Foot infection

[ruby13326]

I bought this chicken like this, long story but I have a big heart and since I have cured bumblefoot in the past thought I could cure this. I tried the bumblefoot thing sans antibiotic, soaking in chlorahexadine, bagbalm, wrap. It wasn't working. I brought her to the vet, (a new vet, my old vet retired) who put her on an antibiotic and silvadene cream with instructions to debrid the wound as best I could so the silvadene cream could get to the tissue. Well, that didn't work and her feet got worse and swelled up with yellow pus. She switched antibiotics and we stopped the debridement and went to blue kote, that wasn't working. The vet told me the only way to really know what antibiotic would work would be to stop the antibiotic for 5 days, then get a culture. So I did and by the 5th day her feet are really swollen and smell and are warm to touch. My old vet had given me baytril to use to cure my bumblefoot and even though it was expired I have started using that, washing her feet each day, blue kot and bag balm and wrap. Day 6 we are maintaining, not getting worse, not really better. She is a lovely bird, I think a black austrolop, and still has spirit and is eating well. One other odd point, she has infection on the left side of her face, she gets scabs hear her eye, nose and ear. I pulled a scab from her nostril and it had yellow pus on it. The scabs are brown and crusty. She is also anemic, her face is very pale as is her comb. the culture shold come back this week. I just needed to post this because I thought there was someone else out there who has gone through this. She does not have chicken POX. She cannot walk really, uses her wings to help push her along. Any ideas would be helpful. She gets a probiotic in her water, and yogurt, spinnach( iron), strawberries, tomatoes, softened catfood for protein and beans. she has a companion chicken and both are living in the house. Any ideas would be helpful. Thanks.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can you post some photos of her and her face and ears too?

How long has it been like this?
What's your temperatures?

Do you have photos of what the legs/feet looked like initially before you started treatments?

Does she have any lice/mites? Have you treated for lice/mites with something like Ivermectin?

 

[azygous]

I'm very glad you are having a vet see this hen. I can only guess, but it may be this began with scaly leg mites and progressed to a staph infection. Staphylococcus aureus is usually easily treated, but left untreated, it can become a systemic infection, and it can even lead to death if the bacteria infects her organs.

It would need to be treated aggressively, but let's wait until the culture comes back. Knowing what bacteria is eating at her tissues will inform what antibiotic is best to tackle it.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She gets a probiotic in her water, and yogurt, spinnach( iron), strawberries, tomatoes, softened catfood for protein and beans. she has a companion chicken and both are living in the house.

I didn't post the after because it just a lot more swollen and purple from the blu kote. There were some mites, not an infestation and some of the chickens she came with have scaly mites on their legs. I haven't seen any lice. I don't know what you mean by tempuratures, I have never taken a chicken's tempurature if that is what you mean.

Does she have any lesions inside her beak?

The initial photo (what it originally looked like when you got her) looks like a bad case of Scaly Leg Mites with infection, but SLM can cause infection.
So, what you're saying is it's getting progressively worse. Under the blu kote, it looks like there's a lot of pus.
Ears have infection looks like to me as well.

Hopefully your vet's culture will come back and you'll have more info about how to treat this.

You mention that there were some mites, but not an infestation? For me, any mites would be cause for concern and immediate treatment. Did you treat for mites?

Do you feed nutritionally balanced poultry feed at all?

 

[Eggcessive]

Baytril can treat the bacteria you mentioned, and I would use it even if expired that long, but it seems the vet could give you some up to date. Enrofloxacin 10%, the generic is available online from Jedds.com if you want to order it. Dosage is 0.05 ml per pound twice daily for 5 days, and can be given orally. It has been banned for many years for chickens (but not for other animals,) due to increasing antibiotic resistance in strains of campylobacter in chickens. That said, many vets will prescribe it for pets or chickens who have severe infections.

I would keep soaking the legs and using 2% chlorhexidene, and try to get them to heal. Was this chicken kept in terrible conditions from the previous owner? Chickens can get bad foot infections and scald from pododermatitis. The droppings from these chickens may contain chemicals that add to it. You certainly have your work cut out for you. Has the vet ever thought about the skin form of Mareks disease as a possibility? Here is article on the various reasons for pododermatitis:
https://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/what-causes-foot-dermatitis-in-poultry

 

[ruby13326]

Thanks for the input. I actually think shes on the mend now...finally. Baytril seems to be slowly working, the bacatricin is too. I did work on debriding her foot last night and tonight, we will see tomorrow if its working

 

[ruby13326]

I'm very glad you are having a vet see this hen. I can only guess, but it may be this began with scaly leg mites and progressed to a staph infection. Staphylococcus aureus is usually easily treated, but left untreated, it can become a systemic infection, and it can even lead to death if the bacteria infects her organs.

It would need to be treated aggressively, but let's wait until the culture comes back. Knowing what bacteria is eating at her tissues will inform what antibiotic is best to tackle it.

Thanks, it's been two months treating her, I am getting pretty frustrated. I feel bad for her mostly but as long as she continues to eat and is perky I'll keep going

 

[ruby13326]

You're doing great! She's lucky to have you!

Thanks, not sure, I think I'm finally loosing her.

 

[ruby13326]

Has the vet gotten back to you?

No, not yet, Today would have been day 5 but it was a holiday so maybe tomorrow.

 

[ruby13326]

Its like she has a head and foot infection. She has been this way since I got her on December 16th. She doesn't have any other respiratory signs, symptoms, no coughing, sneezing wheezing or heavy breathing.