First experience with bumblefoot

[charlie1051]

Thank you!!! I ordered prid and vet wrap from Amazon. I do have CVS nearby so I'll look for that wrap as a backup. I'm in the same boat.. pretty busy at work. I think I caught this fairly early, though. Hopefully it won't take me months like it took yours! I should probably check all 10 of the chickens to make sure I don't have more with issues

Good luck to you and your girls

 

[PattieTheDuck]

Thank you!!! I ordered prid and vet wrap from Amazon. I do have CVS nearby so I'll look for that wrap as a backup. I'm in the same boat.. pretty busy at work. I think I caught this fairly early, though. Hopefully it won't take me months like it took yours! I should probably check all 10 of the chickens to make sure I don't have more with issues.

maybe soak her foot in epsom salt as well to soothe the foot a bit?

 

[WingItRanch]

maybe soak her foot in epsom salt as well to soothe the foot a bit?

Yes that's the plan! Nightly soaks followed by prid and wrapping until it softens enough to get the "plug" out. Then cleanse and put triple antibiotic and wrap until it heals closed. I can update this thread as I go.

 

[charlie1051]

You're totally right Pattie, yea we fill a small bucket with warm water & Epsom salt. We used to soak the feet for a while but we found that dipping the feet in the water for a bit and then scrubbing them with an old wash cloth saved time and cleaned the foot up good.

 

[Farmgirl1878]

I keep an ammo can (cuz it’s waterproof) just for feet. I keep it stocked with PRID salve, needle nose tweezers, bandaids, gauze, vet wrap in various sizes and colors, hydrogen peroxide, vetricin spray, paper tape, scissors, nitrile gloves, dog nail clippers, scissors, and probably a few other things…. I have a SF who gets bumblefoot allllllll the time. The key is to put enough PRID on and then wrap the foot. Keep the PRID on there for as long as it takes to soften the scab and just keep checking it every couple of days. My girls don’t care about the wrap, they leave it alone unless it falls off and then they just carry it around until they’re bored…

 

[DLA]

Oh boy. Not looking forward to this. I work really long hours and it's dark when I leave in the mornings and dark when I get home. I'll just have to work on it every night. I'll probably keep them all inside the coop/run so she's not out scratching around in the wet leaves and grass.

Hopefully the wrap will stay on during the day when I'm not home. Worried it will attract pecking from the others.

Don't use red or orange wrap. Mine have always ignored all the other colors. Keeping them confined may just increase the amount of poop in the area and actually be worse. Better wet leaves and grass than poop.

 

[WingItRanch]

You guys are great help. Thanks!

@Farmgirl1878 An ammo can is such a great idea. I actually use them to store clekos. I have a drawer with all medical chicken supplies but a carry case would be better.

 

[Farmgirl1878]

You guys are great help. Thanks!

@Farmgirl1878 An ammo can is such a great idea. I actually use them to store clekos. I have a drawer with all medical chicken supplies but a carry case would be better.

Yep, I’ve got a first aid kit for them too. Some of the same stuff, but since I know I have an ongoing issue with feet, it’s easier to grab and go.

 

[WingItRanch]

Ok so I've figured it out. Soaking, then slabbing prid on with gauze, then wrapping. Pretty difficult with no help but we figured it out. If I lay her on her side, she's comfortable enough and I keep one hand or forearm gently covering her other wing so I can apply the bandage. I keep a close eye on her behavior afterward to make sure it's not too tight.

I'm still surprised they all leave the bright blue bandage alone.

Now another question... when will I know it's ready for me to try getting the plug out? Will it be obvious? Right now her skin around the bumble is soft but the bumble is still hard.

 

[Just2chickens]

Yes it should be obvious, the scab wil loosen up around the edges. At that stage I carefully pull at it, if it goes easy that´s good, if not I let it be... I always let the plug work itself out, just keep it clean and with something like prid on it, I don´t want to make an open wound that could possibly get infected.
Your case isn´t so bad, it´s not red or swollen, and your bandage looks real good!