Swollen toe- Not Bumblefoot

[Lili-land]

Hello everyone, Long time researcher and reader, new member. Finally after 4 years of lurking, I decided to try posting my own questions.

I'll try to keep things short but detailed. My 5 year old barnyard mix heavy body rooster injured his toe. I assume he broke it or tore the nail fighting our young rooster who now has seniority over the flock. (They are separated now into 2 areas to avoid further fights). I noticed Sampson (my roo) started limping a few weeks ago. And his toe was swelling. I tried soaking in Epsom salts and checked for bumble. The toe kept engorging so I tried to drain it with small holes. Some infection would seep out and a bit of cheese curds, but the swelling continued.

Finally Monday after reading more and unable to watch him hobble any longer, I cut the toe. Sliced the bottom and found a little infection, sliced the side and that's where the infection was. Got a good chunk out. Then flushed it with betadine, packed with antibiotics and dressed in gauze and vet wrap.

Sampson was a real trooper. Dealt with me digging in his foot for 30m. I did accidently find a loose tendon, which I sliced short so it wasn't left hanging in his toe.


It's now 48 hours later. He still can't walk on it. I assume it's very sore. I unwrapped it yesterday and cleaned it with wound spray. Put fresh antibiotics and wrap on.


My question is to anyone who has had to do this extensive slicing.. how long before your chicken could walk? I'm terrified I butchered him, since he starts panting hard after trying to stand for a few seconds, then lays back down.

I understand without getting the infection out he would have died to it...but I feel like I signed his death slip.

Any advice would be appreciated. The pictures are pre surgery. You can see a couple scabs from where I tried to drain it from small holes.

 

[Eggcessive]

The tip of his toe below the swollen area may eventually dry up and fall off, much like chickens who have lost a toe after frostbite or a crush injury do. I would not put a dressing on it but clean it with Betadine daily, and keep him on a clean towel for bedding in a wire crate with food and water for a couple of days. Toe injuries can be very sore, and in mine when one has broken a toe nail, it is not unusual for the to limp a week or more. At least he will keep it clean. Let us know how he gets along, and I hope he does well.

 

[Anon112]

With my rooster, Poppy, I ended up having to have the toe surgically removed by a vet because the infection had gotten into the bone. It was $$$$$$$.

If you have access to a vet, you might see if they can do an x-ray. That can reveal if the infection has made it that deep into the bone.

With Poppy, post surgery they gave me a little donut that I put at the bottom of his foot partway through the wrapping process to take the pressure off of the recovering surgery site.

 

[Lili-land]

The tip of his toe below the swollen area may eventually dry up and fall off, much like chickens who have lost a toe after frostbite or a crush injury do. I would not put a dressing on it but clean it with Betadine daily, and keep him on a clean towel for bedding in a wire crate with food and water for a couple of days. Toe injuries can be very sore, and in mine when one has broken a toe nail, it is not unusual for the to limp a week or more. At least he will keep it clean. Let us know how he gets along, and I hope he does well.

Thanks for the reply. I think he got it caught in the new fencing trying to go at the other rooster one separated. They keep scratching at the ground to try and start a fight. Or pecking through the fencing.

Wish I could have told them to just get along lol. 11 hens each and an acre of free range with trees and hills..but..noooo hahah

 

[Lili-land]

With my rooster, Poppy, I ended up having to have the toe surgically removed by a vet because the infection had gotten into the bone. It was $$$$$$$.

If you have access to a vet, you might see if they can do an x-ray. That can reveal if the infection has made it that deep into the bone.

With Poppy, post surgery they gave me a little donut that I put at the bottom of his foot partway through the wrapping process to take the pressure off of the recovering surgery site.

We priced out the provincial vet. It was going to be quite expensive. I think the visit alone is over 90, and then it's like $45 every 15 minutes they are there. And then surgery would be extra.

I tried to put a folded up piece of cloth on the pad of his foot to ease pressure off the toe area, it hasn't helped, but maybe I'll see if I can reposition it.

Thanks for the reply!

 

[theoldchick]

Post of pain management for the avian patient is very important. My Peacock was given valium and torbutrol to help with pain after surgical debridement of his hock. Though he still limps many years later, his recovery at that time was smooth and he was eating well a few hours later. Here are dosages for common pain drugs for avians:

• Butorphanol: 0.5–3.0 mg/kg IM q4–6h
• Buprenorphine: 0.25–0.5 mg/kg IM q6h
• Gabapentin: 10 mg/kg PO q12h
• Hydromorphone HCl: 0.6 mg/kg IM q6h
• Meloxicam: 0.2–0.5 mg/kg PO or IM q24h
• Tramadol HCl (raptors): 5–11 mg/kg PO q12h
• Tramadol HCl (psittacines): 15–30 mg/kg q6hr

These are only available from a veterinarian. Meloxicam is the most common drug prescribed for chickens. The last time I was involved with a toe amputation in a chicken it took a team of three people. The anesthetist (me) the surgeon, and operating technician who placed IV catheter. This hen was induced via mask, intubated, and maintained on sevoflurane ($$$$). The surgeon did a lidocaine block, waited a moment for it to numb the toe, and carefully dissected and removed the toe. The area was flushed with saline solution then wrapped. Time was approximately 15 minutes. Injectable pain meds were given, including antibiotics and valium to keep recovery smooth. I awakened the hen by slowly reducing the gas. Her EKG, O2, and pulse rate remained normal (monitored just like a human through the entire procedure). Her pupils began to flex and she was quickly extubated. At this point the operating technician removed the hen from my care and placed it in a baby incubator. The hen had an uneventful recovery and was sent home that afternoon with antibiotics and pain medications. The hen did great and made gave me a painful peck as a reminder who was really the boss when I gave her back to her owner.

 

[Lili-land]

Post of pain management for the avian patient is very important. My Peacock was given valium and torbutrol to help with pain after surgical debridement of his hock. Though he still limps many years later, his recovery at that time was smooth and he was eating well a few hours later. Here are dosages for common pain drugs for avians:

• Butorphanol: 0.5–3.0 mg/kg IM q4–6h
• Buprenorphine: 0.25–0.5 mg/kg IM q6h
• Gabapentin: 10 mg/kg PO q12h
• Hydromorphone HCl: 0.6 mg/kg IM q6h
• Meloxicam: 0.2–0.5 mg/kg PO or IM q24h
• Tramadol HCl (raptors): 5–11 mg/kg PO q12h
• Tramadol HCl (psittacines): 15–30 mg/kg q6hr

These are only available from a veterinarian. Meloxicam is the most common drug prescribed for chickens. The last time I was involved with a toe amputation in a chicken it took a team of three people. The anesthetist (me) the surgeon, and operating technician who placed IV catheter. This hen was induced via mask, intubated, and maintained on sevoflurane ($$$$). The surgeon did a lidocaine block, waited a moment for it to numb the toe, and carefully dissected and removed the toe. The area was flushed with saline solution then wrapped. Time was approximately 15 minutes. Injectable pain meds were given, including antibiotics and valium to keep recovery smooth. I awakened the hen by slowly reducing the gas. Her EKG, O2, and pulse rate remained normal (monitored just like a human through the entire procedure). Her pupils began to flex and she was quickly extubated. At this point the operating technician removed the hen from my care and placed it in a baby incubator. The hen had an uneventful recovery and was sent home that afternoon with antibiotics and pain medications. The hen did great and made gave me a painful peck as a reminder who was really the boss when I gave her back to her owner.

Thank you for sharing

 

[coach723]

I have a rooster that lost part of a toe, looked similar to yours. That was a couple of years ago and he does just fine now. I basically did as @Eggcessive described above. He now has a stump with no nail, and it hasn't affected him at all. As long as there is not infection, he should be ok.

 

[Anon112]

I have a rooster that lost part of a toe, looked similar to yours. That was a couple of years ago and he does just fine now. I basically did as @Eggcessive described above. He now has a stump with no nail, and it hasn't affected him at all. As long as there is not infection, he should be ok.

I'll add one little note to this: my rooster's toe probably only became seriously infected at the point that part of his toe self-amputated. So I would keep an eye out for when/if part of the toe does come off and really make sure that it stays clean and jump on the first signs of infection.

 

[Lili-land]

As noted in the original post 3 days ago I did have to cut into the foot and remove large pieces of hardened puss. Obviously this has left him very sore, and he now refuses to stand.

I soaked his foot in Epsom and betadine yesterday and it must have felt good as he fell asleep in my lap while soaking.

Since the cuts are not fully scabbed over I sprayed with wound disinfectant and slathered antibacterial ointment and rewrapped. It looks like there is more infection in it but I don't have the heart or stomach to slice into him again. I'll wait and see if its just swollen from the trauma.

Thanks everyone, I'll keep you posted.