Hattie update.. Need some advice please!

[Jessica89]

Ok, so it has been a week on anti biotics and anti inflammatories. I have ben given her epsom salt soaks everyday with no improvement.

I took her back to the vets today and they gave her an xray and there are no fractures which was good.

They said there is an infection but they cant drain it because it's not a pocket of pus and spread out in the tissues and bones so they have given me stronger antibiotics. Does this sound right? I thought you could still lance it?


I nearly DIED when I had the bill... I could cry with it all.

 

[Jessica89]

bump.. sorry guys, I am desperate.

Waiting for iodine to arrive so i can try that next.

 

[Amiga]

I think lancing only works if the pus is runny - but with bumblefoot, so often the "pus" is actually thick and chunky.

Did the vet do a sensitivity test from a sample of the infection? It may be resistant to what they are prescribing.

Regarding funding, there are crowd funding sites that enable you to ask people who care about animals to help you with the expense. It's not a guarantee, but I will offer that idea.

gofundme is the first one to come to mind.

 

[DucksAndGardens]

Lancing it wouldn't do any good because duck pus isn't generally liquidy it's a thick chunky stuff. But I'm surprised they wouldn't debride the wound and clean out any pus that is in there. I went back and looked at some of the other pictures of the foot. It doesn't look like there was any opening on her foot. Can you confirm this?

I will make a suggestion but it is kind of risky and not fun. Basically I'd take a razor blade to it and slice it open and then clean it out. If there is any pus or debri in the wound it needs to be removed. I've done it before on a duck that ended up getting bumblefoot and while it was gross and the duck wasn't overly happy about it, the foot really cleared up once the source of infection was removed. Using antibiotics is only going to get so far and it won't help in the long run if there is an infection deep in the foot. Just becareful to cut very shallowly at a time and only open it enough to clean out the pus and any other crap that is in there. Then flush her foot with peroxide and pack the wound with neosporin or use an eyedropper and cover it in Camphophenique (my grandad swore by this stuff that it cures everything) and cover with a bandage. Then I'd put a clean baby sock over her foot to keep it dry and clean. Change the bandage every day and flush the wound. If you have Chlorhexidine or betadine that works as a great flush. Use the Campho or Neosporin every day until it heals.


Good luck.

 

[Jessica89]

Thank you for the replies!

I really think I am going to have to cut open her foot.. I was hoping that is what the vet would have done buy they said they couldnt?

I'm not sure if they did a sensitivity test.. They took her for an X-ray and then said the infection is still there but it isn't a localised pocket of pus and is spread out around the foot so they cannot drain it all.

I really don't want to hurt her. I have ordered a surgical knife.. I just need the other bits and bobs.

Also, nope.. no opening, cut or scab. It is so strange!!

 

[Amiga]

Wondering if @casportpony has had to do something like this.

 

[Orca5094]

I don't think I'd cut open her foot when even the vet didn't want to do it. That said, I really have no idea what the next step would be to help the poor girl. :/ Maybe give the new meds some time to work first?

 

[Jessica89]

I will give the meds time to work first then and maybe think about draining it myself.

It is killing me to see her trying to hop along! She is fine in herself otherwise.. eating ,quacking and drinking.

Thank you so much everyone. I would be lost without you all!!!

 

[casportpony]

Wondering if @casportpony has had to do something like this.

The pus cannot be drained like you do with mammals, "cause poultry pus looks like the picture below. Lancing and removing the "kernal" of pus is usually what one does, but to me it sounds like the vet said that the infection has spread to the tissues and bone, which is quite serious and could require removal of said tissue and bone.



-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

I will give the meds time to work first then and maybe think about draining it myself.

It is killing me to see her trying to hop along! She is fine in herself otherwise.. eating ,quacking and drinking.

Thank you so much everyone. I would be lost without you all!!!

What drugs did the vet prescribe?

-Kathy