Post-bumble surgery care advice needed.

[Moomin2]

I really support these ideas for Catherine. You can do the tissue removal yourself. For convenience and confidence, have someone hold her with a towel covering her, so all you are handling is her foot. After a time or two, you will be teaching others!

I really appreciate all the help and support I've been getting from everyone here! It's very daunting being a newby in the chicken world and already facing the possibility of doing home surgery! We're going to speak to the vet about the bill tomorrow and see where it's at. If worst comes to worst we will get it together and do it ourselves. There is no way we'll be letting her go un-treated seeing as all that she's going through is effectively our fault.

 

[Moomin2]

The vet isn't doing anything you couldn't do yourself. Watch carefully the next time the vet debrides. All you need is a sharp scraping tool like an Exacto knife or one-sided razor blade and you scrape out any accumulated pus and dead tissue.

You can also use honey as a natural debriding agent. Just put it on the wound before you bandage and it will help heal and draw out the pus to make debriding easier.

A foot well wrapped in elastic bandage will be well protected against dirt and bacteria. The product Vetrap sticks to itself and makes a very cheap chicken "boot". I have always returned my bumblefoot patients to the flock immediately and their wound has never gotten dirt in it.

I agree. Though I am VERY squeamish. If it comes down to it we will do it ourselves.

 

[Moomin2]

Update: The vet is going to do all of Catherine Zeta Jones' treatment for free!
Him and his assistant are pleased that we're making the effort to treat her as there are so few that do around here. He said that her foot is looking much much better today and is confident that she'll get better. He said that the foot soaks that we've been doing are helping a lot. We're picking up a dog crate and vet-wrap tomorrow so she'll be out of the bathroom and will hopefully be back with the others next week once her swelling has died down.

Thanks so much to everyone for all your help!

 

[azygous]

That's amazing good news! Hooray for your vet!

 

[redblack10]

This is such good news! You have made me smile.