I have several hens with bumblefoot

[gumpsgirl]

Quote:
This is true. I didn't have anyone around to help me today, so after church tomorrow, I will gather my help and get it done.

 

[seminolewind]

Ya know all this time I figured I was wrong and everyone else was right about pulling of the scab and digging around. Last year I ended up lancing the top of the foot swelling, and it was good that way. I think the scab on the bottom means that end is already healing, and the scab is protection. I don't pull them off anymore.
Another thing I do is take Magna-paste (horse aisle as well) and try to keep it on with plastic wrap overnight. Speeds everything up. It's a green gel that has epsom salts in it.

But I am out of ideas on how to wrap it so it doesn't leak out or get pulled off. Anyone have a good idea?

 

[ArizonaDesertChicks]

I have several hens that have the tell-tell scabs on the bottoms of their feet, but no swelling. Do I still need to treat these feet or should I wait till the feet show signs of swelling? Is it possible for some chickens to get the scab and never have it progress into an infection? I hate to interfere if their bodies have already healed the problems on their own.

 

[cocosandy]

they have a thinner version of the wrap at the local pharmacy. I just went out and got what I needed to get the ribbon out. The plugs came out easy, and she is fine...but Im gonna have to soak her feet and loosen the scabs and go back for the ribbons because what Im reading is that its imperative to get it all and that some might come back in three days...i dont know how you would tell without opening it up again.
Also, this hen acted like she felt no pain...i used Bactine, which has some pain killier in it, but even when I was poking around the white stuff that I wasn't sure if it was part of her or not, (before I knew it was bumblefoot) she was very calm.
I've kept her in the small cage so she doesnt move around but once I can get her feet wrapped Ill put her in the dog crate.
I checked every other chicken...and the showgirls and every other chicken with feathers on its feet were strong possibilities, but no one had it!
I find it to be a fascinating thing in that it made a hole straight through her toe that was perfectly round!
I thought it was an ingrown feather or a virus Ive seen in canaries that can make the keratin or something in a follicle overgrow and make a rock of fused feathers on their back. It falls off itself and then grows back....thats viral and the only treatment is laser, I think...
this is real infection and the ribbon inside is like...a ribbon!...if you google chicken bumblefoot and click on images on top you will see wuite a few examples and what can happen. Its pretty incredible if you're interested in bird or animal medicine (they show a guinea pig with it!)...and really gross if you are squeamish!
I am the former!

So off I go to see what I can do with this because I have to go out in the AM and want to be done with it...I will try to lay her on her side and cover her head and see what happens...but first she is having a bath!...and then I have to disinfect the tub! (its the spare tub or I would do it in the basement in a basin)

What a trip these birds are;-)

Melina

 

[cocosandy]

regarding the tell tale scabs, I would soak them and try to peel them off and get the plug out and treat topically with antibiotic...depending on what you find you will know what to do. The plug, even if tiny (and one of mine was tiny on the bottom but it went straight through the foot to a plug on the top!) often reveals a fleshy wound with some blood and pus...if you dont see a ribbon then youre set...but you may see the ribbon forming...I would do it because if its a plug then you can nip it in the bud and it will heal right away. if its just dirt or something it will wash away with the soak and you will know.
I dont see any calluses on my bird's feet. I let them roost on a shelf at night which is a drag because they poo up there, but every AM I just go through with a garden trowel and a dust pan and scrape it out and replace the pine shavings...so its always clean for them and they are not on a perch. They have different perches and a ladder, but they seen to prefer the shelf. They actually relax their feet and curl them in underneath themselves, which is sort of lovely....
I guess I love their feet so I noticed this early on the one hen...Im always photographing their feet and looking at them.
One season Karl lagerfield made a gold lifesized chicken foot that was a pendant, as part of his european line....I spent so long trying to get my hands on one, even though I suppose I could never afford it in that it was part of his couture line, and gold (which I don't wear) but it disappeared really quickly; and I think it was a play on voodoo or some such...anyway, I always thought that was the greatest piece of jewelry Id ever seen. And Ive had to give up wearing it at home because of parrots anyway!...it gets put on in the car and removed before the birds can get at it!;-)

I would definitely soak those tootsies and dig around a little...remember this is staph and to let it grow is to chance it getting into the bloodstream and killing the bird...and other birds getting it!
Wash your hands and change your work clothes alot....thats what Im doing!

melina

 

[wmjodi]

Do you have to give antibiotics after treating bumblefoot?

 

[ruth]

Quote:
Hi and welcome to BYC - I don't give antibiotics afterwards but I also make sure I get everything, including the plug out. I'm normally soaking and mashing and digging in the pad for close to an hour - using warm salt water. I don't think much of anything survives once I'm finished with it. The pad is normally healed in about three or four days.

 

[gumpsgirl]

What Ruth said.

 

[cocosandy]

You may have to give antibiotics. If you cant get the whole thing out and if its not responding to topicals, you may need antibiotics.
The older infections where the pus has gotten hard are hard to clean.
I am gonna try the bactine on a cotton ball idea, but short of cutting a big part of her toes off, I am goign to tyr antibiotics.
Im on day 4 now of injectible Tylan 50, and she looks very good. Im still waiting for the toes to go down and I fear that I will have to do more surgery on her to get it resolved...Ive heard of this going on for a year or more.
the infection gets very hard and getting it out is a problem.

 

[gumpsgirl]

The antibiotics will take care of a systemic type infection, but will not treat the bumblefoot. The only way to take care of that is to go through the process / steps that have already been mentioned here.

Good luck to you and your chicken.