Help Needed with Rescues - Bumblefoot, Scaly Leg Mites, Vomiting
My overall question… Do I continue treatment? Is it reasonable/realistic for myself and the birds to continue?
I’ve had chickens for about 20 years, but I’ve never dealt with bumblefoot or scaly leg mites before, or vomiting of clear fluids. My chickens have always been free range with access to lots of greens and bugs and dust bathing. Besides having dealt with a lice infestation once and a couple of strange premature deaths, my chickens have always been very healthy and happy.
I have no idea what I’m doing and it’s been incredibly stressful. I’ve researched as much as possible, but I still feel helpless. I know, unfortunately, that with animals whatever good intentions I have, it doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is getting it right. Intention doesn’t help an animal.
So, ultimately, here’s what I need advice on… Am I doing the right things? Am I just prolonging these poor chickens suffering? I do not have the capacity (or the “spoons”) to give extra medical attention to these birds. I do have the capacity to change something if I need to but just not add to it. How in the world do I treat bumblefoot that’s also on their toes? And here’s the thing, I’ve heard that even if you think you healed bumblefoot, it can come back. Will I ever be able to incorporate these chickens with my own healthy birds? How do I know when the scaly leg mites are gone? Should I stop and end their suffering? I hate seeing animals suffer, but I too am suffering. I’m happy to suffer for them for a little while, but how long can I continue?
My overall question… Do I continue treatment? Is it reasonable/realistic for myself and the birds to continue?
- Type of bird: 2 birds - I’m guessing here, but they look like a Rhode Island Red (let’s call her #1, she’s smaller) and a mix of Rhode Island Red and Buff Orpington(#2).
- Age and weight: I was told by the original owner that they are around 1 ½ years. They weigh about 6lbs and 8lbs.
- What is the behavior, exactly: They both have the same behaviors. Walk very slowly and wobbly, like they are walking on shards of glass. They over-heat much more easily than my own healthy birds. They have diarrhea. They both vomit clear fluid sometimes. They do have a good appetite and are drinking plenty of water. Chicken #1 lays eggs consistently. Chicken #2 has not laid any eggs.
- What issues have been identified: They both have severe cases of bumblefoot. They both have mild cases of scaly leg mites. They both had lice but that’s been treated. I wondered if they had a sour crop because of the vomiting, but their crops were pretty flat yesterday morning.
- How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms: Since they were given to me on Sunday, July 20.
- Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms: No. The two sick chickens are in a separate area from my own chickens.
- Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma: It looks like at one-point-in-time their beaks were cut off. They seem to eat clumsily but are managing ok.
- What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation: Terrible husbandry. They have been fed a diet of corn and millet seeds. They did not have a place to roost but slept on the bottom floor on dirty cardboard in a dog house. Their outdoor space was an area that at one point was landscaped with rocks and they had no dirt soft enough to take dust baths.
- What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all: They were eating straight corn and millet seeds and had water for drinking. Now that they are with me, they are getting an organic non-soy, non-corn egg layer mix (see attached photo for ingredients). They just finished a round of antibiotics during which they received scrambled eggs with oregano, and followed up by whole plain yogurt to provide some probiotics. I’ve added apple cider vinegar to their water.
- How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? Etc: It’s very runny for both. Chicken #2 sometimes has more solid poops than #1 but neither of them look firm and normal. That said, they did just finish the antibiotics and had an extreme change in their diet so I’m not sure how dependable the assessment is right now.
- What has been the treatment you have administered so far? On Monday, July 21, I took them to the best chicken vet that I could find, a 1 hr drive away, and he was terrible. I told him what I thought was wrong with them and he reiterated the same back to me - bumblefoot, lice and scaly leg mites. Several days after the appointment I realized he never looked at anything else such as their crop or listened to their lungs or heart, etc. He did not want to do surgery for the bumblefoot. He suggested x-rays to see if the bumblefoot had gone into the bone, but that was too expensive for me. He prescribed antibiotics and pain medicine, which I didn’t know about until after the appointment but he charged $300 just for those two medications for 2 birds :-(, not including the office visit of $75 each. I asked him to show me how to administer the liquid pain medicine and he actually aspirated chicken #2. I told him to stop mid-way in giving it and he admitted, “that doesn’t sound good”. I told him I’d pass on the pain meds because I couldn’t administer it. But he already filled the prescription so they charged me for it.
On Tuesday, July 22, I treated for lice with Elector PSP by spraying both birds, cleaning their temporary coop and spraying it. I also started them on their antibiotics, Clavamox. 375mg for chicken #1 twice a day. 437.5 mg for chicken #2 twice per day. I also started foot and leg treatments on that day. Once each day, bathing in Epsom salt. Then applying Prid and bandaging the feet, and also applying Lindseed oil to the legs.
Today it’s Wednesday, 7/30. Chicken#1 finished the antibiotics but I couldn't get chicken #2 to eat hardly any of it. I’m still giving daily baths to treat the scaly leg mites and to soften the bumblefoot.
I also purchased Tricide Neo. The vet called someone up while I was in the office and that’s what his friend recommended, that I soak their feet in the Tricide for the bumblefoot. I haven't started that yet since I’m still treating for the leg mites. - What is your intent as far as treatment: My intent is to treat them by myself. However, I’ve reached my limit on the amount of time and money I can spend on them. I’m willing to change my strategy if needed, but I don’t have capacity to add more time-consuming efforts. I currently spend about 2 hours each day on both birds combined, which has taken away from my own beautiful birds. I also work full-time.
- Photos are posted
- Describe the housing/bedding in use: The temporary housing I’ve given them is a small area about 50sq.ft. There is a large tub inside their pen for dust bathing (½ soil, ½ sand, wood ash, and food grade diatomaceous earth). There is also a tarp covered extra large kennel for sleeping. Inside the kennel is a crate with alfalfa for egg laying. There is also alfalfa in the rest of the kennel for bedding. On their first day in the kennel I had a roost in there for them but they did not use it (likely due to painful feet).
I’ve had chickens for about 20 years, but I’ve never dealt with bumblefoot or scaly leg mites before, or vomiting of clear fluids. My chickens have always been free range with access to lots of greens and bugs and dust bathing. Besides having dealt with a lice infestation once and a couple of strange premature deaths, my chickens have always been very healthy and happy.
I have no idea what I’m doing and it’s been incredibly stressful. I’ve researched as much as possible, but I still feel helpless. I know, unfortunately, that with animals whatever good intentions I have, it doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is getting it right. Intention doesn’t help an animal.
So, ultimately, here’s what I need advice on… Am I doing the right things? Am I just prolonging these poor chickens suffering? I do not have the capacity (or the “spoons”) to give extra medical attention to these birds. I do have the capacity to change something if I need to but just not add to it. How in the world do I treat bumblefoot that’s also on their toes? And here’s the thing, I’ve heard that even if you think you healed bumblefoot, it can come back. Will I ever be able to incorporate these chickens with my own healthy birds? How do I know when the scaly leg mites are gone? Should I stop and end their suffering? I hate seeing animals suffer, but I too am suffering. I’m happy to suffer for them for a little while, but how long can I continue?
