Help!!! Chicken has large hard growth on foot

[Tania888]

Hi,

I have recently acquired a new hen that was left behind at a property my friend has moved into. My friend thought she had some serious growth issues happening on one lame foot but I thought it was just a build up of poo, dirt etc. so I took her in and thought she just needed a soak. Before my husband and I soaked her foot we squeezed the top of the hard, boney like material and it shattered and fell off (no blood, puss or tears). It then left a hole in the top of this "growth" and what we could see was rather disturbing as it no longer looked like a simple build up. I have extensively looked into "scaley leg mites" but worse cases I have seen have been huge swallon feet with large bumps under scales. And her feet, look worse than that. It also does not look like bumblefoot. I was wondering if it could possibly be a cancer growth??? I can see spots of yellowish dries puss around it.

I have contacted vet today and sent off pictures but looking for any advice in the mean time.

Thanks!

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. This may help with pictures: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/inserting-pics-in-on-the-new-byc
Here are 2 very good links for leg mites and bumblefoot that show graphic pictures to help you decide what is going on:
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2013/03/scaly-leg-mites-in-chickens.html
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2011/07/bumblefoot-causes-treatment-warning.html

 

[Toritachi]

Hi Tania888, what did this end up being. My hen has similar growths but the vet doesn't know what it is! Tried antibiotics as it is suspected to be an infection but it didn't stop the growth.

 

[lizzyt]

Hi Tania888, what did this end up being. My hen has similar growths but the vet doesn't know what it is! Tried antibiotics as it is suspected to be an infection but it didn't stop the growth.

I know this post is outdated, but I took my hen to the vet today for something very similar. He said it's likely cancer, but gave me two weeks worth of antibiotics to try and see if it hopefully is just an infection.

 

[TomNY]

It could be Tasselfoot, a protozoan infestation. The "scab" would be very hard and calcified. If you remove it the skin is gone and raw flesh is exposed. It's common in caged parrots. I've had pigeons and chickens with it. I use Ivermectin with fair results. A vet should have a better treatment.

 

[Eggcessive]

Here is some info about tasselfoot:
http://www.finchinfo.com/health/diseases/scaly_leg_mites.php

 

[TomNY]

Tasselfoot is not caused by mites.

 

[Eggcessive]

Tasselfoot is caused by the mite kneminocoptes:
https://wagwalking.com/bird/condition/tassel-foot

 

[BrookeChook81]

I know this post is outdated, but I took my hen to the vet today for something very similar. He said it's likely cancer, but gave me two weeks worth of antibiotics to try and see if it hopefully is just an infection.

I know this was years ago, but was it a tumour or did the antibiotics work?