Limping rooster.

[gabtrac]

Hello, I have a year old rooster who's limping and favouring his left foot. Upon inspection it looks like his back toe is the reason. The tip of the toe is very hard.
I've gently poked at it to see if there's any discharge or if the hard layer can be peeled off easily. There was no discharge and the hard part is fully attached. Please see picture. We've been applying Vaseline, bt not sure what else we can do. Otherwise, he is healthy, eating and mating. Any guidance would be most appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Debbie292d]

He must've had an injury and it healed but maybe there is an infection inside. I'd try soaking his foot in warm Epsom salt water for several minutes to see if it will soften up for you to check better.

 

[coach723]

Looks like pododermatitis and possible injury. That tiny round spot in the middle could be a puncture, hard to tell. Pododermatitis can lead to eventual bumblefoot infection. I would do daily soaks in epsom salts, use a soft toothbrush to try to clean it off and gently remove what you are able (pictures at that point would be good). May take several times to make progress. Then I would apply a triple antibiotic ointment to that toe and wrap it up (you will need the wrap to go around the ankle/leg in order to keep it on) to keep it clean and dry. Make sure it's just tight enough to stay on, not cut circulation off. Vet wrap or co wrap works best. See if treating that way helps get it to clear up.

 

[gabtrac]

Thanks! We soaked it this morning and was able to pull out a "plug". So it seems like it was bumblefoot. I irrigated with diluted chlorhexidine, packed the site with sugardine and bandaged it up with vet wrap and a strip of duct tape to keep it secure. Thanks to everyone on this site. I'm an old guy, and even I can't think of how we got around without the internet and generous people sharing their knowledge and experience. Cheers!!!

 

[coach723]

Sugardine has worked really, really well for me on some very stubborn bumblefoot cases. It's not quick, but pretty effective! Hope he recovers completely.

 

[reautography]

Hello, I have a year old rooster who's limping and favouring his left foot. Upon inspection it looks like his back toe is the reason. The tip of the toe is very hard.
I've gently poked at it to see if there's any discharge or if the hard layer can be peeled off easily. There was no discharge and the hard part is fully attached. Please see picture. We've been applying Vaseline, bt not sure what else we can do. Otherwise, he is healthy, eating and mating. Any guidance would be most appreciated. Thanks!

Poor dude. I’ve had a couple of my roos who’ve also experience a similar injury. Soak the foot in warm water and clean it with a used toothbrush to see if there’s any open wound. If it looks ok, I wouldn’t worry. It’s gonna hurt until it completely heals as any wound does. Just help him keep it clean every now and then to help it heal faster.