Suspected Grade 1 Bumblefoot

[The Grobfather]

1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
She is an Isa Brown who is approximately 11 months old. She does not feel lighter or thinner than the other two chickens.

2) What is the behavior, exactly.
She has issues with her feet. While the other two chickens tend to keep their feet cleaner, she does not. She was not limping, or exhibiting any strange behavior.

3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?

Probably not more than a week.

4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?

The other two birds are not.

5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.

Checking her earlier, her feet appeared dirtier than usual. I placed her in a shallow warm bath with Dawn soap. After cleaning most of the dirt away, I saw a circular what I assume to be a sore.

6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.

I know the chickens dig in the chicken run frequently. I also utilized the deep litter method in their coop this year. It was my first year with chickens and I am not sure if I correctly utilized the deep litter method. However, I maintain moisture control and try my best to not allow them to walk in their waste. I use pine shavings in the coop.

7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.

This is normal.

8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.

This is normal.

9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?

I went out to tractor supply and purchased a spray bottle of “Vetericyn Plus Antimicrobial Poultry Care Spray”. I sprayed this on the suspected area. I also have cleaned her feet and isolated her inside. I have pine shavings, and she has access to food and water at all times.

10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?

I do not have access to a vet in my area. I am going to have to rely on home treatment.

11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.

I have a few pictures to attach. The first is the night before when I noticed her feet being especially dirty. I then took a picture after cleaning with just mildly warm water, and then another picture when I used the dawn soap to see if it was a missed area that was still dirty. I sent a picture to a friend, and he suggested it might be bumblefoot, but a low grade of it.

12) Describe the housing/bedding in use

Pine shavings and they are in a coop with two roost bars.



Pictures

 

[azygous]

You did well using the questions to present the information about your hen's issue, but one thing has gotten left off that list - location and weather. Please answer those.

Blackening on the tissue can be from frostbite. But if you're from Costa Rica or Miami, that would be unlikely. First soak the feet for twenty minutes in warm Epsom salts and a dash of Dawn detergent. See how much of the black remains.

Any black scabs should be scraped or lifted off. Then treat with a triple antibiotic ointment.

If you have had freezing weather and this hen has frostbite, do not try to remove any of the blackened tissue.

 

[MamaPoult]

You did well using the questions to present the information about your hen's issue, but one thing has gotten left off that list - location and weather. Please answer those.

Blackening on the tissue can be from frostbite. But if you're from Costa Rica or Miami, that would be unlikely. First soak the feet for twenty minutes in warm Epsom salts and a dash of Dawn detergent. See how much of the black remains.

Any black scabs should be scraped or lifted off. Then treat with a triple antibiotic ointment.

If you have had freezing weather and this hen has frostbite, do not try to remove any of the blackened tissue.

I 100% agree!

 

[The Grobfather]

You did well using the questions to present the information about your hen's issue, but one thing has gotten left off that list - location and weather. Please answer those.

Blackening on the tissue can be from frostbite. But if you're from Costa Rica or Miami, that would be unlikely. First soak the feet for twenty minutes in warm Epsom salts and a dash of Dawn detergent. See how much of the black remains.

Any black scabs should be scraped or lifted off. Then treat with a triple antibiotic ointment.

If you have had freezing weather and this hen has frostbite, do not try to remove any of the blackened tissue.

My apologies, I did not see those two questions. I am in southwest Michigan. We have had weather get below freezing within the past two weeks.

Thank you for your insightful advice. Tomorrow, I will get some epsom salt. Should I also wrap her foot with vet bandage?

Would frostbite cause the circular shape as well?

 

[azygous]

You misunderstood me. Location and climate were not on the questions list. I was saying they should have been as those two pieces of information give us valuable clues.

So there may be some frost bite accounting for the black splotches on the feet, especially if there is any swelling. You may soak the feet as Epsom salts to improve blood circulation, but do not try to remove those scabs.

The circular scab on the toe does appear to be a minor bumblefoot infection. After soaking, do pull that scab off. If you are returning the patient to her run, then you may want to wrap the foot to keep it clean for a few days until new tissue forms over the lesion.

 

[The Grobfather]

Thanks again for all of the help!

Regarding the scab on the toe, should I slowly remove it with tweezers? Or do you recommend using something else?

 

[MamaPoult]

Thanks again for all of the help!

Regarding the scab on the toe, should I slowly remove it with tweezers? Or do you recommend using something else?

I use tweezers.

 

[Sally PB]

I am in southwest Michigan.

You can add your location to your profile. It's always there and really helpful in cases like this. Just as you stated, "southwest Michigan," is fine.

 

[The Grobfather]

Good evening,

I have given her a few epsom salt baths, but I am not sure if it has formed into a scab yet. When I look for a spot, it just looks discolored in that area. There is also a similar spot on her other toe as well that I discovered during one of the baths.

Would blue kote allow her to rejoin the others in the chicken run and coop? Or would that be ill-advised?