Bumblefoot?

[coach723]

Where do you get antibiotics for bumblefoot? I’ve been treating my girl for two months and she’s not well yet! Foot still swollen and area around the hole that’s trying to act like it’s healing is still very hard!

Can you post some pictures of the foot in question? Up close and in focus, all parts. Many times antibiotics are not necessary, or will be ineffective unless all the infection is removed first. If any remains, then it will regenerate.
If we can see what you are dealing with, it would help in giving advice. Also description of what you have done up to now for treatment.
Many of the common antibiotics have been pulled and are only available by prescription now, which means a vet. The vast majority of the time I don't use antibiotics beyond a topical ointment that is available over the counter, or sugardine.

 

[Adey65]

Do these look like they're clearing up? They do to me, but I just wanted it clarified. They are hard, and as you can see from the swelling between the toes on my first post, that has nearly disappeared now. She is getting around fine, although she does lift her foot now and again, both of them, which I suppose is normal.behaviour, as most chickens do it occasionally, and I'm overthinking, I change the bandage every 3 days, at which point I clean her feet with saline and apply some vetyricin and antibiotic ointment. Today I applied iodine instead of the ointment. Do I need to continue applying the antibiotic ointment as it is just a scab now? What are your thoughts?

 

[coach723]

The one picture is pretty blurry, but appears from what I can tell that it needs to be cleaned out. A clearer picture would be helpful. The clearer picture looks to have a lot of dirt stuck to it. I would soak both feet, clean them up with a soft toothbrush, so we can see better.

 

[Adey65]

The one picture is pretty blurry, but appears from what I can tell that it needs to be cleaned out. A clearer picture would be helpful. The clearer picture looks to have a lot of dirt stuck to it. I would soak both feet, clean them up with a soft toothbrush, so we can see better.

I did as you said. Hopefully theyll give you a better indication of whether Im on the right track.

 

[coach723]

The swelling definitely has gone down. If you want to continue as you have been, you can do that, see if it resolves. Bumblefoot can be a very slow process sometimes, and can take months. Even a very small, shallow one can take a while to heal. Some people prefer to cut as the healing can be faster. I try not to cut. If it continues to get smaller, no swelling, no limping, then I think you are ok with what you are doing. If it seems to get larger, etc. Then I would soak the foot/feet, remove the scabs, clean out underneath well, pack it with sugardine, and bandage. Do that daily.

 

[Adey65]

The swelling definitely has gone down. If you want to continue as you have been, you can do that, see if it resolves. Bumblefoot can be a very slow process sometimes, and can take months. Even a very small, shallow one can take a while to heal. Some people prefer to cut as the healing can be faster. I try not to cut. If it continues to get smaller, no swelling, no limping, then I think you are ok with what you are doing. If it seems to get larger, etc. Then I would soak the foot/feet, remove the scabs, clean out underneath well, pack it with sugardine, and bandage. Do that daily.

Thanks for the advice. Should I continue to apply the antibiotic ointment after soaking and cleaning, or just wrap in vet wrap?

 

[coach723]

I would continue with the ointment, and wrap.

 

[Marsha DeVaughn]

Thanks for the advice. Should I continue to apply the antibiotic ointment after soaking and cleaning, or just wrap in vet wrap?

I have a question. Is the round puffy part around the scab hard or soft and squishy? This is why I ask. I’ve been treating my first case of bumblefoot and wow I’ve learned a lot! My girl’s foot looked just like yours but scab smaller and the round puffy part just stayed hard! I had dug so much junk out of her foot right under the scab and outward. I was afraid I was going too deep. Washed her foot, did Epsom salt soaks, applied Neosporin w/o pain killer, went through a whole bottle of Vetricyn. Every time it would still ooze a little puss. I couldn’t understand it. This had been 2 1/2 months! So about a week ago cleaning her foot, had not opened it up for quite a few days, just trying to see if it would heal because I just knew it wasn’t possible as deep as I’d gone that anything else could be in there. Decided to remove scab because it had gotten bigger. When I did it just poured more puss than ever. Got tweezers and went in around outside edge of hard lump and the dam broke! I literally said “Lord please let this be something that’s “supposed” to come out”! Wow! The huge round hard lump with a little encouragement popped up and out and it started bleeding freely. I was dumbfounded! This thing looked like an alien with two horns! Left a hole I could have stuck my finger in! But her foot was immediately soft and squishy for the first time! I forgot to say I had during treatment also started using Prid ointment with the Neosporin. She’s finally healing and looks to feel so much better!

 

[Adey65]

I have a question. Is the round puffy part around the scab hard or soft and squishy? This is why I ask. I’ve been treating my first case of bumblefoot and wow I’ve learned a lot! My girl’s foot looked just like yours but scab smaller and the round puffy part just stayed hard! I had dug so much junk out of her foot right under the scab and outward. I was afraid I was going too deep. Washed her foot, did Epsom salt soaks, applied Neosporin w/o pain killer, went through a whole bottle of Vetricyn. Every time it would still ooze a little puss. I couldn’t understand it. This had been 2 1/2 months! So about a week ago cleaning her foot, had not opened it up for quite a few days, just trying to see if it would heal because I just knew it wasn’t possible as deep as I’d gone that anything else could be in there. Decided to remove scab because it had gotten bigger. When I did it just poured more puss than ever. Got tweezers and went in around outside edge of hard lump and the dam broke! I literally said “Lord please let this be something that’s “supposed” to come out”! Wow! The huge round hard lump with a little encouragement popped up and out and it started bleeding freely. I was dumbfounded! This thing looked like an alien with two horns! Left a hole I could have stuck my finger in! But her foot was immediately soft and squishy for the first time! I forgot to say I had during treatment also started using Prid ointment with the Neosporin. She’s finally healing and looks to feel so much better!

It's hard, but you have got me thinking now, paticularly as there I still some swelling between the toes on that foot, albeit a small amount. Her dressing is due to be taken off tomorrow and changed, so if the swelling hasn't got any better, or I worse, I will have to remove the scab. I put some prid on there when I changed it the other day in case this might happen,so that should help. Thank you for your post.

 

[Marsha DeVaughn]

It's hard, but you have got me thinking now, paticularly as there I still some swelling between the toes on that foot, albeit a small amount. Her dressing is due to be taken off tomorrow and changed, so if the swelling hasn't got any better, or I worse, I will have to remove the scab. I put some prid on there when I changed it the other day in case this might happen,so that should help. Thank you for your post.

You’re very welcome! I just thought maybe I could save you some of what I went through! Please let me know what happens! I had been using Prid, started halfway through treatment because I didn’t know about it initially. After everything I wondered if the big hard lump was the result of Prid drawing everything down and it helping to form the lump so it could come out. Would love to know how yours turns out! I might add my girl’s wasn’t swollen between her toes just on bottom but in the end they had started turning pink and I think it was headed that way. She’s doing good now! Still healing over the huge hole but finally healing!!!