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No way would I do that. Gee whiz. Sounds completely unsanitary. You'd be better off packing the wound with gauze soaked in saline, which may be why the recommend the bacon, but no way would I put raw meat on the bird's foot and let it walk around.
You need an exacto knife like you would find in the craft section or hardward section. It has a pointed razor blade and works well as a scalpel. You put the knife in a tiny bit at an angle (maybe 60 degree angle) and cut around the edge of the scab, then use tweezers to slowly pull that out. Most of the time, some solidified infection comes out with it. Then you squeeze or use the knife to get out anything that looks like solid white cheese, soak the foot in an epsom salts or weak betadine solution, pack the hole with antibiotic ointment, cover with a piece of gauze pad, then wrap with a bandage (we cut up soft old t-shirts or sweats in strips---vetwrap tends to tighten up over time and can cut off circulation, especially if it gets wet). Leave the bandage on and keep the bird in a cage with lots of soft bedding so he can't roam everywhere. In two or three days, or sooner if the bandage shifts and is no longer covering the wound, remove the bandage and put on new antibiotic ointment and bandage again. No stitches needed. No cutting on the top of the foot if the pad is the issue.
It's just something you have to do and you'll understand it better when you get into it. Wrap the bird's body in a towel to keep it from flapping. I can't explain it any better than this. You may have a recurring issue or you may fix it the first time. Make sure any roosts are sanded smooth and all nails and surfaces aren't rough in the coop. If the bird free ranges, it will probably get it again, but there's not much you can do if property is like mine, with sandstone sticking out of the ground and briars all over the place.
Oral antibiotics have limited use with bumblefoot. I never use them for it anymore. Getting the infection out and treating topically does just as well or better.
No way would I do that. Gee whiz. Sounds completely unsanitary. You'd be better off packing the wound with gauze soaked in saline, which may be why the recommend the bacon, but no way would I put raw meat on the bird's foot and let it walk around.
You need an exacto knife like you would find in the craft section or hardward section. It has a pointed razor blade and works well as a scalpel. You put the knife in a tiny bit at an angle (maybe 60 degree angle) and cut around the edge of the scab, then use tweezers to slowly pull that out. Most of the time, some solidified infection comes out with it. Then you squeeze or use the knife to get out anything that looks like solid white cheese, soak the foot in an epsom salts or weak betadine solution, pack the hole with antibiotic ointment, cover with a piece of gauze pad, then wrap with a bandage (we cut up soft old t-shirts or sweats in strips---vetwrap tends to tighten up over time and can cut off circulation, especially if it gets wet). Leave the bandage on and keep the bird in a cage with lots of soft bedding so he can't roam everywhere. In two or three days, or sooner if the bandage shifts and is no longer covering the wound, remove the bandage and put on new antibiotic ointment and bandage again. No stitches needed. No cutting on the top of the foot if the pad is the issue.
It's just something you have to do and you'll understand it better when you get into it. Wrap the bird's body in a towel to keep it from flapping. I can't explain it any better than this. You may have a recurring issue or you may fix it the first time. Make sure any roosts are sanded smooth and all nails and surfaces aren't rough in the coop. If the bird free ranges, it will probably get it again, but there's not much you can do if property is like mine, with sandstone sticking out of the ground and briars all over the place.
Oral antibiotics have limited use with bumblefoot. I never use them for it anymore. Getting the infection out and treating topically does just as well or better.
