Quail with very swollen foot!

[Quailsducks33]

Hello so I am fairly new to quail and first time having this issue.
My young girl about six months old developed what I thought was bumble foot in July. She did have a couple scabs but her foot was not swollen at that time.
I soaked her daily with Epsom salts, applied drawing salve etc.

by August her foot was very very swollen and hot to the touch and she could not walk on it. I really didn’t know if it was just a terrible bumble foot infection and so I sent some pictures to a local vet who said that he had treated lots of bumble and I made an appointment to bring her in. upon seeing her he said it actually looked like maybe her foot was broken and wanted to do an x-ray but I cannot afford $500 for all of that.

We agreed to treat for infection and she has had two rounds of Baytril antibiotic and Metacam anti-inflammatory so she’s been on that for two weeks. She can walk on her foot now and does not appear to be in pain but it’s actually even more swollen. I have attached several pictures. Some people suggested gout - this is a possibility but it takes a long time to treat and have to switch her food to much lower protein.
Can anyone offer advice please? She has been eating and drinking and laying eggs all of this time.

 

[M-H-Fielding]

That looks a bit like bumble foot to me.

 

[Quailsducks33]

That looks a bit like bumble foot to me.

I know that’s why it’s so hard to treat. Like I said she has been on very strong antibiotics that would kill any bacteria and has had two rounds. I’ve also done every other treatment possible and it has not improved. Other than that she can now walk on it.
I don’t think it is bumble, all of the treatment would have more than cured it by now.

 

[Ravenlover]

Hello so I am fairly new to quail and first time having this issue.
My young girl about six months old developed what I thought was bumble foot in July. She did have a couple scabs but her foot was not swollen at that time.
I soaked her daily with Epsom salts, applied drawing salve etc.

by August her foot was very very swollen and hot to the touch and she could not walk on it. I really didn’t know if it was just a terrible bumble foot infection and so I sent some pictures to a local vet who said that he had treated lots of bumble and I made an appointment to bring her in. upon seeing her he said it actually looked like maybe her foot was broken and wanted to do an x-ray but I cannot afford $500 for all of that.

We agreed to treat for infection and she has had two rounds of Baytril antibiotic and Metacam anti-inflammatory so she’s been on that for two weeks. She can walk on her foot now and does not appear to be in pain but it’s actually even more swollen. I have attached several pictures. Some people suggested gout - this is a possibility but it takes a long time to treat and have to switch her food to much lower protein.
Can anyone offer advice please? She has been eating and drinking and laying eggs all of this time.

Im not a vet but looks like bumblefoot to me and u can search images of it looks like it but again not a vet

 

[M-H-Fielding]

I know that’s why it’s so hard to treat. Like I said she has been on very strong antibiotics that would kill any bacteria and has had two rounds. I’ve also done every other treatment possible and it has not improved. Other than that she can now walk on it.
I don’t think it is bumble, all of the treatment would have more than cured it by now.

Now that I look closer, I don't think it is bumble foot either. Not sure what it could be, I'm not an expert on foot injuries.

 

[Ravenlover]

maybe a thorn or wood splinter stuck in the swollen part of foot ? Wood and splinters can grow mold from blood and air and make a constant infection idk

 

[Quailsducks33]

maybe a thorn or wood splinter stuck in the swollen part of foot ? Wood and splinters can grow mold from blood and air and make a constant infection idk

Thanks but there is nothing
I’ve also used Prid drawing salve so anything like that would have come out a long time ago

 

[FloorCandy]

I think that bumble foot causes a hard pod to be formed as the body encases the infection in waxy coating. Even when the infection is resolved, the plug has to be removed. I’m not an expert, but I think that if you post this in the emergency health forum, there are tons more people who will see it, and they will have more knowledge and experience than I do.

 

[Quailsducks33]

Just wanted to give an update - I sent pictures to a vet who consulted a poultry specialist and they confirmed they both thought it was bumble. After months, both spots in her foot came to a head and you can see the little round abscesses. After seeing that, I knew I needed to cut her open - performed the surgery and used a scalpel, sanitized everything and wore gloves. Can post pics but I got out several large kernels and chunks of stringy infection. She healed up very well. Now that her foot has gone down so much with swelling, I can feel one more kernel in her foot. It feels like a rock, I will be doing another cut to get it out.

I hate to cut her again, but I can't leave the infection in there. This has been a very long and expensive treatment. I will never use wire as flooring for quail again. Way too many bumblefoot cases and talking with other people, same thing.