Steeling myself for the dreaded Bumblefoot surgery...any advice???

MuskokaMaiden · Post by **MuskokaMaiden** » Sun Aug 14, 2016 7:18 pm

Well, I've got everything set up but am totally & completely stalling while I work up the nerve to put Helen (the buff orp) under the knife. This is my 88 year old father's favorite chicken...the one he refers to as his girlfriend so no pressure.
ANY ADVICE?????

Post by **poultry_admin** » Sun Aug 14, 2016 7:46 pm

Looks like the gurus in this field are doing the evening chores.... LOL

Have a quick google search: youtube bumblefoot surgery

I only held one while WLLady did the surgery, so all I can tell you is that:
1) they don't feel much of anything in their feet.
2) the puss is solid and you need to go and dig it all out, otherwise you do it again. Good news is that when the blob comes out, you usually have it all.
3) She'll be waaaaay better afterwards.
4) oh, yes, we squeezed polysporin in for good measure before taping it up. Took about 1/3 of a tube.
5) two days later, she was good as new.

Good luck!

Hope one of the gurus can offer their advice.

MuskokaMaiden · Post by **MuskokaMaiden** » Sun Aug 14, 2016 7:50 pm

Thanks me too, when this movie is over I'm going in

MuskokaMaiden · Post by **MuskokaMaiden** » Sun Aug 14, 2016 8:10 pm

gulp, here goes

windwalkingwolf · Post by **windwalkingwolf** » Sun Aug 14, 2016 8:19 pm

It will seem to bleed a lot. Ignore this, but if it makes you feel better, hold her on her back with her foot in the air. If there isn't much blood, keep going until there is, because in an attempt to wall off infection, the body makes a vascularized cyst. If it's deep in, there's likely a thorn or splinter, and if you don't get it out, you'll have to redo. If it's big and deep (small bumble but lots of swelling), you may be better off going in through the top of the foot between the toes, instead of the foot pad, because that's where the thorn is likely to have ended up. Sometimes you can soak the foot to soften the bumble and then just pull it right off and most of the infection with it...if not, it's cut and squeeze, dig and cut and flush and dig some more :/

MuskokaMaiden · Post by **MuskokaMaiden** » Sun Aug 14, 2016 10:09 pm

Well, it was a double header. She had the typical black scab on one foot & another small one on the toe of her other foot. I soaked & soaked & soaked some more then went at her. I believe I caught it quite early as there was zero swelling. I'm hoping that is why I didn't find a puss plug either. Even tho it looked like healthy flesh in there I poked & squeezed & dug but found nothing more then what came out with the scab(s) so slathered on the ointment, applied sterile gauze & wrapped in vet wrap. Now if I could just talk her out of those kamikaze dives from the roosts.

ross · Post by **ross** » Sun Aug 14, 2016 10:19 pm

Good stuff , can you lower roost or deeper pile bedding in to land on ? Luck

MuskokaMaiden · Post by **MuskokaMaiden** » Sun Aug 14, 2016 10:36 pm

ross wrote:QR_BBPOST Good stuff , can you lower roost or deeper pile bedding in to land on ? Luck

As long as I keep the people door from the coop into the run closed then she takes the ladder down instead of hurtling herself out the doorway. I'm thinking it could also be that I've been clearing some trees & have put some raked leaves in the run...may have had some sticks in there too?
Whatever the case, I do plan to remodel the interior once I make some new exterior nest boxes so ya, I hope to move the roosts entirely.

windwalkingwolf · Post by **windwalkingwolf** » Mon Aug 15, 2016 2:25 am

Congrats!

Post by **Killerbunny** » Mon Aug 15, 2016 7:37 am

Way to go, they generally just seem relieved!

Poultry Talk Ontario (pto.ca)

Surgery Steeling myself for the dreaded Bumblefoot surgery...any advice???