Infected Toe very swollen Help

[ruth]

No don't take his foot off. You might need to lance any new swelling or "blister" and let it drain. When the infection is new, it is still liquid and drainable. But I would just let it start to dry and heal, left uncovered. I have used a dry powder called Wound Powder (or something similar) that I buy at the coop. It's for flesh wounds in animals. Once I've cleaned and treated and/or stitched up a wound I'll powder on a nice thick layer of the black powder and it helps to dry and heal. I may can post later today the actual name but the bottle is out in my tack room.

Monique

 

[TerriL]

Hi Ruth - Dont worry I have no intention of taking the foot off. After I thought a while this morning I decided because the blister showed up after the surgery that it might be drainage so for now I am treating it like that. We have a like mind on this stuff, I left the foot uncovered before I left for work this morning. The toe looks so good i cant believe it and I didnt have to stitch it or anything. I had pulled it real tight the day I did the surgery and wrap it good.

When i get home tonight i will change his bedding and squeeze any liquid out of the blisters. I think I will soak in a water and poroxide mix also. I have some of the wound powder i think. If its not too dark when I get home i will snap a pic so you can see what I am talking about. As always thanks for your help. Terri

 

[redhen]

I am also treating some birds for bubmle foot... (nothing as bad as yours though) Poor guy!
The vet gave me Baytril liquid antibiotic and a good script cream(i forget the name of it..) to use on them when i change the dressings..
She also said to soak the foot EVERY night in epsom salt and betadine, and change the bandgae. To keep it cleaner.
I see your town is Holden? Is that Holden Mass? Maybe i cand get you some meds??
If not..can you call a vet and ask them to prescribe you some STRONG antibiotics for him? I really think that he needs some kind of meds...

 

[ruth]

I'm not a vet and I don't want to give any advice going against a vet - BUT....in my experience any further soaking slows or prevents healing. I find their skin and tissue needs air and to be able to dry to heal. I also never give antibiotics only because I find they heal just fine on their own. I once sewed up a rooster, that a dog had gotten ahold of, from the insides out, muscles everything. I even used the nondissolving plastic sutures on his inside muscles to hold his leg together. Sewed up the outside once I got him pieced together inside. Family thought I was nuts and wanted to know why I was working so hard to save a rooster and why not just process him? Well we can't bring ourselves to even process the Cornish crosses we bought. They were supposed to be done at 8 weeks and will probably see their 8 year birthdays. They are fat and happy and several months old and running around our farm.

But I digress - back to the rooster. Got him all sewed up, applied the wound powder, kept him in a kennel for a couple of days, turned him loose - today he's a beautiful rooster running around our farm and you would never know he had literally been torn limb from limb. No antibiotics no resoaking - just clean the wounds with peroxied and betadine water, stitch, apply Neosporin - no wrap on any wound except bumble foot and only wrap that because they have to walk on it - apply the dry wound powder - done. That's my procedure on every injured bird and trust me - I've sewn up dozens and dozens. I've never retreated or rewashed a wound and I've never had one develop any problems or not heal immediately.

Again, just sharing my own personal experience. Chickens are not like people or even other animals and their wounds abcess differently, need to be treated differently, and heal differently.

p.s. My favorite healing powder was the spray on Furall - yellow spray-on that dried like a powder and was an antibacterial and anti-fly. I've been told it was taken off the market but if you can find it online you should buy a can or two - worked wonders.

Edited to add: Here's a link to a page in my crop surgery thread (yes, I've done that surgery more than once also). This page shows a hen that was badly torn open and how I stitched her up and she healed perfectly fine.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=229796&p=2

They are amazing creatures.

 

[TerriL]

Hi RedHen, I live in Missouri, I need to fix that in my profile. Anyway I know Baytril is good for a lot of things. I swear this bumble foot is just weird. I think I have pretty much interviened as much as I am going to but thanks for the info from you vet I will keep that in mind.

Ruth as I said earlier that I am leaving it unwrapped as you suggested, I found my wound care and put it on. What do you think on the bubble that has formed between his toes should I keep cleaning that out as well as the top of his foot of just leave it be?
Terri

 

[ruth]

I would think that any new "bubble" that forms needs to be lanced, very small incision, and drained and cleaned.

 

[TerriL]

Ruth, Thanks kind of what I though. I bought some more wound stuff so I can keep it dry. If it ever stops raining here I want to get somemore pics so you can see it. I will keep you posted. Thanks Terri

 

[TerriL]

Hi, just thought I would drop in and post an update. Hope everyone is haveing a great Labor Day. Well I bought something called Blue Kote and I sprayed his foot with it, it seems to keep it dryed out. So now he has a blue foot and I have a blue hand OH WELL!
I let him out of his dog house yesterday so he could get some exercise and he doesnt like putting any weight on that foot but he will use it. I am not sure if he thinks it is going to hurt or it still does. I am going to look at it tonight and see what I think. Well that all I have just wanted to let you all know how he is doing since you all worked so hard with me to help him. Terri

 

[chickerdoodle]

Keep up the good work, TerriL!!!

 

[TerriL]

Hello all, Just want to give one last update. Last night my roo decided he would roost up on my deck. He has not been able to roost since the bumble foot started, he hadnt even tried so I was very excited. I know that all isnt well with the foot, I keep seeing some pockets of infection but compaired to what he started with he is in good shape. So I think he will have a pretty good life. Thank you all