Hen with large abcess/infection - Graphic pictures

I honestly don't know... I had a duck with a bumblefoot infection that spread to his hocks and the vet told me to use Baytril. You could try calling UC Davis and ask them questions about the different antibiotics and when to use them, but you'd need to word it very carefully otherwise they'll just say "bring her in". I do know that Cipro is in the same family of antibiotics as Baytril and that Baytril is very powerful and very effective against gram negative bacteria. Can you call your vet?

If you have penicillin and you've used it before on poultry, I say go for it, but with the disclaimer that that it should be used cautiously due to the possibility of procaine toxicity, which I no *nothing* about.

-Kathy
 
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Let us know!

-Kathy
 
I got 1 cc of penicillin in her. Then I worked on the bumblefoot, got the plug out - it went all the way through her foot to the webbing between her toes. The black scab was on the top and the bottom. Put neosporin on it and wrapped up her foot with gauze/vet wrap. She then pooped on me to pay me back. Then, since under her wing was sticky, I thought it might attract flies, so I sprayed some Vetiricyn gel wound spray on it. She's now in isolation in the coop, laying down and preening herself. I gave her a scrambled egg with some raw milk in it as well.

I really don't think that she'll make it, but we will see. Maybe she'll surprise me. I'm quite surprised she's still alive with this swelling.

This is what the underside of her wing looks like. No wonder she can't hold up her wing. The dark spots are crusty feathers, not a wound.
 
The only swelling I found on a bird like that here was also under the wing and ended up actually being a broken leg, split vertically from just above the foot, a compression fracture. She had been sitting quite a bit and there was bleeding at the main fracture site, which seeped up the bent leg and into her thigh area. The only reason I knew anything was wrong was her wing was hanging down a bit and picked her up, found a huge round lump of swelling. Didn't realize it was a broken leg because she was standing on it, even avoiding me catching her (D'anver pullet who had not been handled much).




Quote: I've never heard anything about that with penicillin. What you are probably referring to is the "caine" anesthetics that birds are susceptible to, which can actually be fatal. Not the same thing as the penicillin procaine. I've used penicillin in massive doses on birds with egg yolk peritonitis with no issues, but it just may not the powerful enough for a raging infection like this one.
 
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I remember reading about that Cyn. I had a similar circumstance with a cockerel with a broken leg, it wasn't until after I culled him that I saw his whole leg was black from internal bleeding. He didn't have much swelling but he could not walk. His was a full break too.

Could her bumblefoot have caused this? (only affecting 1 wing) She wasn't limping, but it certainly was a tough plug to get out.
 
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Thanks for all your help!
You're welcome! My knowledge about bumble infections is very limited, but I makes me wonder if it can be anything like when foals get an infection and it moves to their joints... I think they call it joint ill or navel ill.

-Kathy
 
Quote: I wouldn't think so, no. It's probably not related, though bumblefoot can go systemic in extreme cases. I couldn't say for 100% certain, but it's probably two unrelated issues.

My EE hen, June, had bumblefoot just once in her life; she used to be skittish as a younger hen so I didn't have my hands on her much and missed it until it was coming out of the top of her foot just like a pencil eraser. The scab was on bottom. We cut out that scab and literally pushed the entire plug up through the top of her foot and out, packed the wound with antibiotic ointment and wrapped it and she hasn't had bumblefoot since.
 
Her plug came out the top too. The scab was both on top and bottom of her foot. She didn't eat her egg, but she's been busy trying to unravel the vet wrap.
 

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