Advanced Bumblefoot

[Dporter12]

Hi! I noticed one of my hens had swelling in the webbing of their foot. Started epsom salt soaks and applying prid and wrapping it daily. The scab on the bottom of her foot was quite large, but was able to do a debridement successfully, got a ton of stuff out, including the kernel. Everything looked good, so packed the wound with antibacterial cream and wrapped it. I have been changing it daily and keeping it clean, but leg and foot still felt warm. Took her to a bird vet today and confirmed the infection had tracked up her leg, and her other foot now has it! I’m not doing surgery. Vet said I could give oral antibiotics, but that could take weeks or months to clear it, if at all. And she would have to be separated the entire time while on them. I work full time and have two young kids, and the thought of that sounds exhausting. Right now she is walking and eating fine, and still laying eggs. I’m thinking of just keeping her clean and comfortable. But wanted to see if anyone else has experience with this and how it turned out with or without the antibiotics. Thanks!

 

[DobieLover]

Welcome to BYC.
If she is with the flock now, she can stay with the flock.
Perhaps your vet felt she needed to be isolated from the flock the entire time to make sure you knew which egg was hers because her eggs shouldn't be eaten during treatment.
I would give her the antibiotics and leave her with the flock.
If she is not a flighty bird, she may be an excellent patient and just take the antibiotic right from your hand and eat it on her own. I had a hen that did that for me and it made everything extremely easy.
If you have an area in your coop where she can walk in and you can close the door so you can give her the antibiotic without interference from the other birds, I would give it a try.
What antibiotic did the vet recommend?

 

[Dporter12]

Welcome to BYC.
If she is with the flock now, she can stay with the flock.
Perhaps your vet felt she needed to be isolated from the flock the entire time to make sure you knew which egg was hers because her eggs shouldn't be eaten during treatment.
I would give her the antibiotics and leave her with the flock.
If she is not a flighty bird, she may be an excellent patient and just take the antibiotic right from your hand and eat it on her own. I had a hen that did that for me and it made everything extremely easy.
If you have an area in your coop where she can walk in and you can close the door so you can give her the antibiotic without interference from the other birds, I would give it a try.
What antibiotic did the vet recommend?

I can’t remember which one, I’m picking it up tomorrow. I was planning to just throw her eggs out and keep her with the flock, but then the vet mentioned her poop being a problem for the other chickens because of the antiobiotics??? I clean the coop first thing every morning and clean their run every afternoon, so there’s never a bunch of poop in there. I’ll give it a shot, I just don’t have an easy way to keep her separated.

 

[DobieLover]

a problem for the other chickens because of the antiobiotics???

Chickens do ingest tiny amounts of other chickens poops by scratching around. The cleaner you keep things the better for many reasons. I would not worry about it. I have had birds on antibiotics many times that were not isolated from the flock.

 

[Dporter12]

Chickens do ingest tiny amounts of other chickens poops by scratching around. The cleaner you keep things the better for many reasons. I would not worry about it. I have had birds on antibiotics many times that were not isolated from the flock.

Ok wonderful. This makes me feel better. Thanks!