Mystery Foot Disease: Ever seen this?

[llatkinson1]

Hello friends!

My 7-month-old Ameraucana has been limping and in pain. I checked her foot, and it was splitting at the creases with flaky/crusty skin at the toes. The ankles are clear. It looks almost looks like a "chicken's athlete's foot."

Things I've Tried:
1. Carefully debriding, cleaning, and wrapping every 2 days with Vetericyn for about 3 weeks (she will have temporary relief after the foot is wrapped, but the moment I unwrap it her feet are splitting and in pain again.)
2. Soaking the foot in Epsom salt water

I desperately need help finding information on chicken foot diseases *other* than bumblefoot (which I've already seen treated in other birds; I don't think this is bumblefoot) and mites (this doesn't look like mites to me.) If this were bumblefoot, I don't think the skin would be peeling and bleeding on the ends of the toes.

Any experienced owners out there seen anything like this in their flock? I want to help her, but I'm at my wit's end!

Thank you all!
Lena

 

[Lillith37]

Is it just the one foot affected? What kind of substrate does she live on? It looks awful, she must be in a lot of pain. I don’t know what it is but sounds like you have taken some good first steps.

Maybe you could try rubbing coconut oil or castor oil after you’ve cleaned her foot to soften the skin so it cracks less. You could do it when she roosts for the night so it has time to soak in, then wrap her feet to protect them in the morning to protect while she’s out and about.

Is she still eating/drinking normally?

 

[llatkinson1]

Is it just the one foot affected? What kind of substrate does she live on? It looks awful, she must be in a lot of pain. I don’t know what it is but sounds like you have taken some good first steps.

Maybe you could try rubbing coconut oil or castor oil after you’ve cleaned her foot to soften the skin so it cracks less. You could do it when she roosts for the night so it has time to soak in, then wrap her feet to protect them in the morning to protect while she’s out and about.

Is she still eating/drinking normally?

She's definitely hurting bad, when I treat it she shakes all over and it breaks my heart! She is eating and drinking normally thank goodness.

I will try some castor oil and see if that at least helps with some of the cracking/pain. I appreciate your advice!

 

[Lillith37]

She's definitely hurting bad, when I treat it she shakes all over and it breaks my heart! She is eating and drinking normally thank goodness.

I will try some castor oil and see if that at least helps with some of the cracking/pain. I appreciate your advice!

That’s good she’s eating and drinking. Check her crop in the morning too to make sure it’s emptying.

Hopefully the castor oil helps and someone with a bit more knowledge and experience can chime in and offer more advice.

The only other thing I can think of is gout. But her joints don’t look swollen or inflamed.

 

[MGG]

I've seen this or something similar in ducks, but it's usually only if they're kept in very wet or unsanitary conditions.
I'd try using triple antibiotic ointment instead, and a course of meloxicam for the pain.

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. What do you feed her? What is your general location, and is she getting out to free range on grass? It is very dry there, muddy, Sandy, etc? I would try some human vitamin B complex that has biotin, in case she has. deficiency. For the next few days I would let her stand in a warm Epsom salts soak for about 15 minutes daily, in a sink or bathtub. A dish pan works well too. Then apply to oil or ointment. Do you have other chickens with her that are not affected? Here is the B complex, and you can give 1/2 tablet daily crushed into some food or in a spoonful of water:
https://www.amazon.com/Nature-Made-...mlNoGBTfe9epC2Tf5MOhYiLVmytamj6YaAvtbEALw_wcB

 

[llatkinson1]

I've seen this or something similar in ducks, but it's usually only if they're kept in very wet or unsanitary conditions.
I'd try using triple antibiotic ointment instead, and a course of meloxicam for the pain.

She free ranges in open pasture and sleeps on dry, clean cedar bedding at night. I haven't tried antibiotics yet, I might give it a go. I'll have to see how much meloxicam to give her

 

[HeritageFan]

...it looks more like a form of bumblefoot to me but.
What I -am- certain of, is that cedar is not the best bedding choice for birds.
Cats, dogs, horses (sometimes), and certain small critters benefit from cedar, but the oils in cedar are bad for most birds (and many other critters)

I’d personally switch to pine, fir, or aspen shavings, or straw- depending on your coop set up.
I would also try Epsom salts in a warm water bath as a soak at least 2x daily, apply triple antibiotic ointment after soaking (and allowing some drying time), and wrap her feet if you can.
I might skip the vetricyn spray that I’d usually recommend....because it can be drying and her feet don’t look like they “would like” that...
coconut oil would also be something I might consider.... or Redmond Clay if you can’t keep wraps on her feet :/
So sorry for you both. That looks soooo sore