(pic) Does bumblefoot present without the scab?

[LanieB]

I have a 2 year old cuckoo maran that has had a swollen foot for over a month. I should mention that she first started limping a couple months ago which led to us noticing she was missing her back toe. She improved but after a few weeks the swelling returned. At that time I lanced it to drain some pus from an area on her ankle and have been soaking it in epsom salts and wraping with antibiotic ointment and vet wrap daily. The area I lanced has improved and is scabbed over but the bottom of her foot is still puffy and she limps/hops constantly. I'm worried that it's bumblefoot and she needs to have the pus dug out, but without the scab, I have no idea even where to start. Can anyone tell from the pic if this is even a case of bumblefoot? Thanks!

It's her right foot.

 

[chickngal98]

I have a hen that has almost the same thing....I didn't perform surgery just yet because it does not have a scab, I am not 100% sure its bumblefoot

 

[LanieB]

It turns out that it actually was bumblefoot in her case. I was taking a closer look at the foot and was able feel something hard beneath the surface of the skin. I cut an X just above the hard spot (I had to go deeper than I had imagined) and could see something yellow. I squeezed all around and it eventually popped right out. It looked exactly like a rubbery corn kernel. I was able to get a little more after soaking and squeezing again. The swelling has gone down quite a bit already and the cut I made is healing perfectly.
My advice would be to palpate the swollen area. Hopefully you'll feel something that will give you an indication that there is something beneath. Best wishes.