Somebody please help me!!! It's Phinny's feet. Please!

[gritsar]

If you want to go back and read my post, it is not a typical mite presentation in that the scales are not raised; just swollen.
Standard mite treatment doesn't work. Nor does penicillin, which leads me to believe it is not a bacterial infection. I've tried just about everything and I have consulted with a neighbor who has 40+ years of experience of dealing with chickens on a commercial level.

My roo is not seperated from my hens and it has not spread. It is exclusively a problem with the roo, ditto with Wynette's roo (both feather footed) - who was the OP of that thread with the pics. There are no signs of mites anywhere on any of the other birds or in the coop.
There's been alot of rain and after consulting with speckledhen I am leaning towards a fungal infection and treating for such.

 

[CallyB57]

Yes, gritstar, he is a very large feather footed light brahma. His feet are red and swollen all along his feather line where the feather follicles are. I am pretty sure it didn't look like the mite photo I looked at, which looked kind of grayish to me. Where his feet still are the normal gold color, his scales are laying flat and tight. I'm really worried about his toenails as it looks like two of them are destroyed. One is sticking straight up in the air and is dark colored. I wish I could get photos loaded - says I only have 19 percent of room taken up for uploads, so I'm doing something wrong. Thank you all for replies and advice and concern. Will try to get the photos uploade dtomorrow from work - my computer is fast as it's cable connection

 

[redhen]

I agree..listen to Gritsar..

Good advice..

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Yes, my Thor has two bad toenails as a result of this condition, which I have researched endlessly. I am just trying to save you the time and expense of alot of ineffective treatments.
You are in Louisiana, so I assume you've had at least quite a bit of the rain we've had.
What doesn't work: Penicillin (Injected), mite treatments (natural and chemical), vaseline.
I am now trying an anti-fungal, the same as you would put on athlete's foot. I'll let you know how it goes.
Also, IMO isolating my roo would be too disruptive to my flock. He's with his girls, same as always and it's not spreading to them. I've been dealing with this since April. For some reason, it seems to be exclusively a problem for the large feather footed roos. My Thor is also a brahma and he weighs in the neighborhood of 13 lbs.

 

[CallyB57]

Gritsar, I think you are right about it being a fungus, because the toenails look like it is. I will get some more tea tree cream tomorrow at the nutrition center and apply it every day as it is an anti-fungal. He's such a gentle boy that I should have no trouble massaging it in. I will leave himenclosed in the henhouse tomorrow in the dry with his two brahma hens. It just has to be a fungus. I inspected ALL hen and other rooster feet, and there is no sign of this problem, and he is the only feathered roo I have. Thanks for the advice - will treat as a fungus, also. What would I do without the BYC'ers???

 

[CallyB57]

Above are two images of Phinny's feet with the red showing and the toe that is a black nub.

 

[gritsar]

Yes Cally, that's exactly what it looks like to start.
I would suggest starting out with a treatment for athlete's feet, since I've tried just about everything else and nothing else works. I have ivermectin pour-on on hand, but I will only use that as a last resort.
Keep me updated on how your roo does and I will do the same.
Good luck!

 

[CallyB57]

Today I got home from work and ran to the hen yard to check on Phinny and his left foot was bleeding - he kept holding it up next to his breast or underbelly and there was blood on his feathers. As soon as he went into his pen, I closed the gate, then went in and got him. I soaked his feet for about 5 minutes in lukewarm water with a few drops of vitamin e oil mixed with tea tree oil. I got it at the health food center. I then got him out patted his feet very very gently, then put some full strength vitamin e/tea tree oil directly on his dark toenails. After I made sure he was dry, I looked under his feathers, and he is inflamed all the way to his elbows.

So I covered him from his thighs all the way to his toenail tips with DE, as it's a drying agent and I wanted his feet to be completely dry. I drove like a maniac to TSC and bought him a large, sturdy dog kennel - it's big enough for him to stand, walk around in and flap his wings. Then I inspected his feet again and a lot of the inflammation looked less red. It's still red, but not quite as bright red and was not bleeding.

I added some vitamins and electrolytes to his water and mixed roasted unsalted peanuts in with his regular feed. He went to sleep pretty quick as I put a large dark towel over the top of his dog kennel. I am absolutely NOT going to allow him back outside until the ground is dry to the touch and the sun is shining, which should be tomorrow or Saturday. I'm so exhausted. My X husband thinks I have lost my mind, but I told him I would NOT let Phinny die. I love Phinny..please pray for him.

 

[sammi]

I think I would get some athletes feet ointment and use that..
I'd wash everything off and pat very dry and apply the anti-fungal. (athlete's foot cream)

there is also an ointment called Animax..it's a generic version of Panalog that you get from a vet..it has both an antibiotic and an anti-fungal in it.

but try the athlete's feet ointment asap.

 

[CallyB57]

Gritsar recommended the same thing, so I asked at TSC if they had some kind of anti-fungal cream and the guy went and looked but they didn't have any. Will definitely pick some up on the way home after work today. Thank you Gritsar and Sammi.

Will post back on this same thread as Phinny improves or goes down hill, God forbid that he go down hill!