To cut or not to cut?

[HuntrixHelp]

One of our girls got the bumble. I soaked and pulled out the bumble from the bottom, it came out pretty easy, no cutting. I wrapped it with polysporin. It's been about a month of soaking and cleaning and rewrapping and it doesn't seem to be healing.

So for 2 weeks, ish, I have been using PRID.... I really really don't want to cut her, but I think I'm going to have to. The top, as seen in the picture is bad now. And there isn't an actual cut there so there is nothing to dig out.

So my question is, can someone show me where to make the incision? Am I running the risk of hitting any tendons right here on the top? I am no beginner to first aid and I'm not squeamish at all. I just love her and don't want to cause her further pain.

She is a rescue chicken too. She came to us with a broken foot (the other foot, poor girl) that never quite healed all the way so she has stuff toes there and is limping around as it is. Now she has 2 bad feet and I just feel so bad for the baby.

 

[TinyChickin]

@azygous @Eggcessive

 

[azygous]

There doesn't appear to me to be anything to cut. But others may have another opinion.

There are three stages of bumblefoot, a staph infection usually confined to the outer layer of the skin. The first stage is a black scab with a tiny plug of solid pus attached. Usually soaking allows for pulling the scab off with the plug attached.

The only cutting that might be necessary is to free the plug from the tissue around it. At no time do we slice into the foot pad. People confuse the word "surgery" when associated with bumblefoot to mean removal of tissue, when all we do is to use a sharp instrument to poke out the pus plug.

The second stage is where there is infection and swelling into the deeper layer of tissue in the foot pad. When it gets this far, we will try an oral antibiotic. At this stage, healing may take months. If it heals at all. Once staph bacteria penetrate the deeper tissue, it's hard as heck to fight.

Third stage is where the staph bacteria has penetrated the bones of the foot. There is no more hope after this stage.

 

[HuntrixHelp]

There doesn't appear to me to be anything to cut. But others may have another opinion.

There are three stages of bumblefoot, a staph infection usually confined to the outer layer of the skin. The first stage is a black scab with a tiny plug of solid pus attached. Usually soaking allows for pulling the scab off with the plug attached.

The only cutting that might be necessary is to free the plug from the tissue around it. At no time do we slice into the foot pad. People confuse the word "surgery" when associated with bumblefoot to mean removal of tissue, when all we do is to use a sharp instrument to poke out the pus plug.

The second stage is where there is infection and swelling into the deeper layer of tissue in the foot pad. When it gets this far, we will try an oral antibiotic. At this stage, healing may take months. If it heals at all. Once staph bacteria penetrate the deeper tissue, it's hard as heck to fight.

Third stage is where the staph bacteria has penetrated the bones of the foot. There is no more hope after this stage.

Thank you!!! The plug came out relatively easy and I made sure there was no visible black or hard puss that I could see.

So I'll start oral antibiotics. Hopefully I'm not too late. I was concerned with all of the swelling at the top.

Should I continue soaking, you think? Or just cleaning with a bandage change daily?

 

[azygous]

Soaking daily in Epsom salts will stimulate tissue healing, so yes, soak every day. Years ago, I had such a bumblefoot patient, and I did daily soaks for two years until she healed. Even after all that time, the swelling never fully disappeared.

 

[HuntrixHelp]

Soaking daily in Epsom salts will stimulate tissue healing, so yes, soak every day. Years ago, I had such a bumblefoot patient, and I did daily soaks for two years until she healed. Even after all that time, the swelling never fully disappeared.

TWO YEARS?! I didn't realize it takes that long sometimes!!

I started her on antibiotics today. I'll probably do that for 3-5 days.

Need to pick up more epsom salt... A lifetime supply I guess

One more thing. Do I keep it wrapped for the duration of the swelling, or once the cut on the bottom is healed I can remove it?

Thank you for your info. I really appreciate it.

 

[azygous]

Once the laceration heals over and the wound is no longer susceptible to bacteria entering it, bandaging is unnecessary. But soaking in Epsom salts is still effective after the initial wound has healed.