Inflammation in Web of Chicken Toe *Photos

[chikquita6]

Hi, I have six chickens. One has this inflammation on its foot. I think maybe it was pecked and then became infected. Is there a topical protocol for treating this? I have inserted photos you can see on the full post. Any feedback is appreciated. Thank you for your time in reading and replying to this post.

 

[Kyoht]

Looks like bumblefoot. Heres a link:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/236649/bumblefoot-surgery-with-pics-and-how-to

The one in the link is on the bottom which is common but it can be between the toes. It is usually from a cut or scrape on the foot that has become infected - usually with staph so it is wise to use gloves if you have to open it.

 

[chikquita6]

Hi, I did determine that it was bumblefoot. Following the thread link I treated the bottom of the foot, took off the scab, cut out the kernel and made a small incision in the top to get out the stringy substance. However, I am not sure that I got out all of the infection. How can I be sure?

I have been rewrapping the wound daily (3 days) and treating it with Vetericyn. She is walking on it and does not appear to be limping. The original pink/inflammed spot between the toe is now hard like a scab. The area under it is not getting any bigger and puffier however it still looks a little pink around the scab and not the normal yellowish color.

Will this hard "scab" come off itself? Should I be removing the scab between the toe myself and looking for more infection? The scab is fairly large (much larger than the black scab on the bottom of the foot). Thanks for any feedback.

 

[Dee Holt]

Good morning all. I am also dealing with a persistent bumblefoot issue in my one year old Barred Plymouth Rock hen. About a month ago I noticed that she was standing around with one foot tucked up, so I checked the bottom of her foot against the picture in my Chicken Health Handbook and there was an eraser=sized black scab on her foot pad. It matched the pic for bumblefoot, so I took her to our exotic animal vet. She drained it and treated it and wrapped it and told me to keep her in the house in a dog crate on newspapers and bring her back in five days ($140.00). In five days, she unwrapped it and it was on the mend, so she treated it and re-wrapped it, but noticed the other foot also had it, so treated that one too and wrapped it up ($58.00). Bring her back in five days. Ok....she's a pet and we love her, but in the meantime I have a chicken in my house. She is lonely and quite dirty, never knew how much one chicken can poop in a day and I am trying to keep these papers clean, but it's not easy! Five days later, the first foot is better, she can go home with that one unwrapped, but the second one needs five more days ($58.00 again). She's been on antibiotics the whole time, twice a day, and is very cooperative, but still I feel so badly for her. Then last Sunday night as my husband and I are medicating her, I checked her feet and the first foot had it again! I totally lost it, I cried all night long. My poor husband told me we will get this fixed, we should try something different other than what the vet is recommending. So, we put the dog crate inside a cut down cardboard box and filled it with deep pine shavings, no more newspapers, took out the perch and we asked the vet to show us how to soak and wrap her foot ourselves so that we can do it every two days. The vet tech there was very knowledgeable and told us to cut out all corn because it can be nutritional. They told us to switch from Blue Seal Organic layer pellets to Purina Sun Fresh layer pellets (don't know why), stick to red, yellow and orange and green leafy treats only, no scratch or hen treat and completely remove all pine shavings because they are too rough! ($141.00). Now, I need some advice from you all. My coop is very very nice, my husband spent $2,000 and all last summer building it for me. It is 8 x 8, houses six hens. The floor is linoleum for easy cleanup with two full bales of pine shavings put down every two weeks when we completely empty and clean the coop and scrub the walls and floor. The perches, two of them, and 18 and 24" high, 2 x 4 s, routed and sanded professionally. Their yard is 100' x 25' with large shade trees, hence a lot of big roots. They've got it pecked down to dirt, so I brought in a load of organic triple ground mulch this summer for them to have something to peck in. If I were a chicken, I would want to be one of my chickens, this is a beautiful and safe place to live. I clean up all the poop in their yard every morning with a pooper scooper. They have water everywhere and three really nice Fowl Stuff nest boxes. What in the heck am I doing wrong??? I value all advice, cuz this ain't workin'. Is it true that pine shavings are too rough? These are the TSC flake ones, very deeply put down. Should I switch to the fine ones? The vet said to use yesterday's news (are you kidding, in an 8x8 coop!). I have to get this poor gal out of my house and back with her pals.

 

[ejctm]

Now you know what it is and how to treat it, no more vets bills!

Just treat it when it gets really bad with soaking, scab picking, wrapping etc for a couple of weeks. It may be cured or it may be persistent or recurring. Just repeat process when necessary. Oh and by the way i never separate any birds while treating. Over the vetwrap bandage i tape a little shoe made from strips of duct tape to keep dirt out. This even works with my mucky ducks. Isolated birds have lowered immune systems. She needs her flock so get her back with them and carry on treatment at the same time.
Hope that helps!

Bumblefoot is something we all have to deal with. It needn't mean costly bills or a stinky house!