More on my chicks feet...QUESTIONS and PHOTOS.

[BeautifulBlue]

I'd personally put some cream on and bandage, that way she can't get any shavings irritating her sore skin

 

[festivefeet]

Many people have told me to put a bandage on my chick.

How do you bandage a chick's foot? I don't understand how to do this. I am also afraid that the adhesive will stick to her tender skin and rip it more. She is eating and drinking so for that I am thankful.

Also, what has Biotin in it?

Jessica

 

[festivefeet]

Interesting you mention it:

I just found a post somewhere else on tea tree oil and applied some this afternoon.

Here's the post:
http://www.the-coop.org/wwwboard/discus/messages/14/6314.html

We have now officially cured bumblefoot twice, without the major surgery, without antibiotics. We have used tea tree oil. For those not familiar with it, a quick web search will yield tons of info and you will find it is touted as a cure for just about everything, including very difficult to cure nail fungus. We've used it for ourselves for quite a while for various things, just experimenting. In the U.S., it is even available at Wal-Mart now. I know it is popular in Australia. Not sure about other places.

So here is what we have done: (takes two people)
Grab the chicken with the swollen foot and turn it upside down. Clean the foot thoroughly with either alcohol, or a betadine scrub. Take a *freshly cleaned* knife and pick off the scab. Get as much as you can off of there. Drizzle the tea tree oil in the spot. Keep the bird on clean litter. Repeat the process (may not have a scab to pick off the second time) in about 3 days. The limp has disappeared and everything seems healed within a week to 10 days. Amazing!

We had a bird with bumblefoot years ago and tried our best to clean the foot, pack it with antibiotic cream, keep the bird separated and on clean litter and all that, but to no avail. We had a bird with a permanent limp. Gotta admit we are too "chicken" to do the surgery I see described sometimes. This tea tree oil thing we are doing now is bloodless and easy! I don't konw if we are just lucky or really onto something great, but I would suggest trying it before you get out a scalpel! I would be curious to know if anybody tries it and what results they get.

Thanks.
Jessica

 

[AHappychick]

I would put some sort of anti-bacterial stuff on it like neosporin (with out pain killer) or blue kote for infection and bag balm or the lanolin like you mentioned. I know the lanolin certainly helped me when I was nursing.

 

[CarlaRiggs]

If you want to bandage the foot, I'd use strips of 100% pre-washed cotton fabric. Soft muslin would work great, also. Use the strips to wrap around her foot so that it holds fast. Wrap the ends around her leg and tie securely. The fabric would be harder for her to tear off then some type of adhesive bandage; just don't tie it too tightly around the leg.
You may need to change each evening before she goes to sleep, depending upon the condition of the fabric and what the chicks doing during the day.

Carla

 

[horsejody]

Pine shavings are better than cedar, but they do have oils and fumes in them. They aren't as dangerous as cedar, but some animals (like some people) can be more sensitive to irritants. I would keep her feet clean, apply neosporin and change the bedding. Perhaps you can try her on newspaper or paper towels for a while.

 

[addicted2chicks]

Tea tree oil does have some natural antibiotic properties in it. The only thing is I know with some animals too much can make them ill and can be fatal. So just make sure you read about it for chickens and don't over use. I have a book about what it is good for and unfortunately it is still packed (we recently moved) if I knew where it was I would look it up for chickens.

 

[AHappychick]

I think tea tree oil will dry them out more in the longrun and make them crack worse. JMO though....

 

[DuckLady]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=167670

Please keep topic to one thread.