Ugh, Bumblefoot…

BlueHorse17

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8 Years
Mar 20, 2015
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I unfortunately lost a chicken earlier this year after attempting to remove the bumblefoot from the bottom of her foot. It was in a tough spot though. I now have another hen with the same issue, but fortunately hers is right on the bottom of her foot. On my last chicken I tried cutting and taking out the kernel (after soaking in epsom salt), but couldn’t find anything. This time I was thinking of using Prid and seeing if I can just push it out? I’d rather not have to cut and use a scalpel again…
 
Can you post some pictures of the feet of the bird in question? Cutting is my last option. Most of them I treat this way:
https://www.tillysnest.com/2015/12/non-surgical-bumblefoot-treatment.html/?spref=pi
If they are very small, no swelling or redness, I will to topical treatments only at first, some will resolve that way.
It it's a really stubborn case I use sugardine, info on that here in post #8:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/bumblefoot-not-healing.1443809/#post-23973555
I don’t have any of her at the moment, but it looks very similar to this photo.
C04A2B91-AFAB-4075-BE02-B167AD23E304.jpeg
 
For that I would use the first link I gave you, the non-surgical treatment. Soak it to soften the scab and remove it. You can also use decolorized iodine (not the same as betadine-most 1st aid sections will have it) apply that to the lesion and then wrap it over night, that will also soften it up. Sometimes there is a 'core' sometimes there is not. Remove any pus and clean it out really well. Sometimes you have to manipulate and squeeze pretty firmly to get stuff out. Fill the hole with your ointment of choice, plain neosporin, plain triple antibiotic ointment, etc and cover with a piece of gauze or telfa pad and wrap with co wrap to keep it clean and dry. Change the bandage daily and reapply the ointment until you know it's healing well, then you can go longer between changes. I usually keep them bandaged until it's fully healed. You may have to clean it out more than once, just depends on what all is in there, sometimes once is enough. If it just keeps recurring and you can't get it to heal (this does take time, not an overnight thing) then I switch to the sugardine and do that every day until it starts to heal. I've had very good results with the sugardine on resistant bumblefoot.
 
For that I would use the first link I gave you, the non-surgical treatment. Soak it to soften the scab and remove it. You can also use decolorized iodine (not the same as betadine-most 1st aid sections will have it) apply that to the lesion and then wrap it over night, that will also soften it up. Sometimes there is a 'core' sometimes there is not. Remove any pus and clean it out really well. Sometimes you have to manipulate and squeeze pretty firmly to get stuff out. Fill the hole with your ointment of choice, plain neosporin, plain triple antibiotic ointment, etc and cover with a piece of gauze or telfa pad and wrap with co wrap to keep it clean and dry. Change the bandage daily and reapply the ointment until you know it's healing well, then you can go longer between changes. I usually keep them bandaged until it's fully healed. You may have to clean it out more than once, just depends on what all is in there, sometimes once is enough. If it just keeps recurring and you can't get it to heal (this does take time, not an overnight thing) then I switch to the sugardine and do that every day until it starts to heal. I've had very good results with the sugardine on resistant bumblefoot.
Thank you! I’ll isolate her to help with the healing. Completely isolate until the bandages are able to be off?
 
I don't isolate unless the bird is not able to get around well or the environment is too wet to keep things dry. If using vet wrap or co wrap things usually stay pretty clean and dry, I leave them with the flock. If she's very difficult to catch, then I'd do bandage changes early in the morning and take her off the roosts before she gets up.
 
I don't isolate unless the bird is not able to get around well or the environment is too wet to keep things dry. If using vet wrap or co wrap things usually stay pretty clean and dry, I leave them with the flock. If she's very difficult to catch, then I'd do bandage changes early in the morning and take her off the roosts before she gets up.
Okay. I’ll leave her in there and see how things go then. It would be easier I think. My main concern is that she would try to dust bathe in the coop while with the others and the bandage might come off. I’ll see if I can pull that bumble plug first, though.
 
So we soaked her foot in Epsom salt and then removed the plug. Is there more than just the plug? It left a hole that we treated after. The article didn’t say anything about a kernel inside or anything?
 
Sounds like it all may have come out together.
When you change her wrappings, get some photos.

I agree, I would leave her with the flock. If you wrap the foot correctly and with vet wrap, then the wrapping shouldn't really come off. I usually have to end up cutting wrappings off because they are on there! :D
 
Sounds like it all may have come out together.
When you change her wrappings, get some photos.

I agree, I would leave her with the flock. If you wrap the foot correctly and with vet wrap, then the wrapping shouldn't really come off. I usually have to end up cutting wrappings off because they are on there! :D
I’ll snag some photos when I clean her this evening. I put blu-kote on her cause I didn’t have anything else. Hope that was okay. That and regular Neosporin.
 

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