Spike's Bum Foot

[excitedmichicks]

This is a picture of my 9-10 week old, Plymouth Barred Rock Rooster, Spike. This "bump" on his foot. His foot just seemed swollen, then the next day he had this beauty on there. When I would feel it, he didn't seem to mind. He didn't try jerking it away from me, or didn't cluck in pain. It doesn't feel squishy enough to be like a blister, but it's not really hard or solid. And I can't really tell if it has "heat" in it. I am use to like with our horses, that if there leg it swollen, or feels like there is heat in the leg, foot, ankle, usually mean there is something wrong. Can someone please tell me whether I should just watch it? Should I try to aspirate it? Or what I should do for it.?.? I'm getting worried because he's starting to become withdrawn. Thank you.

 

[mnferalkitty]

I wonder if that is an abcess?

 

[Uniontown Poultry]

Looks like an abscess to me, too. You can soak his foot a few times a day in warm water (w/ or w/o epsom salts) to see if you can get it to a point where you can lance it or cut it open, or you can take him to the vet & have them stick a needle in it & see what's in there. You could run a course of penicillin through him & see if it helps bring it down. It's also possible that it's just benign cyst or even a fatty tumor, but if he is starting to act sick, or like he has an infection, it's probably not a surface issue like a cyst or a fatty tumor. Good luck with your boy!

 

[excitedmichicks]

I was kinda of thinking it was an abscess too. I was kinda of thinking to poke it with a sterile needle and see if any fluid would come out. Kinda like on a human when we get water or blood blisters. But it just feels to hard/firm to be just like a water blister or whatever. Even though it's gotten bigger, when I push on it, he doesn't try to jerk it away, and he doesn't cluck at me for it. So makes me wonder how much pain he is having. There must be some because he's acting WAY different than he normally does!

Thank you for all the advice. I think I will try to start soaking him a couple times a day, & maybe go get some penicillin and see where that takes me.

Thanks again everyone!