Treating bumblefoot

[fur and feathers]

I'm treating my first case of bumble foot and have been trying to find some recent information on using Tricide Neo but with not with much luck. Does anyone have any experience with this?

Any advice for non surgical treatment would be greatly appreciated! Including on how to bandage a constantly wriggling foot

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi , understand what you mean . I have used detol clean it up. Detol on a pad then bandage through a claw gap other end round leg. Wrap round below the spur back down claw space next to one used then back round the spur above tie off . If you let free range use gaffer tape over the bandage . Best done with a helper or mealworms to keep hen/cockerel interested. Must admit Red behaved well. Change as regular as possible . I took Red to vet when it got small and he cut the kernal out . Whilst she was awake etc. It will take a while to sort . Red leg did not re occur before she died of a heart attck...
I could not believe a chicken can die of this but assume it is true.
Gave her Metcam as well . Antibiotics help .
depends on your budget . Plenty of good food .
Let us know how you get on . Sure plenty more help will come your way .
Bob

[fur and feathers]

Thanks Bob. I've just done another treatment and managed a beautiful bandaging job ... or so I thought! Ten minutes later it's only half attached Fortunately she's settled down on some soft grass in the shade for her afternoon nap so the iodine dressing is still mostly in place. It looks like I'll be getting plenty of practice!

I tried wrapping her in a towel but that didn't go well at all. Lots of squawking and fowl language She's actually calmer if I let her settle on my lap first and then hope that I can reach the relevant foot.

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi ,that works as well.
At least you are having fun.Check both feet . Also it is catchy so watch the other girls feet as well.
Bob

[KarenE]

I've treated a very persistent and reoccurring case of Bumblefoot. I never really got rid of it, but I found daily (or as regular as you can) footbaths in hibiscrub worked wonders. Some on here have had better success with hibiscrub baths plus sudocreme bandages, and I think this is all best if you catch the infection in its early stages.

There is conflicting advice from vets. Mine said that bandaging wasn't helpful, and cutting it out could bring more infection in. Always I was given specific antibiotics to go along with the footbaths, and this usually got the infection under control.

My little Casper spent so long on ABs though that I wondered if they affected her organs - she died a few months back and wasn't very old, plus not an ex batt.

Good luck with it. It is a real nuisance, and really quite nasty. Bob's right, it's a staph infection so could be passed on - including to humans so be careful of hygiene.

Also check the run or wherever they hang out, see what may have caused it. Too high perches, fat birds (!) and sharp stones or whatever.

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi Karen , My girls FAT ,never ....
You can cut it out yourself with a art knife . as long as some one holds the hen and you are not to sqimish .
Like a corn /veroca .
Best of luck let us know how you deal with it and if it is successful .
Bob

[chookmike]

We had a case which was probably caused by perches being to high - 2 feet is plenty to make them feel safe.

We tried everything including surgery, antibiotics and antiseptics but never got rid of it.

Bandaging is easier if you lay the hen on her side and cover with a towel - she will then lie still as they practically no night vision so go to sleep (probably wondering why night time arrived so quickly today)

It is staph. aureus - same bug that causes wound infections in humans.

Good luck

Mike

[fur and feathers]

I'm doing an Epsom salts soak for now but I think I'll try the Hibiscrub. I didn't do anything to her yesterday. Although she's very tame and follows me around when I'm in their garden, she's already beginning to keep her distance a bit and get nervous if I bend down to do something on the ground near or next to her. That's the part of having to treat them I hate I can't bear it when my chickens run away from me!

Even my rooster is getting a little wary. When I catch Buttercup he runs away and hides under one of their shelters! Big brave boy I thought a rooster should stand and defend his hen!

Mike, I hate to ask but what happened to the one you couldn't cure?

I'm not going to attempt surgery as I have no one to help me so if we get to that stage she'll have to go to a vet.

I'm also concerned that she's not wanting to eat much chicken food. They're completely free range so she's still eating all the usual from the garden and some kitchen scraps. I've had other sick hens who first lost their appetite for chicken food then other food then died. Is it possible the infection is already systemic even though her foot is very mild? There's virtually no swelling, she's not limping at all or worrying at it, there's just the hard black scab.

[chookmike]

Hello F&F

It is not the answer you wanted to hear. She went over the bridge while in Rebecca's arms. I may well be wrong but I don't think topical, ie surface skin treatment will get to the seat of the infection which is deep within the bones of her foot. We extracted the 'corn' ie dried pus ie dead white blood cells about 3 times but no success.

None of my business of course but even after only one case experience, my thoughts would be to either go all out with the vet and surgery or leave her un-molested and un-stressed and accept what happens. Fate is not always kind to living things and we know how much it hurts with a close friend - human or chicken.

Best wishes

Mike

[fur and feathers]

That's the answer I expected, although was hoping for something better.

I've read of a few cases that seemed to heal just with soaking and dressing, but then again many don't. As with many other chicken problems, there seem to be several possible treatments with varying outcomes, and after my experience with poor Buttercup today I have also been thinking vet or nothing. She was OK for some of the time I was working with her but mostly panicky and stressed. The thought of putting her (and me) through that every day for several weeks doesn't sit well with me. Especially with no guaranteed positive outcome. If it wasn't too bad for her and not for too long and I knew she'd be better, then maybe. Some chickens just deal better with being handled than others, and while mine love being up close and personal as much as possible, they've never been the cuddly sort so she's not used to being handled much at all.

Chickens actually seem quite fragile little creatures to me and it's a hard decision to make about how much to put them through in the attempt to cure them.

At least the bandage with the iodine dressing has stayed on all day so maybe that's done some good!

[manda]

Surface treatment won't do anything as a staph infection grows without oxygen so it's encapsulated- which is why they approach things surgically so unless it's a different infection I don't understand why a vet would say surgery isn't required ??

My suggestion would be as already said - vet. If it's not treated it will spread and will end her life ultimately. Left untreated, the infection travels and gets involved in the tendons and joints....you have to catch it very early to be able to soak it out. I know some who don't treat at all and some put down chickens with bumblefoot - I'm not of that opinion I think you should give them a chance but I do understand it because treatment can be very long term and it's seldom successful forever....bumblefoot often recurs ...especially if you don't get the bumbles all out.