PICS** Infected/Red swollen lump on top of chickens foot

[kimmom]

One of our White Leghorns has a swollen foot (on top) that is red and lumpy and looks infected. What should I be doing. there is no open wound at all..

 

[Imp]

Quote:
I assume you did look at the underside of the foot as well, so maybe not bumblefoot.

I would guess that it is either an infection or broken foot. If it is hot probably infection and would need anti-biotics. If broken splinting it?
This is really more of a guess. Hope someone with more experience will chime in. Posting a pix would be a big help.

Good luck
Imp

 

[kimmom]

I took a picture, how do I post it??

 

[pips&peeps]

Press the uploads button and it will guide you through it.

 

[tnchickenut]

I have had two seperate cases of bumblefoot where there was vertually nothing that the human eye could see on the bottom but on the top (kinda inbetween the toes) there was a red swollen area. Soaked in warm epsom salt water twice a day, kept a eye out for any wounds on the bottom, and it went away after about 5-7 days. I continued treatment with once a day soaks another week just incase. Worked great.

 

[Imp]

Quote:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=504

Some instructions about posting pix

Imp

 

[kimmom]

Here is my try at pics, top and bottom of foot!

 

[LindsayB]

bumblefoot...there are lots of threads on here about it and how to treat it.

 

[tnchickenut]

yup... bumblefoot. Good luck treating it... I hate having to deal with it. Yours looks further along than anything I have personally had to deal with. It's a long road to get fully recovered. You should read up on it, then try the best you can to clear it up. Alot of people will tell you to lance the foot and stuff with gauze. I have never done that... three out of my four cases were week old chicks and there is no way I'm lancing something that small... let along stuffing it.

Long story short.... don't take the first answer as the only one.

If you like to hear how I cleared all my cases up... I soaked the foot in warm-hot water that was at least 1/2 epsom salt twice a day. After a ten minute soak I would take a q-tip and clean out the dirt and poo from the wound (and the whole foot in general) and soak again in clean epsom salt water (again... very heavy on the epsom salt). After that 5-10 minute soak I would dry the foot with a sterile gauze and put neosporin on the wound... thickly. It usually would be open after the first soak, so I glob it on there good. Then I used towels for bedding and changed them twice a day. After the first day I saw improvement, but it is EXTREMELY important to not stop treating as soon as the swelling goes down. Bumblefoot is a infection... staph to be more percise. You may even want to treat with anti-biotics... that is a personal choice I will leave up to you. If you do want to use anti-biotics it is recommended to use LS-50 for bumblefoot (feed stores, TSC, ect. have it).

Like I said, some will tell you to cut the foot open right away. I have never because of them being chicks and my one older hen that had bumblefoot... well, I had too much success not cutting feet open to just jump right to that. The "plug" as they call it (the mass of infection - probrably the dark circle in your pic on the bottom of the foot) will pull out with a good soak and some gentle but firm pulling from a steady hand.

That's just my way that I have used. I'm not a vet, so please do some research and find what would be best for you.

Try emailing the doctor at firststatevetsupply.com - he is a vet and a chicken vet at that! He has always replied to emails that I have sent... very nice guy.