Please help. Failed bumble foot surgery

Fontaine

Songster
Jun 20, 2020
301
421
183
Naples Florida
I have been soaking my 2 yr olds Sultan’s bumble foot in Epsom salts for 4 days and coating the black spot with Prid. Today the spot loosened a bit and I got it off. I used a scalpel around the edges aiming towered the inside. Nothing came out when I tried to express it. I thought I was going deep enough but got scared to go deeper. I know I didn’t penetrate the core of the contents. I stopped and hope someone can advise me. How deep can I go? Are there nerves I might hit? Antoinette tolerated it extremely well but I thought I better stop before I did damage. Picture before and after surgery. Photo shows black area appears open but it was solid black. Post surgery picture.
 

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You did well. The second photo shows a clean bumblefoot crater. Chicken pus is solid and waxy, and it's not very deep. It appears you got it all. The next step would be to pack the wound with an antibiotic ointment and bandage. Unwrap after two days and check the wound. Be sure to wrap snuggly but not so tightly is cuts off circulation.
 
The problem is I got nothing out! I’ve read so many articles and watch so many videos and also assisted with many excision and drainage done on peoples abscess I know I’m supposed to get something out. I expected thick pieces of something or a stringy pieces of something. But when I just cut aroundThe woundAnd removed a small layer of normal tissue nothing happened. I even tried to reach further in with the tweezer and pull something out.There must be something in there as her swelling is huge for tiny bird of3 pounds. I was going to try the soaking methodWith tricide neo which I ordered a week ago and it just arrived today. But I just decided today to go ahead with excision when that scab loosened. I don’t know what to do let it heal and then try to keep soaking it or maybe try and excision from the side of the bumble foot. I’m going to post another picture so you can see how big this is and could it possibly not have anything that needs to come out?
 

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I would give it some time before doing more. The swelling may start to come down now that the lesion is removed. I've seen some that were quite swollen from a relatively small lesion. I've seen some large lesions that didn't have much swelling at all. Every foot is different. I would fill it with ointment, and bandage it to keep it clean. If there is still anything in there it will regenerate. If it's good, then you will instead see a normal scab. I usually check and redo ointment and bandage daily until I know it's healing well, and then I go to every other or every third day, just depends on the foot.
 
that sounds good to me.I’m pretty frazzled over this! I am unsure what you mean that if there’s anything still in there it will regenerate. Do you mean another black looking sore? Would a normal scab be more lighter brown Color? I know that seems a silly question . I sure missed this problem initially and don’t want To make the same mistake. I’m so grateful for backyard chicken members helping me. I wouldn’t of known where to go from here. I’ll be checking her daily as you advised. Thanks so much for your time and Azygous also.
 
I just treated a hen with this a few weeks ago and soaked her feet until it was loose enough to pull out and below the black scab was healthy pink tissue. Wrapped her feet with antibiotic ointment and she was healed in a week. My guess is you caught it early enough that pus hadn't started to accumulate or her body dealt with it and began healing. I was surprised I didn't find any white gunk and it didn't have a smell like others had described either.
 
Yes, the scab will be more normal looking if it's healing. If it's not you may see pus forming in the hole. They do look somewhat different. Bumblefoot can be slow to heal, so it may take some time. If you are unsure as you go along, you can post more pictures at that time.
 
I just treated a hen with this a few weeks ago and soaked her feet until it was loose enough to pull out and below the black scab was healthy pink tissue. Wrapped her feet with antibiotic ointment and she was healed in a week. My guess is you caught it early enough that pus hadn't started to accumulate or her body dealt with it and began healing. I was surprised I didn't find any white gunk and it didn't have a smell like others had described either.
Oh thank you that’s reassuring. Everyone’s responses sure help me feel better that I’m doing the right thing.
 
Yes, the scab will be more normal looking if it's healing. If it's not you may see pus forming in the hole. They do look somewhat different. Bumblefoot can be slow to heal, so it may take some time. If you are unsure as you go along, you can post more pictures at that time.
Thanks. I’ll watch it closely 😊
 

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