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I've been lurking on this thread, not having any experience w/ bumblefoot, but wanting to be prepaired in case. But I have questions for chookschick ................. The soaking in salt would epsom salt work? The medicated cotton ball "shoe" is that w/o needing to "remove the seed" as others talk about? If it is going to work how long before you know if this is working or you have to progress to more invasive means? Thanks.
I have had multiple cases with vet assistance, and what I was directed to do was cut a piece of 'swim noodle' or other firm foam into a shoe, leaving a hole where the 'seed' was in the foot in question. I have had that be a black scabby seed, I've had it be a hard nodule inside the 'ball' of the foot, I've had it be an infected underside of the nail, etc.
In several cases where it was the black scab and it was easily removed, I've just scraped it off, squeezed it until it was clean blood, and then I put cotton or gauze on it with ointment. It was the closed cases where there was no opening or scab that freaked me out the most. The vets said to make the 'shoe' or use cotton to support the rest of the foot and leave a hollow under the hard nodule. Wrapping it with betadine or ointment gives it the opportunity to heal any unseen scratches, etc. The support allows it to stop being irritated and swollen inside. The wrap gives it the opportunity to be cushioned enough to heal.
I don't remove anything anymore. I just wrap and wait. If it's bad because I missed it, I change it every other day. If it's not bad, I just wrap it with ointment, cushioning, vet wrap, and wait a week. I check each week. They miraculously go away. It's counter to any logic, but I think their body just manages better without the exposure to the world.
This is incredibly valuable to know - thanks ChooksChick!!
