Wanting to use pain meds for bumblefoot surgery!? Tell me how...

[SIMPleChick]

I have done research on pain meds for chickens and how to do bumblefoot surgery. I know my chickens feel pain, and I don't want them to be in horrible pain after digging things out of their feet. Now. I have some questions before I start. I will post pictures later to make sure what I am seeing is really bumblefoot!

1/2 to 1/4 baby aspirin depending on size of the bird every 4-6 hours. (How long does it take for the meds to kick in after giving it with their digestion? Also give it with yogurt to help with digestion and keep it from hurting their crop?

Bumblefoot can take up to an hour to completely get everything out, so pain meds would be useful for the hens. (How long do you toss the eggs when you give them pain meds?)

Are their other better pain meds I can use without going to a vet or spending a lot of money?

Keeping their feet clean, I am thinking of keeping them in the bathroom while their feet heal, so how long does it take with wrapped feet and soaking 2X a day for the wounds to heal???

I did an initial soak, scrape and wrap of their feet a few days ago and since then they HATE me touching their feet, and I could do this without a problem befor, so I know they feel it, or something!

Tell me what you think and how you would let them heal. It is only 2 of my 11 hens so I can't keep them isolated in the coop because I need to keep it open for the others...

 

[SIMPleChick]

anyone?

 

[Terri O]

My chickens after BF surgery did not seem to have any problems with pain. Maybe there are not too many nerves in that area? I put the triple antibiotic in the hole and wrapped it up with gauze and vetwrap. Forgot about it for a week and when I unwrapped the foot was healed. The bird was turned back out with the others right after the surgery. I figured it had to feel better after the bumble was out...cant even tell what chicken it was now...Terri O

 

[nurse_turtle]

The aspirin is best and will not affect their eggs at all. I think the girls can go back into the flock after each treatment as long as the wrappings are intact. There is much controversy regarding how and if chickens feel physical pain. I have seen videos of people performing crop surgery on chickens with no pain meds or sedation at all and respond by saying that chickens don't feel pain because they don't scream and try to escape when being cut on. I appreciate that you care about the fact that all sentient beings experience physical pain. Again, if you use the vet wrap over gauze to dress their feet, I think it would be OK to send them back to their flock after each treatment. If they are kept too long from the flock, the pecking order may have to be re-established.

 

[SIMPleChick]

My personal belief is that every living thing, mamal, bird, etc, feels pain, they just can't cry because in nature, if they do that, they attract preditors and get eaten. So I want to give them pain meds. It would make me feel better. LOL Anyway! My real worry about the bandages is them getting wet and dirty. It's been raining here, sprinklers on at night sometimes. One hen who has bumblefoot LOVES to stand in the waterer pool when she drinks.. Or stand in ANY standing water. So Do I remove ALL pools of water? But the bandages will still get wet from the grass in the morning....So please let me know what I should do about that? I am worried about their feet getting infected again because of the dampness of the ground/dirt/mud/etc.....??????

 

[swatskee]

One of our chickens has/had bumblefoot.... I did the surgery and I have to say that I'm not 100% I got everything out. I think i would have needed to cut throught he top of the foot to reach the entire thing in one of the feet so an hour into it i stopped, stepped back, and punted! I ended up ordering penicillin online and giving the bird shots for a week while cleaningthe wounds every day or two and re-wrapping.

I cleaned up the feet, sprayed with Bactine, put neosporin on them, and wrapped them up.

I ended up giving the bird shots for a week... I never did this before so it was a learning experience and getting Pro-Pen-G (yes, you can give a chicken Pro-Pen-G/ researched it on here at BYC) to push through a needle was a bit difficult but I manage to make it work. I gave the shots in the thigh...I was too nervous to give them in the breast! I payed $6 for 100ml bottle and $0.20 a needle online.

I kept her feet cleaned and wrapped for about 2 weeks or so.

It's been about 3-4 weeks now and so far she's doing great! Keeping my fingers crossed!
I used no pain med at all and the bird did not seem to be in much pain. Right after the surgery she was up and walking around eating weeds in the yard....

 

[SIMPleChick]

Great pictures! And now I know, for sure, that my chickens really do have bumblefoot! I am getting ready for this! I am thinking tonight! Have to go get the bandages. Same question again, how to keep the dressings dry, or do you just have to change it often??
And it is SOOOOO good to know that you can get the anti-bios online if I need them! Thanks SOOOO much!

 

[swatskee]

keep changing them out. It's a pain but you're chicken will be glad you did it.

 

[swatskee]

Also, this is a post i read here at BYC.... This is why i decided to go the antibiotic route in the long run.



My Bumble Foot treatment by Bill Ludwig.
The following is an all out treatment. Mild infections can sometimes heal on there own or with much less bother than the following treatment plan. For very mild cases (small scab and no swelling) I will just clean and bandage for 1 to 2 weeks. For a medium infection (small scab and minor swelling of the foot pad) I will give Pen-G injections and clean and bandage. For very bad cases (large scab and major swelling of entire foot) I use the following. This information is based on my personal experience. I have no back round or education in veterinarian medicine

Bumble Foot is a staph infection and can spread to the "hock" joint as well. What has worked for me is injections of Pen-G. This is a basic form of penicillin and works very well on is type of staph infection. It will take some of your time for a week. You will need to soak the foot and bandage it also.
Things you will need:
1) Pen-G This can be purchased at feed stores or Tractor Supply Co. No prescription needed. Small bottle $9.00
2) 3ml syringe with a 25 gage needle. Shorter needle is easier. I use 1/2 or 5/8 inch. Get this at a pharmacy. Cost about 25 cents each. You may want several incase you bend a needle.
3) Rubbing alcohol
4) Gauze
5) Water proof bandaging tape
6) Epson salts
7) Neosporin or generic triple antibiotic ointment
8) Time and TLC

I have found that the lancing and squeezing is a waste of time.
Soak the foot in warm Epson salt solution. Mix according to package. About 15 - 20 minutes.
Apply Neosporin ( triple antibiotic ointment) and bandage. It will get dirt in it. Do the best you can allowing for free movement of foot.
Injections .
Allow Pen-G to warm to room temp. Shake pen-g well just before putting in syringe. Pull in about 3/4 CC (same as ml.). Pen-G is very thick, this will be slow.
Injection can be given in breast or thigh.
It must be given in muscle tissue taking care not to hit a bone.
Find the spot you want and clean with alcohol.
It helps if someone can help hold the bird now.
The Pen-G will want to plug the needle so just before putting the needle in you need to clear it by pushing some out. Keep 1/2 CC in syringe. This is the amount I used for a 4-5 lb. bird.
Insert the syringe and slowly withdraw it while injecting.
If the medicine wont push out the needle, withdraw the needle and clear it and try again.
If you have never done this I know it sounds difficult and even scary. Its not so bad.
Clean syringe with alcohol or replace with a new one.
Repeat for five days.
Now clean and bandage every 2 - 3 days till scabbed area looks mostly healed.
The swelling will last maybe a week longer after injections are done.
The scab may take several weeks to completely heal

 

[Diana_burns04]

One of our chickens has/had bumblefoot.... I did the surgery and I have to say that I'm not 100% I got everything out. I think i would have needed to cut throught he top of the foot to reach the entire thing in one of the feet so an hour into it i stopped, stepped back, and punted! I ended up ordering penicillin online and giving the bird shots for a week while cleaningthe wounds every day or two and re-wrapping.

I cleaned up the feet, sprayed with Bactine, put neosporin on them, and wrapped them up.

I ended up giving the bird shots for a week... I never did this before so it was a learning experience and getting Pro-Pen-G (yes, you can give a chicken Pro-Pen-G/ researched it on here at BYC) to push through a needle was a bit difficult but I manage to make it work. I gave the shots in the thigh...I was too nervous to give them in the breast! I payed $6 for 100ml bottle and $0.20 a needle online.

I kept her feet cleaned and wrapped for about 2 weeks or so.

It's been about 3-4 weeks now and so far she's doing great! Keeping my fingers crossed!
I used no pain med at all and the bird did not seem to be in much pain. Right after the surgery she was up and walking around eating weeds in the yard....

I

I did the same thing and it's gross!!