Symptoms Of Systemic Staph? Bumblefoot

[SillyPetRooster]

My rooster Mister has a bad case of bumblefoot. I have searched but can't find a list of symptoms for when staph goes systemic. I don't want to keep him in misery for longer than necessary if he isn't cureable.

His leg is hot to the touch all the way up. Respiration is 20 breaths per minute. He is hobbling around and eating and drinking normally and even preening himself. He has diareahh.

Here's his treatment history:
I have him warm in the house and have been treating for a week now with 2x daily Epsom soaks, silver sulfa cream and bandaging. I've tried to do the surgery 3 times and have not found a kernel. I was giving him 1/2 cc penicillin daily until 2 days ago when I took him to the vet. I was given 2 weeks of oral amoxicillin to give him so I have discontinued the pennicilian injections.
I'm feeding him some very fancy expensive high quality feed along with freeze dried grubs and mealworms and a crushed garlic clove daily as well as probiotics in his water.
I am waiting to receive tricide neo in the mail as well as a bumblefoot herbal tincture that was recommended..
Yes, I'm trying absolutely everything, ha Ha! He is 7 or 8 yrs old. The vet said his age is really against him in fighting this.
He is super special to me and I dont want to lose him but I don't want him to suffer either. How do you know if a staph infection has gone systematic and it is too late?

 

[rjohns39]

Hi and welcome to BYC Wish it were under better circumstances. Can you post some pictures of his leg and foot? I've asked one of our first aid guru's to stop by and see if she can help.

 

[SillyPetRooster]

Thank you. I will post pix tomorrow morning when I rebandage.

 

[rjohns39]

Thank you. I will post pix tomorrow morning when I rebandage.

include top and bottom photos as well as leg photos.

 

[SillyPetRooster]

While he is having his morning soak, I'll upload pix I just took of the tops of his feet and his legs. I'll upload pix of the bottoms after he soaks. He does have a bumble on the other foot too but it isn't swollen and I'm hoping just the soaks will heal that one. I dug around a little in that one too. Nothing came out.
This pic is the worst side

 

[SillyPetRooster]

Worse one on the right

 

[SillyPetRooster]

Back view, worse one on the left

 

[SillyPetRooster]

Bottom of worse one

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi @SillyPetRooster Welcome to BYC

What did they vet say about the Bumblefoot surgery - did they feel like there could be a pus or core still in the foot and the scab should be removed again?

I'm glad that the vet was able to give you some meds. The thing is, if there is still pus/infection in the foot, they won't heal, even with antibiotics. Chicken pus won't dry up.

How long has it been since you did a surgery?
I'm not a vet, but if he were mine, there are 2 things I would try:

• Option 1 - After soaking in epsom salts, dry the foot well and apply Decolorized (Clear) Iodine. Wrap the foot and place him on clean dry bedding. The next day, take off the bandage and see if the scab is loose enough to work off, sometime a core/kernel will come off with the scab. You may have to dig around and press to get the gunk out. If the scab is not ready, then repeat the soaking/applying Clear Iodine)
  
• Option 2 - soak (as usual), dry the foot well and apply a drawing salve like Prid. Wrap. Over the course of several days, resoak/reapply the salve. See if the scab and infection will be drawn out. It may be a slower process, but some people have reported success with drawing salves.

Again, I'm not a vet, but my inclination is, if the staph has gone systemic, Mister would be lethargic, not eating/drinking, moving around or preening. If he does get to that point, then putting him down is an act of kindness.

You are doing everything you can to help him. 7-8yrs old, he has been taken care of. I hope that he starts to respond to treatment. Please keep us posted.

 

[SillyPetRooster]

Bottom of other one. The white stuff is just silver sulfa residue