HELP! Bumblefoot on hen!

[HudokFarm]

Sounds like you are on the right track with her!! I don't have any info on antibiotics, sorry! We had a hen on Agrimycin last year, but I don't recall what dosage we used. We got it from an local vet who had worked with chickens in the past. Hope she keeps improving!

 

[TwoCrows]

If you have the Pen G stuff, the dosage is 1/2 cc injected once a day, alternating left breast right breast each day.

I have the same issue going on with one of my girls. Bumblefoot. Now, I am not saying you need to do this, however I will make a suggestion here...

When you start these antibiotics, DO NOT STOP! I started giving my hen Pen G injections and followed the directions of 7 full days and the thing was improving. I stopped after that because that is the recommended time to give these injections. BIG mistake. Once you start on antibiotics you HAVE to continue until all symptoms are gone. What happened in my case as 4 days later, the foot blew up like a weather balloon. Something horrible much worse than before the meds. So then I moved on to Baytril and my girl has been on it for 14 days now.

I have since learned from a poultry vet that with bumblefoot infections, if you stop the meds before the foot is healed, the staph can get resistant to ALL treatments and become very difficult to treat. And my girl is struggling far worse now than she was on the Pen G. It has moved into the foot joint and she is on a one month program of Baytril to HOPEFULLY kick this things butt.

This is only my opinion. You do not have to do as I did here. It is totally your discretion.

But good luck with your hen! Oh, and ALWAYS keep the foot bandaged. Keep them in bandages until it is completely healed and the scab falls off.

 

[MollyAngel]

Thank you so much! Should we keep opening and attempting to get the gunk out while she is on the antibiotic, or should we just leave it alone?

 

[TwoCrows]

You need to drain the crud out each day until there is no longer any gunk in there. With the penicillin, it should take a few days until the wound stops weeping. At that point, you can let it alone. I have been unwrapping the foot each day to have a look see and rebandaging. You can also soak the foot in empsom salts once a day for 5 or so mins. That helps draw the gunk out. But you don't have to if you don't have the time.

 

[Sgtfirstwife]

I am so glad your chicken is getting better. I do have a question as a newbie, where do you get vetwrap and a scapel? Also should I keep penicillin on hand. Sorry don't mean to hijack the post, but the questions occurred to me as I was reading your post and the answers. You guys and gals are the best!!!

 

[TwoCrows]

You can get Penicillin in the refrig section most feed stores. The vet wrap can be found in the horse section along with needles and syringes. (use 22 gauge needles with Pen). Sometimes with the vet wrap you can find stainless steel scapels. If you can not find one, you can use an exacto blade, however they have a tendency to rust. So they are only good for one time. And always sterilize your tools before you cut.

 

[amberflea]

So I went down to the coop this morning and I saw that Molly Pippa and Sylvia were all still on the roost. This is normal for Molly and Pippa (my sleeping beauties

) but Sylvia is always one of the first hens outdoors in the morning. Upon further examination, Sylvia's left foot was swollen to about five times the size that it should be and it was about the size of a half-dollar. I was very worried, so I brought her up and fed her the favorite treats, bread and cheese. She wasn't limping badly, and seemed fine as she putted around the backyard. I had to put her back because of that whole school thing, but I'll check her later. Sorry but I don't have a pic right now! Here are the questions.

1) What type of bird , age and weight. She is just over one year old, I'm pretty sure that she is a NH Red and she is feeling normal weight-wise.
2) What is the behavior, exactly. She has a swollen foot and wouldn't come off the roost until I took her down.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? She was fine last night, and this morning I noticed her foot swollen.
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? Not that I know about.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. Just the swollen foot is a little pink.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. I don't know, there isn't much she could've stepped on in the run...
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. She ate lots this morning but I haven't seen her drink.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. Normal.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? I fed her but had no idea on what else to do.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet? It depends.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help. I will have one later.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use The same she has been living in since she was a baby!

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/search/label/bumblefoot causes and treatment


Excellent link for bumblefoot, you need to get that plug out of its foot.

 

[amenfarm]

I have been fighting bumble foot in 2 of the hens I purchased, we're on day 26. About 4 days ago a treatment i read about/ and asked advice i came in and has really made a huge difference. tricide-neo,https://www.pondrx.com/products/16166.html -ordered it from here. I have soaked, 5 Min's in plain hot warm to remove any dirt and hopefully poo in that water. In a 5 quart ice cream bucket with a lid-- i mixed the tricide-neo, 11/4 scant teaspoon per Quart, soak 7 Min's a day-if the solution is kept clean it's good for 7 days the discard and mix for the next 7 days.We are on day four and I can't believe the difference. The red lines have gone and the edges of the wound are showing a change in color even the scabs themselves look so much improved. The treatment is around $35.00 for 22 grams, but can be broken down into 4 treatments-which is more than enough for 2 hens, I also am giving penicillin 1/2cc each day switch sides of the breast, triple antibiotic and cover with gauze and vet wrap--Do not pull on the vet wrap, just gently smooth over wound and it will stick to its self. I used a four inch long piece cut into 3 strips, works like a charm.
You MUST wear protective clothing and eye protection when using the tricide-neo, I look really silly with blue googles and blue gloves, holding a chicken,

.

 

[Sgtfirstwife]

How long will penicillin keep in fridge? Is it something you have to replace? Does it come in different strengths? Sorry for the questions.

 

[TwoCrows]

You can store it until it expires, which is usually about a year. It will tell you on the bottle. And always keep it in the frig. Just look for Penicillin G or Penicillin G Procaine. It is will say something like..Each ml contains 300,000 units of Penicillin G. etc...The brand on my bottle is "PenOnePro". 300,000 units is what you are looking for. Shake it really well before using as it separates in the bottle.