infection in both of my chickens feet. I don't know what it is. please help!

[lovinTheBirds89]

Thank you everyone. It really helps to get the opinions of so many people. You can't all be wrong lol. I'm not going to be able to bring myself to cut his foot open if that is what needs to be done. I would probably cry through the whole process. But even if I could work up the courage to try then Is it ok to cut into the foot without the black scab telling me where to start?

 

[TwoCrows]

I know this sounds scary. I was terrified to do this the first time. But if the infections get bad enough, it will kill your bird.

And there isn't a lot of blood with this sort of thing. First thing you are going to towel her up tightly with the feet hanging out and lay her on your lap, head against your belly. All you are going to do is dig out that black part. That black stuff is dead tissue that is infected. There is no blood in the dead stuff or any feeling. It is like popping a zit only you are going to pick this gunk out. You would clean the hole out of the dead tissue, squeezing and digging till you get it all out. Pour on some hydrogen peroxide. Pack the hole with neosporin without the pain killer, (don't put the tip of the tube inside the hole lest you contaminate the tube, use your finger) put a tiny piece of guaze over the hole and wrap the food and pad with some vet wrap.

You are going to check the pad every day for a couple weeks. Reapply the neosporin and rewrap each day. If it looks all pussy and yellow, you would need to re do the surgery. But if you get it all out the first time and wrap it well, generally only one surgery is needed. Wrap the foot not tightly, but tight enough that the crud stays out. Start above the foot joint and wrap down around between the toes around the pad a couple times and then back up the leg. Check the toes for heat after a few minutes. If the toes are cold you wrapped too tightly.

That is pretty much it! Make sure to sterilize your tools in boiling water for 5 mins before each use. I like to use tiny exacto's, dental pics, tweezers, etc...have your tiny gauze pre cut along with your vet wrap. (It comes in a long roll that you are going to slice like bread into 1 inch sections.)

The entire surgery takes about 45 mins.

I know this sounds daunting, but bumblefoot happens. I have had to do it so many times over the years and it is good to know how to do it.

However if you have a vet you can take her too, you might do this instead.

 

[TwoCrows]

Oh and after a couple weeks you can then start checking the pad once every 3 or 4 days. Leave the bandage on for about a month or until the scab falls off. Change the wrap about once a week to keep it clean.

 

[lovinTheBirds89]

TwoCrows thank you! It doesn't sound as scary after reading your post. Thank you for taking the time to write it out for me. I just have one question. You said the I will be cutting out the black dead tissue but there isn't any that I can see. I know it is difficult to give medical advice without knowing what you are looking at. I will take some pictures when I change his dressing tonight. Then maybe you can tell me where I need to start.

 

[TwoCrows]

Yes, some pics will definitely help. Maybe this isn't bumblefoot after all!

I will check back later for any pics you send over.

 

[lovinTheBirds89]

Ok thank you so much. Iv been stressing over this. I really appreciate your advice.

 

[TwoCrows]

I will check back later.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! Good luck with your bird, hope he recovers.

 

[lovinTheBirds89]

This is the top of the feet the blue spots and lines between the scales are normal color

 

[lovinTheBirds89]

The bottoms of the feet