Vet suggestion for non-invasive bumblefoot cure

[Faraday40]

I don't think mine was actually bumblefoot. Hers was a small scab on the bottom of foot. Was not noticeably swollen as she walked. I soaked her foot in Epsom salts 1x per day (then applied antibiotic ointment) for almost week. The swelling went down & the scab fell off, so I never got as far as the Tricide Neo Powder. I bought some, but now have it on hand if I ever need it.

I read somewhere that a drawing salve (with Ichthammol as the main ingredient) may treat bumblefoot. Clean & soak foot, apply salve & some triple antibiotic ointment, then bandage with gauze & vet wrap.

 

[Bluebells]

Greetings,

I have good news to share on bumblefoot:

Last summer I remember reporting my Wyandotte Margaret's bumblefoot. Her corn was so large our avian vet could not cut it out without crippling her, i.e. she said there would be no foot left. Instead she showed us how to make a shoe for Margaret using horse tape---the kind that sticks to itself on one side and gradually conforms to the shape it needs to be. We have been making her a new shoe--at first on a weekly basis, but over time life getting busier I confess it's been more like very two or even three weeks. When changing shoes we have soaked her feet in warm water with espom salts, have treated her corn with echinacea sometimes. Sometimes it looked like it was getting smaller (hurrah!), but other times it had grown larger. Suddenly last time it was gone, and Margaret has been walking around without her shoe.

Her sister also had bumblefoot but hers has also cleared away.

Our vet explained to us that it is caused by a virus and is not contageous to humans. It is something in the ground of our garden. However, like with us humans, it will go away on its own when the immune system has figured out how to deal with it. (I also wonder whether the virus just goes into remission like with chicken pox...)

I am so happy for the hens and wanted to share this with those who like your friend and like me have no stomach....or those whose hens' corns are too big to cut out. If you buy the horse tape in bulk it is a lot more affordable, and the hen will enjoy having her shoe changed, feet bathed. They don't need to die but without the shoe they would do so. I know from experience that a crippled hen does not live long, having lost two hens in the past to a broken back and another to something mysterious that never improved (whole leg lost its ability to move or support her).

This is a minority view on the website I can see so please hope you will be gentle on me. Based on all that I had read here last summer, I was just grateful each month that she was still alive and walking around with the other hens. I was just hoping the vet might be right that she would eventually recover. My son got tired of helping me....but one can manage somehow. This hen does not like being on her back so it was not easy.

To make the shoe start by wrapping the tape around the top of leg just below the ankle (whatever that joint is), and move down towards the toes. Make sure the sticking side is facing outwards. Then make figure eights around the toes. Hold a cushion of gauze over the corn or scab and wrap the horse tape over that. Depending on where the corn is protruding you might not need it every time. (It shifts where it protrudes.) This shoe will provide the cushioning needed to walk around the garden, and it also keeps the hen from pecking her foot/getting infect. That said sometimes there was an awful odor when we changed her shoe. Probably better to change it more frequently if you can manage it.

 

[Franki]

Has anyone ever used this on a goose?
Any ideas on how to wrap it's foot or if it would be necessary?

Thanks
Linda

 

[Franki]

My apologies.
I've been reading these posts from page one about the Tricide-neo.
The question is has anyone ever used the Tricide-neo soaks on a goose?
I did order some.
I have an older goose that hasn't walked anymore than absolutely necessary for a couple of years.
He has been treated at the vet. He had Dr Scholl's gel insoles glued to his feet for a summer.
He had had adequan injections. He takes tramadol. We've tried everything.
The vet has thought it is arthritis. He is a rescue and has always had as my vet describes gnarly feet.
About two weeks ago I put him on Cosequin for dogs. Standard strength with Boswella and Hyaluronic acid. He is definitely getting up easier but I noticed him walking with a foot out to the side so I checked it again and there is a large lump on it.
I am going to try the soaks with the Tricide-neo.
Again just wondering if anyone has used it on a goose?
Linda

 

[GardenFae]

What a thread! I haven't been checking my girls' feet regularly because I am the sort to leave it alone unless there's reason to suspect an issue, and none of them were limping or showing any signs of distress. They've all been raised by me since they were young (2 since hatch, 2 since 3mo) but have not been handled daily so 3 out of the 4 will flap and struggle and yell when picked up. Well, my husband decided to bother them and pick them all up for cuddles the other night and I took the opportunity to check their feet. The friendly one is clean (of course!) but all the others have bumbles of some degree.

I managed to soak two of them in an epsom salt bath for a few minutes last night, and this afternoon went out and soaked my Wyandotte again, poked at the scab and managed to get some of the edge free but couldn't pull it loose. Don't have any Tri-neo, but I did have neosporin and vet wrap. She hates the vet wrap and picked at it for a few minutes but seems to have given up now and is walking and scratching normally. I plan on attacking this one foot at a time so as not to stress the birds too much or overwhelm myself... I was hoping to use tea tree because it's been proven in topical use against staph in humans but I don't want to risk it after the reports here. So for now I'm going to try the epsom soak every night, neosporin and vet wrap during the day, and keep slowly pulling at that scab and hopefully get it out without cutting. I'm glad I found this thread before I got some scalpels and started surgery!


The bumble, after some clean-up last night. Not a ton of swelling and no sign of infection on the top of the foot.


She did NOT want to stretch out her foot for a few minutes after I was done.


Here she is wondering what the hell just happened and whether she ought to kill me for the indignity of being held upside-down in a towel.

 

[Faraday40]

That looks kind of like what I saw on my bird's foot. Hers may have been a little smaller, but like you, I didn't see swelling. The epsom salt soaks & antibiotic ointment worked wonders. One day after a soak, i noticed it was gone. I never picked or messed with it. The scab must have fallen off & the skin was pink where the scab used to be.

 

[FrogPond2012]

I do not have any suggestions. I just wanted to say THANK-YOU to everyone on this thread. I have a duck, Mazie the Ancona, that has the start of bumblefoot. I cannot handle doing any type of surgery myself. I hate to traumatize her any more by taking her to the vet. She's already had a tough time this past few weeks. Especially after getting over curly toes. I am quite surprised that she is still laying an egg a day! All the suggestions and success stories have been a huge help.

 

[PoultryPedia]

If no other alternative treatment that's possible is effective, someone who wants to take a risk could try treating with Tangerine essential oil.

Mixing a drop of Tangerine essential oil in a a little bit of carrier oil (such as coconut oil) to dilute it, & then rubbing some of that on the foot would be the probably the most effective & safest way to use it. Essential oils are EXTREMELY concentrated, so be very conservative on amounts.

Tangerine is supposed to kill some kinds of staph infections, which is the class of infections that usually cause Bumblefoot. I think the tangerine PEEL is what's helpful, so regular tangerine juice wouldn't be very helpful.
https://www.organicfacts.net/health...alth-benefits-of-tangerine-essential-oil.html
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/a...w-antibiotics-might-be-essential-oils/384247/

Citrus can be risky for birds, however.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/274883/why-cant-you-feed-your-chicken-citrus

Iron overload disease (extra risky if high-iron pellets, supplements or foods are also fed):
http://www.beautyofbirds.com/ironstoragedisease.html

I don't know if the risks would be quite as high if the bird is absorbing tangerine thru the skin rather than taking orally, but they might be.

I put 2-3 drops of lemon essential oil in my 3 chickens' drinking water a number of times over a year ago, and the two hens seemed to have done fine. The rooster died from a combination of problems, so I don't know if it had a detrimental effect for him or not. He had gout (among other conditions) & I also applied lemon EO undiluted (probably unwise) on his feet.

The below article specifically recommends feeding citrus to chickens, but it doesn't sound like the people involved necessarily know a lot of specific info about birds.
http://www.examiner.com/article/why-feeding-oranges-to-cows-and-chickens-could-save-lifes

Try googling to research more about these issues before deciding to try this treatment out!

Tangerine essential oil is pretty inexpensive. It's $6.56 + shipping at this website-- http://butterflyexpress.net/shopping/index/OS

If anyone decides to experiment with this, please report back on results!

 

[weedlady]

I am owner of Moonlight Mile Herbs and I sell a natural remedy that I make that will dissolve the bumblefoot, no surgery, no soaking, no wrapping no cutting. http://www.moonlightmileherbs.com/herbaltinctures.html

Susan Burek
Moonlight Mile Herb Farm

 

[FrogPond2012]

Hello! Does anyone know how to store the Tricide-neo water mixture? Can I put it in the freezer or fridge without killing the mixture? My duck Maize is starting to get over bumblefoot and I have a lot of the mixture left. Thanks!!!