Foot Discoloration After Surgery

[MissBokBok]

Chico the chicken got surgery for a very bad case of Bumblefoot on Thursday night. He seems peppy. He is eating and drinking a bit, though not as much as I'd like. Probably 1 cup of food and 2-3 cups of water today. He crowed several times today if that's any indicator of his health.

I have been trying to keep the wound exposed to air as that is supposed to help with healing. He is in a ~75 degree room and has gotten two shots of penicillin, though when I injected today it bled a bit when I withdrew the needle so I hope I hit deep enough in the muscle. He has a wound on the bottom of his foot that is large but healing alright (he really doesn't want to get flipped over for a picture of that) and this slit on top which was necessary to remove an infection core bigger than a marble. I tried to cut out as much pus as possible but had to leave a lot in as the swelling is enormous and he began to bleed quite a bit. His foot is at least 1/3 smaller than it was, which is a major improvement, though this slit has opened up wider instead of healing closed.

My questions: Will the rubbery pus still inside his foot be cleared out naturally now that the core infection is removed?
Is there anything I can do to improve healing? I applied a bit of neosporin today but otherwise am trying to leave it to heal.
Starting this afternoon, I noticed the dark area on the side of the slit portion, near his toe. I think it is new. Is this bruising, or a sign of a secondary infection? What should I do?

Thank you for your help. Chico will have to go back outside tomorrow as the crowing is unbearable, advice for that transition would be great, too.

 

[Free Spirit]

Sorry but the pics didn't load and not able to view them.

The "rubbery" pus still needs to be removed. Will it wash out by using a needless syringe and flushing it? If it is hard can it be removed with tweezers? Can you squeeze it out?

If you're going to be putting him back outside it is imperative that it stays clean. You may need to wrap it with a vet wrap (breathable bandage) and change it frequently. But as far as the foot discoloration would still need pics to help you with that.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/bumblefoot-how-to-treat-your-chickens-with-surgery-graphic-pics

 

[MissBokBok]

Sorry, I reloaded the pictures.

His foot is very large and most of the inside has yellow, chunky, rubbery bits. They're pretty firmly attached to the inside so pulling or squeezing are ineffective. What I've done so far had to be cut out. Imagine if you were to cut inside an animal and try to pull out all the fat, except it's infection.

If I do open up again it will have to be in a few weeks as he has really been through a lot and my bathroom looked like a crime scene. I'd like him to recover a bit and hope that by getting out the rock-hard center the swelling will mostly go down. I am going to put a cotton pad over the open areas of his foot and vetwrap it. I have neosporin but if anyone thinks vetericyn is better, I can pick up some of that.

Thank you.

 

[Free Spirit]

It looks like it could be coagulated blood or dead tissue. So here's what I would do...

Soak the foot in Epsom Salts. You may have to do this several times until the black area is soft and loosened so you can clean it out with a soft cloth and/or Q-tips (along with squeezing and tweezers). Keep soaking, cleaning, and working at getting all the puss out. You can also use a needless syringe to help flush it out while you're working at it. Whatever works the best as you go along.

It's imperative to try and get it all out in order to begin healing. The sooner you can get it out the better. Bumblefoot is caused by staph and can spread into their tissue and bones. You can get staph too so make sure to wear latex or vinyl gloves to protect your skin as well and wash thoroughly after handling.

Vetericyn is great to use and have around for any injuries or cuts. Once you are finished cleaning out the foot give a spray with the Vetericyn and/or apply Neosporine (or any triple antibiotic ointment). Then wrap with a breathable material such as vetwrap to help keep it clean and prevent re-infection. Change dressing at least once or twice per day.

 

[MissBokBok]

Thank you!