Severe bumblefoot? Am I handling it right?

[BaileyP]

Hi all,

I know there are many threads regarding bumblefoot and I've read through them all, but I would love some peace of mind and confirmation that I'm handling it correctly and can treat it at home.

So far we have soaked her feet in epsom salt water and attempted to loosen the scab, but it's quite thick and swollen and will likely take several soaks. For now we applied some decolorized iodine and wrapped her foot in gauze. She'll be inside with us overnight/as long as it takes to stay as clean as possible. I assume we repeat this process until the scab is loose enough to come off so we can remove the infection? Our local vet does see waterfowl so if this seems like a bigger issue than one we can heal at home I can get her an appointment asap.

We also bought Neosporin if anyone thinks that would be a better topical treatment than the iodine.

I'm really upset and horrified we didn't spot this earlier so I'm hoping we can contain it and heal her

 

[fatty and friends]

i would recommend a vet. small spots can be treated at home with foot soaks but this looks like it will need to be removed. please do not listen to people who say you can do it at home, cutting into a ducks foot without anesthesia will be EXTREMELY painful for them

 

[BaileyP]

i would recommend a vet. small spots can be treated at home with foot soaks but this looks like it will need to be removed. please do not listen to people who say you can do it at home, cutting into a ducks foot without anesthesia will be EXTREMELY painful for them

Thank you for your advice! I definitely wouldn't cut into her foot, I was hoping the soaking would loosen up the scab enough for it to come off with a gentle tug.

I'll keep her clean and dry tonight and give our vet a call tomorrow when they open.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Soaking is best and then remove scab once its loose and falls off. There are non-invasive methods recommended on BYC. You can add neosporin or a drawing salve and then wrap after each soak. Keep her as dry and clean as possible. If it worsens, then I'd seek out the vet. I definitely don't recommend cutting into your duck's foot either.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Neosporin as long as it's the original and not pain free is awesome for loosening up bumble scabs. The problem with only using iodine and soaks is that it dries which allows the air to harden up the scab again. To be able to remove it without using a scalpel the scab needs to be kept moist for at least 2-3 days on larger bumbles. The scab is getting large enough that if not removed soon I would be worried about the infection reaching the bone. I use Cephalexin for anything more then minor bumble foot that I get at chewy.com. You might want to start her on it if you decide not to take her to the vet. I'll search around on here and see if I can dig up the dosage for it and edit my comment.

Edit: Here's an article written by @ Issac0 that has the dosage recommendations for Cephalexin along with other antibiotics used for bumble foot treatment and their dosages.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/bumblefoot-information-in-progress.1388301/#post-22795137

 

[BaileyP]

Neosporin as long as it's the original and not pain free is awesome for loosening up bumble scabs. The problem with only using iodine and soaks is that it dries which allows the air to harden up the scab again. To be able to remove it without using a scalpel the scab needs to be kept moist for at least 2-3 days on larger bumbles. The scab is getting large enough that if not removed soon I would be worried about the infection reaching the bone. I use Cephalexin for anything more then minor bumble foot that I get at chewy.com. You might want to start her on it if you decide not to take her to the vet. I'll search around on here and see if I can dig up the dosage for it and edit my comment.

Edit: Here's an article written by @ Issac0 that has the dosage recommendations for Cephalexin along with other antibiotics used for bumble foot treatment and their dosages.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/bumblefoot-information-in-progress.1388301/#post-22795137

Thank you so much! We gave her another soak this morning and wrapped it up. After closer inspection, we decided it's a little over our heads and scheduled a vet appointment for tomorrow My poor baby!

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Thank you so much! We gave her another soak this morning and wrapped it up. After closer inspection, we decided it's a little over our heads and scheduled a vet appointment for tomorrow My poor baby!

A vet is always the best route when things get a little out of hand. Keep us updated!

 

[BaileyP]

update: Just got a call from the vet. Penny's foot luckily isn't bumblefoot! The bump is currently just a callous with no signs of infection. We've been given an oral anti-inflammatory medicine and a foot soak to give her, and we've been instructed to provide some softer surfaces for her to rest on during the day. If we stay on top of this the vet believes it'll heal nicely and not get infected YAY!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Great news Congratulations!!