Posting on behalf of a friend not on BYC— bumblefoot/scaly leg mites

[JustSarahThanks]

Hello fellow chickenfolk!

I’m writing on behalf of a friend who asked me for advice re:home treating bumblefoot. I basically regurgitated all the things I remember reading here and in the Chicken Health Handbook re: isolating in a crate, soaking in Epsom salts, trying to express the plug out, flushing with chlorhexidine and packing with neosporin or Manuka honey into the pocket, bandaging and checking in the morning.

She has a vet appointment scheduled but it isn’t until next week. She also has some leftover meloxicam from a previous emergency and gave a dose tonight. She sent me a couple photos of the foot and the bird also has scaly leg mites so she’s applied Vaseline as well. My other instinct looking at the photos is lancing the swelling and getting it to drain out.

Anything else to suggest? Did we miss anything?

 

[DobieLover]

Hello fellow chickenfolk!

I’m writing on behalf of a friend who asked me for advice re:home treating bumblefoot. I basically regurgitated all the things I remember reading here and in the Chicken Health Handbook re: isolating in a crate, soaking in Epsom salts, trying to express the plug out, flushing with chlorhexidine and packing with neosporin or Manuka honey into the pocket, bandaging and checking in the morning.

She has a vet appointment scheduled but it isn’t until next week. She also has some leftover meloxicam from a previous emergency and gave a dose tonight. She sent me a couple photos of the foot and the bird also has scaly leg mites so she’s applied Vaseline as well. My other instinct looking at the photos is lancing the swelling and getting it to drain out.

Anything else to suggest? Did we miss anything?

I don't see a core and that is a lot of swelling. I wouldn't lance it. Wait for the vet to do that if they think it's needed.
The SLM is pretty bad.
Is there any heat or bad order in that foot?

 

[JustSarahThanks]

I don't see a core and that is a lot of swelling. I wouldn't lance it. Wait for the vet to do that if they think it's needed.
The SLM is pretty bad.
Is there any heat or bad order in that foot?

She mentioned it felt hot to the touch, but I'll text her to ask if there's a smell. And thank you! I've never personally dealt with bumblefoot, so I'm learning right alongside my friend.

 

[DobieLover]

She mentioned it felt hot to the touch, but I'll text her to ask if there's a smell. And thank you! I've never personally dealt with bumblefoot, so I'm learning right alongside my friend.

It doesn't actually look like bumblefoot. If it was bumblefoot it should have a core or some kind of small scab on the foot pad. And the swelling is excessive. But if there's heat and the birds is limping in combination with that swelling it sounds like it's infected. If she has any amoxicillin like FishMox, I would give one 250 mg capsule every 8 hours until she gets to the vet.

 

[JustSarahThanks]

It doesn't actually look like bumblefoot. If it was bumblefoot it should have a core or some kind of small scab on the foot pad. And the swelling is excessive. But if there's heat and the birds is limping in combination with that swelling it sounds like it's infected. If she has any amoxicillin like FishMox, I would give one 250 mg capsule every 8 hours until she gets to the vet.

Thank you again! I'll pass that along. And I'll update this when I hear more from her. Cheers!

 

[JustSarahThanks]

Just to give an update per my friend, and provide closure if it's helpful! After continuing to soak the area the abscess did burst and drain out kind of on its own, they had their vet visit this morning who didn't deem antibiotics necessary since the abscess drained on its own and now she's going to be treating the scaly leg mites with a mixture of Vaseline with 1% ivermectin mixed in which will result in a 7-day egg withdrawl period, and has to do a massive deep clean of the coop and bedding.