Scab/Callus on foot

[GonzoTheGreat]

Wondering if anyone has encountered something similar to what I found on the bottom of a hen with bumblefoot. My guess is that because of the bumblefoot swelling, she developed this callus looking thing on the side of where the bumblefoot was. It is hard if you push on it. We only addressed the immediate bumblefoot scab and tried to clean the crud out under it (hopefully) but left that scab alone for now. I figured cutting it out would be too much damage to the foot.

This is the third time trying to get this case of bumblefoot addressed, so a trip to the vet might be in her future if this doesn't seem to help.

 

[azygous]

Do you see her walking on the side of her foot? I can see how that could create a callous. It seems her foot is very swollen and that would make it difficult to walk on it. I would continue daily Epsom soaks and that will address the callous, perhaps soften it so it will slough off eventually.

However, it may be developing into another bumblefoot lesion. If you have the luxury of a vet for her, that's a wise idea.

 

[GonzoTheGreat]

Do you see her walking on the side of her foot? I can see how that could create a callous. It seems her foot is very swollen and that would make it difficult to walk on it. I would continue daily Epsom soaks and that will address the callous, perhaps soften it so it will slough off eventually.

However, it may be developing into another bumblefoot lesion. If you have the luxury of a vet for her, that's a wise idea.

Thanks. She actually appeared to be walking fine despite that bumblefoot, so I'm not sure. Now she is bandaged up as the foot heals so can't see much in terms of gait.

I have a vet nearby that is apparently an avian vet and they said they treat chickens when I called to ask in case I need one. Maybe I'll resume the soaks once her wound heals a bit and hopefully the swelling goes down.

All the posts on here make bumblefoot seem like something the average person can handle, but I apparently can't get it right.

 

[Chicalina]

I think you haven't got all the infection out. She prob needs antibiotics. And more invasive foot surgery to dig out that pus plug.

 

[GonzoTheGreat]

I think you haven't got all the infection out. She prob needs antibiotics. And more invasive foot surgery to dig out that pus plug.

Yes, I think we've struggled with trying to figure out how "invasive" to get vs. the expectations of the pictures we've seen on the internet. Seems like every blog post pulls out the scab and the "kernel" just pops out. One time we just had stringy white stuff, last time we had chunks.

I guess this is the time of year for antibiotics, since the Welsummers don't seem to be laying anything for the past month or so.

 

[azygous]

That stringy white stuff, and I don't know what it's called, sometimes lasts years. I adopted a five-year old hen after her flock was all killed. She came with untreated bumblefoot.

It was swollen and just awful. I don't know how she managed to walk. I struggled with her bumblefoot for two straight years. Soaks and surgeries and antibiotics and it persisted. She always had some vestigial remains of bumblefoot no matter what I did or how long I kept at it. I finally gave up. It never got worse, but it never completely healed. She died a couple years ago of a reproductive infection.

 

[GonzoTheGreat]

That stringy white stuff, and I don't know what it's called, sometimes lasts years. I adopted a five-year old hen after her flock was all killed. She came with untreated bumblefoot.

It was swollen and just awful. I don't know how she managed to walk. I struggled with her bumblefoot for two straight years. Soaks and surgeries and antibiotics and it persisted. She always had some vestigial remains of bumblefoot no matter what I did or how long I kept at it. I finally gave up. It never got worse, but it never completely healed. She died a couple years ago of a reproductive infection.

Sorry about that hen. I hope we can treat it eventually. There was no stringy white stuff this time, but it felt hard around the outside of the swollen pad and we wondered if there was more "kernal" in there. We didn't want to be too aggressive cutting though.

We took off the scab, cleaned out the waxy chunks we could see and it looked like we were left with red "flesh" under where the scab was, but from the size of her swelling it seemed like there could be more.

Changing her bandage tonight (and she did not want to be picked up tonight), it seems the swelling is down and wound looked good so far. We'll see what happens.

 

[Chicalina]

its really hard sometimes to get rid of it. have you tried a poultice of magnesium sulphate?

 

[GonzoTheGreat]

its really hard sometimes to get rid of it. have you tried a poultice of magnesium sulphate?

No. I just read about how it is used for horses with wounds/abscesses in their hoof. Is the idea the same for a chicken with bumblefoot? Would you put it on the open wound after removing the scab and trying to clean it out?

 

[Chicalina]

no, I would put it on over the scab, not on an open wound. It will draw out infection towards the surface through the skin/scab. You can then remove the scab and do digging for the infection after a few days of the poultice being on. A nice thick layer under some vetwrap for a few days could be useful pre surgery.