4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Cockeldoodledoo]

Hi,

Just signed up to the forum as I'm getting really really concerned about my much loved pet cockerel lil' Chris and feel im now at a dead end (Lil Chris derived from 'Christmas Dinner' because of his green and red leg rings!!! ) He is a speckled Meran who was hatched by one of out hens about 3 years ago)

 

So...He has had a really swollen foot for about 6 weeks now. Took him to the vets when it started thinking it was bumble foot (which i have successfully treated before in another pet cockerel). She lanced it, drained alot of nastyness off and gave me 2 weeks of Baytril and Metacam. I drained, poulticed and bandaged the foot every day and along with his meds it seemed to massively decrease in size.

 

I then went away for a few days and when i came back it had swollen up again. Got another 2 weeks of meds without seeing vet and managed to lance it myself. After a week it hadnt got better so i took him back to the vets. She gave me a weeks worth of tablets for him...Clavseptin Pal and Metronidazole and after a few days on them alot of cheesyness came out (sorry!)

 

So once again it seemed to be getting better. He finished the tablets and i continued to poultice it etc. Its now very swollen again. I tried lancing it last night but cut quite deep and only got a relatively small amount of blood, when in the past it has bled alot more. I've been reading alot online and people have mentioned the possibility of a tumour? He has no scabs at all on his foot, and has a large swelling on the side of his foot in line with the spur. In addition the base of his foot is alot bigger in comparison with the other foot, and there is a small swelling between two of the toes too. I will post photos later. He still seems well in himself. He hobbles about a bit and sometimes flinches when i touch it so i know its uncomfortable but he is such a lovely chicken i would really really like to get it better for him

 

I've put a link to some pics of his foot that I have loaded onto Flickr. Would really really apreciate peoples thoughts on them.

 

 

 

Thanks in advance

Chloe.x

[The Dogmother]

Hmmm, doesn't look like bumblefoot to me, but some other infection higher up in the foot/leg. I'd remove that leg ring pronto and get him back to the vet.

[Chucky Mama]

He may have osteomyelitis - the infection may have gone to the bone. Unlike the advise that you have been given from the Backyard Forum, I would not advise that you inject the leg with penicillin. I really wouldn't continue to lance the area yourself as unless you are going this aseptically you may be introducing infection to the area plus it is something that does require a degree of skill in terms of identifying where to cut otherwise you can get blood instead of pus. It may also be that the draining of the fluid has improved things in the past rather than the antibiotics. The infection may be resistant to the antibiotics that have been given and he may need something else. An xray may be required to see if there is bone involvement and a swab perhaps to see what if growning in there in terms of bacteria (or not). I agree that the ring should come off.

[Egluntyne]

I agree....it doesn't look like Bumblefoot, and to be lancing it without adequate knowledge or training is not a good idea. You risk introducing infection. I'd take him back to the vet if he were mine.

[The Dogmother]

I've seen it more localised before TBH. My grandad used to apply a poultice to draw it out, not sure what was in it though - vet might know.

[Cockeldoodledoo]

Ok will remove the leg ring as soon as I get home. Its loose but il take it off to be safe anyway.

 

I'm in two minds whether to go back to the vets or not. When I take him in the vet seems to know suprisingly little and I felt I was almost advising her on what to do. I've already spent £150 on vets bills and can't really afford to spend more, especially if it goes nowhere.

 

I've been lancing it with a new scalpel blade, although now you've said I know that i should be sterilising it. Just hadnt really considered it when i knew there was infection anway. I have been bandaging it daily with a fresh poultice pad and cotton wool which worked great when he had exit holes for the nastyness but obviously gets nothing out now. I've kept doing it though in the hope that it might keep any infection away from the bone.

 

After lancing it and nothing coming out and shan't do it again now. Its just really difficult to know what to do as I know the vet will practically write him off if i do take him back, as she did when i first took him in. I suppose theres no chance of it clearing up by itself?

[The Dogmother]

I doubt it will clear up on its own TBH, but please don't continue to lance it yourself.

 

I hope that you manage to find a poultry-savvy vet; whereabouts are you located?

[Cockeldoodledoo]

Mmm..that would be to easy wouldn't it!

 

I won't lance it anymore after nothing came out on the last attempt. I live in Hertfordshire.

[The Dogmother]

I don't know any vets in that area myself but there are a couple of vets recommended here, the poor bird must be in quite a lot of discomfort, so I'd suggest getting it looked at soonest

[Chucky Mama]

The scalpel blade is sterile but you are cutting into flesh that is not properly prepared. You will be cutting through tissue that is coated in all sorts of bacteria & chicken poo. Your bird needs more than DIY treatment at home. Untreated osteomyelitis if that is what it is is painful and the bone could deteriorate further if left. I know I wouldn't fancy walking around on a foot like that It may be chronic now and beyond the point at which things can be got back to normal but I think that you should consult a vet.

[Cockeldoodledoo]

I cleaned his foot before, during and after lancing it using hibi-scrub. I didnt hesitate to take him to the vets when i first noticed the swelling, I really am trying to do my best for him! I just wanted some other opinions on the way forward as my vet was suprisingly cluless.

 

Thank you for the list of vets. Will definately be using that. Just poulticed and bandaged his foot again and it seems to have gone down a bit again. As its the bank holiday I'll wait a few days anyway to see how it goes.

[Chucky Mama]

I think that getting him right will be costly I'm afraid. To do it properly he could do with a GA to open it up, swab it for drug sensitivity, flush it out and xray it. He will then need dressings and a suitable antibiotic. It may be that the foot never returns to normal and a degree of thickening and stiffening may well remain. Are you sure that the swelling that you are seeing in him now is infection rather than just thickened scar tissue or tumour growth. I really wouldn't lance it yourself anymore.

[Redwing]

Whatever it is now it certainly looks like it started as bumblefoot. It looks quite bad now though and looks like that leg has got worse and worse sadly. I know you have done your best but think it may be kinder to call it a day - no one can say you didnt try

 

If you had this one and the other from youngsters its worth finding and eliminating the cause of the bumblefoot

[Cockeldoodledoo]

He seems fine within himself so im definately not prepared to have him put down yet. Aslong as he is happy to run across the garden to get treats when i call him then im happy to keep poulticing and bandaging his foot daily. It does seem to have gone down a bit, & he seems to be walking on it a little better so im just going to stick with it, & if i feel he deteriorates then i will know to call it a day.

 

As for the cause i currently have 9 chickens and he is the only one with bumblefoot & i have had many others over the years with only one other patient suffering from bumblefoot. I believe bumblefoot is quite common and as they are all free range i think i would struggle to try & eliminate the cause.

 

Tumour growth was one of the things that concerned me and something i read about a while ago, but because of the amount of pus that has been drained from his foot bumblefoot seemed to be a more rational diagnosis. Addmitidly some of the swelling could be scar tissue so for now i think it will be best to keep it padded and bandaged so its as comfortable as possible and just see how he goes.