Trouble with a foot

[BarnGoddess01]

Ok ... you've got me convinced. It must be bumblefoot - so now I just have to psych myself up for slicing into her foot! Oy. Brilliant descriptions, btw. I don't know why I couldn't find them when I looked before. Thank you!!

 

[valsey]

Sure looks like bumblefoot to me.

 

[ruth]

Most definitely bumblefoot. Just follow the threads' how-to steps. For the swelling at the top of the foot, you should probably lance into it as well and clean it out from the top but you also need to get the stuff out of the pad. Best of luck.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Ruth .... if you are the one that posted the FABULOUS instructions -- I've got 'em printed out with a copy for my assistant. We intend to operate on Miss Lizzie on Saturday. I'll definitely let y'all know how it goes. (And I'll take pictures if I can .... ) In the meantime, I have applied the corn pad. Maybe it will at least help to loosen the scab. (A girl can hope!)

 

[BarnGoddess01]

We did the bumblefoot surgery today, following Ruth's most excellent instructions. I have some pictures to share:

This is Miss Lizzie soaking in the the Epsom Salts in the kitchen sink prior to surgery - with my able assistant and audience!

We find the "cheese".

The cleaned up hole. The "cheese" was actually quite hard. We also fished out quite a bit of loose, stringy goo too.

I think we got it all. I HOPE we got it all!

Miss Lizzie wasn't bothered by our work at all. It did bleed - quite a bit but, she actually slept through a good portion of it. (At first, I thought maybe I'd killed her !!!!)

All finished and inspecting her new fancy pink boot. (I syringed some betadine on the hole, filled it with polysporin, applied a cotton square and bandaged with Vetrap.) Thankfully, she waited until we were finished and outside before dropping that nice bomb!!

Now we wait to see how she heals. Fingers crossed. I would prefer NOT to have to do that again! Thanks again for all your help here.

 

[valsey]

Good job!

Noticed you had no gloves on (like me) but I would bleach that sink. You're dealing with staph

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Yes, it's true, I didn't use gloves nor did my assistant. (I actually used my nails to remove a lot of the gunk from the hole. My assistant - in the picture - also commented on my lack of gloves... ) But I did bleach the sink - and the counter tops, before AND after. (And all the tools I used.) And I was VERY thorough cleaning my hands and under my nails. I still can't believe how tolerant my chicken was!! I just hope all our efforts today are successful. We spent an hour and a half working on her foot.

 

[valsey]

Well I'm sure you're glad you decided to do it!

She should be just fine. I would change the bandages every couple of days and keep it clean.

I had a hen who was constantly battling bumblefoot and the only thing that FINALLY got rid of it was colloid silver soaks/wraps. Then in the end she died of sour crop. Which I suspect she developed because of so much antibiotic over the years applied to her feet. But I'm no pro.

That last picture of your hen is hilarious - I wonder if chickens can just go into a trance state when they are in pain...?

 

[Kirk S]

My first thought when reading this was that its probably bumblefoot....but after I finished reading I dont understand how her foot could still be like that

usually with bumblefoot you can see a scab on the sole of the foot. if you cant see any obvious injury on the outside, must be something internal; maybe she pulled a tendon/ligament? Right now one of my wyandottes is recovering from a dislocated hip joint and is limping even though ive separated her and given her a few "massages" to help keep it back in place, so is it possible she could have knocked something out of place? the irritation from walking etc. could explain the swelling if that was the case.
I hope her poor foot gets better; keep us posted

by the way, I like your belt buckle

I have two red sex link chickens both with the same thing, nothing visually wrong with the foot. One I had to put down and now the other has developed the same thing. I think it is in the breed, and wont use them again.