Rooster has bumblefoot!

[electrifyniall]

My roo has bumblefoot in his toe and I tried to perform a surgery on him but

1. his scab was too small
2. dug around with tweezers but found nothing hard to pull out

so I stopped doing it and cleaned and wrapped him up

Should I re-do the surgery? Should I get a scalpel and cut a larger hole?

The thing is, I really do not want to hurt him and result in nothing.

Should I get the vets to do it? I don't think they treat many chickens so it will cost alot :'(

What do I do if he doesn't have a hard lump in his foot?

What should I do?

 

[azygous]

If you soak his foot is very warm epsom salts for fifteen minutes, the scab will loosen so all you have to do is scrape it off with your thumb nail, and the kernel should lift right out with it. I would wait a week before doing it to give the scab time to form a cohesive unit with the kernel again.

If the crater that remains after you clean it out is very shallow, I think spraying with Vetericyn may be all you'd need to do. You be the judge. If the crater is deep, say half a centimeter or more, then put triple antibiotic ointment on it and bandage. If you haven't been using the Vetericyn, it's a worthwhile investment in spite of the price. The stuff really does heal wounds incredibly fast when sprayed every day.

 

[electrifyniall]

OK thank you, I will look around for vetericyn but I do not think they sell it in new zealand,. All I did was I washed his foot with Epsom salt (he was very fidgety and didn't want to stay in the tub of Epsom salt water) and picked out the scab and picked around with tweezers, I didn't go deep. Will bumblefoot disappear if I just put on vetericyn everyday?

 

[MrsBrooke]

It depends if there is a kernel and if so, how big is it and how deep?

You have to get the core of the infection out.

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/search?q=bumblefoot

There's a pretty good video on bumblefoot surgery on a decent-sized core. The scab can be tiny and hide a massive core. Wrap him in a towel with his head covered (make sure he can breathe!) and gently squeeze the lump to feel if there are any masses inside.

I'm on the fence about waiting. If the scab is already off, go find that core.

After you get it out, do follow @azygous 's advice about antibiotic cream ***without painkiller*** or Vetericyn (you may be able to get it on Amazon). Just keep the wound clean and treat it the same way you would if YOU had a skin injury.

MrsB

 

[electrifyniall]

While I was doing the surgery I tried and squeezed around the "ball" on his foot for a hard mass, I dont think there is a kernel but then again I do not know how hard it would feel. I found some stringy bits which I pulled out. Is it easy to do the surgery? The whole cutting open the "ball" and digging around for a kernel? I am definitely not an expert in chicken health... What happens to a chicken that doesn't get treated for bumblefoot?

 

[MrsBrooke]

I'd watch a few bumblefoot surgeries on YouTube to get a feel for what to expect. The video in the link I posted previously I found to be tremendously helpful.

Any infection left untreated will become systemic and kill whatever it's infecting. It's a slow, painful, lingering death.

Can you post a few pictures of his foot?

MrsB

 

[electrifyniall]

I shall try and take pictures when I try and do the surgery again tomorrow

The frustrating thing about living here is we do not have triple antibiotic ointments and vetericyn, they all sound promising
for chicken health

They also dont sell vet wrap here so I'm using human bandages

How long can bumblefoot be left untreated? Maybe I can order some things online if it can wait

 

[electrifyniall]

Oh! I forgot to say that my rooster has it on his toe, not on his footpad.

I did some more research, says that it is suppose to be "hard like a peanut" but my rooster still has a soft "ball" ... well it isn't the softest but it is not hard like a peanut

Does this mean it's not the worse case yet? Could I just put ointment on everyday and await for better results?