Please some advice*****

[Half-a-dozen]

if a chicken does have Bumble foot and is not treated with surgery and just treated with some blue kote. what will happen? will it die? will it spread to the other chickens???

I am absolutely not able to perform a procedure on the bird nor do I know anyone who will and there is no chicken vet around here.

I have read everything on the web I can find about it.......what it does not say tho is if you are a particular individual who is not able to do the surgery THEN WHAT!!!!!??????

Do I just put down the bird????????????

 

[alex]

this is a site that talks about buble foot...

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/143/staphylococcosis-staphylococcal-arthritis-bumble-foot


hope this will help you....GOOD LUCK!

-alex-

 

[chickbea]

Bumblefoot is best cured with antiobiotics, unless it is left untreated too long and the pus gets all hard. Then you do have to remove the hardened bit surgically, which I imagine is at least somewhat complex. It would still require antibiotics, painkillers, etc.

 

[speckledhen]

So much depends on the infection itself. No, it won't actually spread from bird to bird, but if they are getting scraped feet from a rough roost and get the bacteria in their feet, they can get it. My Violet has been on every antibiotic known to birds almost, some of them two or three courses. I had to open the foot pad because she could not walk. None of the antibiotic ever worked as they should and the infection would seem almost gone and flare up again. I couldn't leave her on those her entire life, so I quit giving them to her. I've had the help of some knowledgable people and she still has a bandage on her foot. If I had not done surgery, it would have already gone systemic and killed her. Her experience, hopefully, is unusual.
Most would have put her down by now, but she lays her egg almost every day and is otherwise healthy.
I would try antibiotics in your case if you're sure the bird has an infected leg, and from what you said, it does. I not sure which one-Terramycin isn't strong enough so probably Penicillin. I feel for you. I hate treating this type of stuff and I hope you have a better outcome than I have with my hen.

 

[dlhunicorn]

it will not resolve by itself and once the caseous plug of pus is there the only way to treat it is to manually remove it... see this article:
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10370_12150_12220-26357--,00.html
(a really excellent article on absecess in birds)
"....In birds, abscesses may arise from infected wounds, injuries to the foot pads (bumblefoot), damaged feather follicles, blocked sebaceous glands, pressure and friction points, or in the area beneath damaged skin. Abscesses may also be seen in the liver and spleen of avian species.

The above mentioned injuries may be the result of either physical or chemical damage. These injuries produce tissue damage which causes cells to die in the center of the injured area. This area is then invaded by pyogenic bacteria which produce a purulent (suppurative or pus-forming) inflammation. The cells become liquefied by the proteolytic enzymes which are present in the area. The liquefied area is encircled by a cavity, walled off by a combination of fibrous connective tissue, proliferating capillaries and leukocytes.................

...In birds, abscesses usually form enlarged spherical areas that may hinder movement or feeding ability. Often the feet are involved (bumblefoot) and the enlarged areas result in an inability to stand ....

....Treatment and Control
In mammals the usual treatment would consist of drainage and antibiotic therapy. In time, abscesses may become inactive or enclosed (sterile); the body defenses having killed all of the causative bacteria. The accumulated pus, with no route of escape, will slowly become liquefied and be absorbed.

In birds the abscess must be opened and the accumulated pus scraped out manually. The abscessed area should then be cleaned with an antiseptic solution and wound medication placed on the site. Bandaging of the wound will aid in preventing further infection...."

 

[Half-a-dozen]

thanks for all the great info.
I'm scared because I don't think i can do that so I think i'll start with antibiotics.
What Type of antibiotic do I start with???

I will post this ??? in a new post just in case no one goes back to this one.

Thanks again.