Possible Necrotic Foot ? (GRAPHIC PHOTO!) RIP, Vada

[speckledhen]

I have an emergency with my GLW girl, Vada. She had bad bumblefoot in one foot, which I saw when putting a saddle on her. It wasn't really swollen on top, which is the reason I didn't notice it previously. When the big plug was removed, it took out alot of her pad. We did the usual stuff to clean and bandage it. We redid the bandage 2 days later, but it was still bleeding more than we thought it should. The next day, we realized she quit walking and put her in the hospital (dog kennel). . Today, took her out and the foot smells bad and is black in places---necrotic? full of blood inside?
DH first thought blood had poured down her toes and dried, but it was on the inside. The skin is peeling off and the smell is awful. We soaked the foot and then used silver sulfadiazene cream all over it (used on burn patients) and bandaged it loosely while we decide what to do. Can you tell me, is this a dead foot? We started penicillin, but it may be too late for Vada. We've done this treatment maybe a hundred times over the years and this is the first time this has ever happened. I need some sage advice from those who know more than I do on this one. If there is no chance, we'll have to put her down, but I need to get some good input here.

 

[Judy]

I'm so sorry.

I fear the awful smell indicates the black tissue is indeed necrotic. I've seen many bedsores on people with necrotic tissue. With time and removal of the necrotic stuff, they can heal, eventually. Gangrene also turns tissue black and smells awful, and the only cure for that in people is amputation.

I live about as far from you as I could and still be in Georgia. Got an old worn out nurse friend up there?

 

[Ellie]

My nurse friend says with people you put the sulfadiazene cream on the outside of wounds... pretty strong stuff. On the inside they pack wounds with iodoform (sp) a form of iodine ointment. Iodine ointment soaked strips of guaze... now we don't know if that is bad for chickens.

Please don't anyone do this with their chickens unless Cynthia says it's ok. This is a human treatment and the only thing I could come up with.

She says it MUST heal from the inside out.

So sorry.

 

[speckledhen]

I wish I did have a nurse friend here. All my nurse friends are on the other coast!

If this is gangrene, we'll have to put her down. Darn it, she's so beautiful and in her prime.

 

[DuckieG]

I used silver sulfadine ointment (per vet's instructions) to pack very deep cavity on a horse and it healed perfectly. Something else to consider is Granulex (which I also used on the same horse). I flushed the wound with betadine, dried it, sprayed on granulex, let it stand for 30 minutes and then completely filled the cavity with silver sulfadine. I did this twice a day. It worked amazingly and you could not tell he had been injured though the initial injury almost killed him. The granulex helps to "burn" off the icky half dead stuff that breeds bacteria and helps get a smooth surface on the scar tissue.

 

[Judy]

Well -- you could give what Ellie said a try. It's called iodoform gauze, been around for years, and I think you can get it over the counter. The iodine component will debride the necrotic stuff, slowly.

Years ago, Betadine was all we could use on bedsores. It's a wonder we didn't give them iodine poisoning, but I've seen some awful sores healed with it. Or you could soak a little gauze in betadine (believe I'd dilute it) and pack it in there.

If it's gangrene, she will deteriorate quickly. Necrotic tissue that isn't gangrenous also smells awful, though.

Let us know.

 

[Judy]

Yes, Granulex is also a debriding agent. More expensive, and I believe prescription, not sure.

 

[WriterofWords]

Granulex isn't prescription here, it's used on dogs, cats, etc. padded feet, all the time. What about amputation and limited living quarters?

 

[speckledhen]

Honestly, with Zane, I cannot handle another handicapped bird, Kate.

I appreciate all the input. I did speak with a nurse I know on the west coast. She has also gone on mission trips to third world countries. She told me that with wounds, they often soak gauze in gentian violet and pack them, which dries them up from the inside out. Blue Kote is gentian violet, so maybe that is something to try. I dont know about the Granulex because so many things that will do well for horses and dogs can be fatal to birds, but I'm glad to hear your experience with the sulfadiazene.

 

[Ellie]

My Blue Kote is only 1% gentian violet but as she (Pipper, my friend, the nurse... I work with nurses) said it is better than nothing if you don't have the iodoform gauze.

If anyone can heal this beautiful bird it is you and Tom.

Chin up....