Swollen foot and not sure what to try next

[HeatherLynn]

Ok so I posted about my hen with a huge swollen foot. It looks like big bubbles under the skin. I have been treating with bluecote. We tried to drain it but its solid. It bled a tiny bit but there does not seem to be anything filling it up. Sometimes its hot to the touch. Mostly it feels pretty normal other than it looks like huge marbles were shoved under the skin in her feet. She is now limping and protecting the foot.

I just don't know what to do at this point. Washed it, been trying to keep it clean, we put the lotion on at least once and if I can keep the roo from attacking twice a day. What is going on. The masses on the foot seem pretty dang solid. They are hot and hard. I have a farm vet but they want me to take her to the avian vet over an hour away which is a bit much. The avian vet is also wicked expensive. A parrot with a broken bleeding feather was well over 200. I can't imagine what this would cost me. Any ideas? If she is in much more pain I am afraid the hubby might have to cull. I don't want her suffering and I just can't seem to make this better.

 

[chicmom]

Oh my, when the lumps are solid, and they don't drain, that's not good. And since they feel hot, that could indicate an infection. Have you given her any antibiotics in her drinking water? That might help a little. Do the lumps have a little hole on top--looking like a possible bite or perhaps a parasite larvae inside?

 

[HeatherLynn]

No holes in the top. There were initially 2 puncture wounds. We cleaned those out very well and painted the heck out of them with the blucote. Those have healed up. Tried the antibiotic water but she refused to drink. In this heat I was afraid she would not make it without water. Close to taking a dropper and forcing the issue because she is in such pain. Someone told us to drain it but we have tried. and it just bleeds. Nothing else comes out. I am starting to think I am going to lose her to this. Its taking its toll on her.

 

[sunflowerenvy]

it sound like bumble foot it would be nice to see a pic of it too
there are several links about it i willl give you some
i am working on on one now good luck

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=4389544
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=3860880
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=33330
laura
ps if you find stuff save on your hard drive to

 

[MotherJean]

Have you given this bird a course of antibiotics? Topical antiseptics (like Blu-Kote) are fine as wound dressings to help prevent infection, but they are not generally effective in treating serious infection. For this you need to give much stronger antibiotics either orally or injected. I think Terramycin or some other oxytetracycline drug would be the choice for treating staph infection (which is what most Bumblefoot is). Before you cull, you might try a 5-7 day course of Terramycin as a last ditch effort. The infection may have spread to far for this to be off any help at this point, but worth a try.

BTW - have you considered the possibility that this isn't typical Bumblefoot, but may be related to a mycoplasma sinoviae infection? Did this bird experience any respiratory symptoms in the weeks leading up to the discovery of the swollen foot?

 

[wegotchickens]

Not sure what to tell you, but

My d'Uccle roo has a small case of bumblefoot, but his feather shafts are all inflamed-looking as well. He's going to get an epsom salt soak this afternoon. Hopefully that will soothe the foot feathers and help me work with the bumble site. He's been molting, so I want to make sure these foot feathers grow in nicely for the show next month.

 

[spoggy]

Quote:
I agree with Laura. It can be a common occurance with cage birds, especially if perches are not kept scrupulously clean; not as often seen with poultry as with "pet" birds (canaries, parrots, cockateils etc.), but often enough. It can be hard to treat due to the location of the wound that allows the infection. I know for parrots that in more severe cases when the foot has been dressed, a ball is taped under the opened foot to help with mobility.

Good Luck!

Steve

 

[HeatherLynn]

Well this is bad because she has the scab on both feet, just the other one is not swollen. We thought the black thing was a scab. I can't really afford what the vet is going to want. Like I said the last trip for the parrot with the broken feather was pretty dang expensive.

Ok so I need something sensible I can do. Sounds like I need to give her antibiotics I guess. This is bacterial not viral correct? Ok so we had already removed the plug on the first foot but we did not bandage it. So we probably made it worse.

Even reading all this I am at a loss. I guess I need to cage her away from her Roo, remove both plugs, coat it to keep infection out, bandage, and shove antibiotics down her throat. I am guessing I need to catch 34 other chickens and check their feet also. Is this bacteria I guess in the ground? So any of them with their feet in the dirt are going to be at risk?

I swear it seems like it would be easier and safer if they never went outside or touched the ground again at times. I am feeling a touch in over my head. 6 months building up this new flock and I have had prolapsed vents, puple combed roo, snake bite, roo fight survivors, mites, mites and more mites, and now bumblefoot. A bit discouraged. Ok well off to torture my poor girl and get her feet treated. She may hate me when this is all done.

 

[MotherJean]

You sound totally stressed out and I think its causing you to jump to conclusions. First of all, Bumblefoot is not a "disease" per se. It is the name given to the condition where a bird turns up lame with swollen foot pads. It is USUALLY the result of a wound on the foot (sometimes a foriegn body like a thorn or sliver becomes imbedded in the wound), it becomes infected with staph or some other bacteria, and turns into a pus-filled abscess. The same thing could happen to you and you would go to a doctor who would open the abscess to drain the puss, dress the wound with antiseptics (like you did with the Blu-Kote) with orders to change the dressing regularly, and then give you oral antibiotics for 10 days to fight the infection systemically. This is essentially what you must do with birds to fight Bumblefoot. The difference is...you don't walk around barefoot in your own poo and continue to expose your wound to bacteria. That's why these infections are often difficult to deal with in your birds.

So...you've got it right on what you need to do for your hen with the suspected Bumblefoot, but that doesn't mean treating your entire flock just because of the one hen. Bumblefoot is from an injury. It is not a disease spread from bird to bird.