Swollen Legs/Frostbite/Losing toes

[1muttsfan]

Miyashi I live up north of you in St. Ignace, haven't we had a tough spring!

If his feet have been frostbitten there is nothing to do other than continue keeping them clean. Frostbite damages the blood supply to the tissues, and any that has lost its blood simply will die. Affected areas will swell, and complete loss of the blood supply results in the tissue turning dark and stiff, then sloughing off (sounds like this may have happened to his toe).

This does not mean that the remaining parts of his feet will not heal. They will likely be swollen and tender for at least weeks if not months, and will be more susceptible to cold damage in the future.

Do you know how his feet became frostbitten? Was there an issue with the coop?

 

[Miyashi]

Yes! It's been terrible! (I'm just sick of winter!)
There was nothing wrong with the coop. Everyone else was fine. My RIR had a tiny bit of frostbite on her gigantic comb, but that was it.
He used to snuggle with the other birds, but now he doesn't. I don't know why. Matt and I were worried about him lately just because he's been roosting alone, so we encouraged him to sleep in a nesting box....he seems to like it as it took one night to teach and he's been in it every night since then. I just figured it would be easier on him...he's always switching the foot that he favors, so I dunno...just thought it was a good idea.
I'm sure some of the swelling is due to the frostbite and the healing process and all that....I just keep thinking maybe I should try treating for mites...
Lifted scales...swelling...I feel like I should at least try the methods I've been reading about for treating the mites...
I just feel like I need to try everything.
I moved here from Traverse, didn't have any friends (Yes, I'm 20, but still moving and starting up elsewhere is hard and with gas and everything else being expensive, it's hard to visit!) he's become my best friend.
I heard D'uccles aren't very cold hardy. He did well all winter...but then we had that "OOO it's spring, haha, no it's not, here's some freak snow for ya!" And that's when I noticed his toes.
I'm just starting to think Roo needs to be a house bird.

He's a very well behaved boy. Goofiest crow....
I'm also worried that he'll get an infection from the toes falling off. I'm just worried worried worried.
I'll love him no matter how silly he looks...I just want the poor guy suffering. He's the best, really.

 

[welasharon]

Go ahead and rub his legs with vaseline, mineral oil, baby oil or vegetable oil. It won't hurt anything and if it is mites then that will take care of that. I am sorry you are having such issues. Best wishes for your boy!
sharon

 

[Miyashi]

Thank you!
I need to upload the pictures I took of him the other day.
He loves me...he sits in my lap and listens to me talk about my day..and he looks at me like he's listening and like he gets it.
When I have a really bad day and I'm crying, he coos at me...he's a sweet chicken.

 

[taprock]

Sorry about your boy. I went through frostbite and losing a toe with one of our guinea girls this winter. She was the only one out of 5 guineas and 23 chickens to get frostbit. Here are two pictures that might help. When it first happened her middle toe swelled up huge. I put her on antibiotics in her water in the dog crate in our basement. The swelling went down so I sent her back to the coop. After about two weeks her foot got a club on it and she ended up losing the toe where it turns black. She still has the large bulb shape to it, and it actually helps with her balance and walking. Does your roo seem to be in any pain? Are there any open wounds?

 

[Miyashi]

He favors his feet. He switches. He doesn't move around a whole lot when he goes out to play. He is almost always holding one of his feet up. I've noticed though, it's his entire leg that is swollen...not just the area around the toe. I zoomed in on a picture of him from last year and (He has extra claws like a Silkie does.) and his two extra toes were very apparent, now they are kinda like a clump club thing and the claws have fallen off.
I'm very worried. I feel like a bad chicken Mom....

The pictures of your Guinea are similar in the area around the toe, but her legs don't appear to be swollen. I dunno...I'm just worried!

I'm glad she's okay though. I wish stuff didn't happen to these guys.

And it's both legs, not just one. Which makes me think maybe...infection...but I have no idea how to treat that.

 

[Jadeeum]

I have been looking for more information on the impact of cold/frostbite and scaly leg mites.
I know this post is old but it sounds similar to what my little Golden Campine "Miss Kravitz" is going through. We've had a very hard winter and there has been a few spots of frostbite including one of my guineas - which is rare. But the Campine looked a little quiet one day and upon examination I saw a few lifted scales and some whitish crusty bits in between her toes - her legs also seemed fatter. Leg mites for sure. I treated the whole flock with Ivermectin, and cleaned the roosts. I brought her inside to the "chicken hospital", treated her with Super Booster, and treating her legs with Vaseline every other day for 3 weeks using a soft toothbrush to clean her legs and scales. During this time her lower legs were also a bit swollen and hot. After a lot of ongoing reading and research and to make a long story short. Scaly leg mites + cold winter = greater susceptibility to frostbite and circulation problems in toes and legs.
I hope your D'Uccles pulled through (back when you posted this). I'm waiting to see how my Campine will fare. Shes a very sweet little hen. It's apparent she is going to lose the ends of a couple toes on 1 foot. But I won't know for a while whether her swollen legs were indicative of a larger circulation problem that will affect her legs. One of my local chicken buddies had the same problem a few years ago. Some of his chickens showed up with leg mites and also seemed to be more prone to swollen toes and frostbite.
Anyway I hope your little fellow did ok.