Please Help! Infection? Mites?

[virgooftheearth]

My Rudy is my Dwarf Bantum Red Cochin.. He, as a youngin, was spooked off his perch and lost his beak in the fall. Now, he has since healed up, completely, has been for a good year and a half now, needless to say he can eat but has a difficult time keeping his otherwise beautiful feathers in check.. I help if. I can, but I noticed the other day, and I think he's beginning to molt so,I saw his legs and feet, they look like a bad I fection. I saw him limping the other day and when I checked closer his feet were swollen. I took him into the house and immediately soaked him, cleaned his feet and legs, and what I thought was mites and has been treated for them, (poultry spray), seems to be an I fection of some kind, any ideas? Am I going to have to put him down? I called the MSPCA and they will just put him down, I think I need antibiotics.
Seriously Concerned
Rudy's Mom..

 

[rebrascora]

Hi

It sounds like he may have scaley leg mites. Do the legs look gnarly and thick and crusty, with the scales lifted and sticking out? If so, you may be best to trim back his feathers on his feet and legs, give him another good soak in Epsom salts and scrub the affected areas with a soft brush and then dry thoroughly and slather with Vaseline. I believe poultry sprays will not be effective against scaley leg mites. It will take several treatments and a couple of weeks to see improvement. I have also heard that dipping their legs in diesel will kill the mites but I always worry about the fumes that come off it in an enclosed hen house causing respiratory problems.

Good luck sorting it out. I hope you have caught it in time. I have a couple of bantam pekin(cochin)/silkie cross cockerels that have it pretty bad, but they are already on my cull list when I psych myself up to the task, so I haven't got around to treating them.

Best wishes

Barbara

 

[virgooftheearth]

There are photos, please check them and let me know. I would appreciate it.. not all scaley raised bumps, I am soaking him and dipped him in oil for 5 min, then Dawn clean him, then dry it's. Task but he's my buddy.
So please, look again, are you SURE it's mites???

 

[rebrascora]

I don't see any photos?

 

[virgooftheearth]

I don't see any photos?