn't move much.

Is it just swollen? Her foot seemed tender. Her behavior has been normal except for limping some. How will I need to know if it needs to be opened back up or not? I would like to avoid antibiotics if I can but of course will give them if necessary. whew I don't know if I could handle opening it again.......

 

[TwoCrows]

The pad is going to be red and swollen for a couple of weeks. If you aren't seeing any drainage of yellow pus, sounds like it is healing as it should. Keep checking daily, applying ointment and rewrapping. Make sure to use gauze over the hole to protect it from the latex in the vet wrap.

I think you did well! Keep us posted if you have any questions.