[Chuckles]

Hi all...

Not sure what to do....3 of my girls have had swollen feet, they've been on a 2 week course of antibiotics and it hasn't done them much good.  One of my warrens Rosie now has a very hard lump between her toes, my other warren has one foot which is extremely swollen and my lakenvelder Daisy has both feet which are swollen even though the antibiotics have taken it down a little.

I've been on to my vets this morning to discuss what to do next, and she's basically said there's nothing much else can be done apart from surgery which would be extremely expensive and wouldn't advise it.

All 3 of them are pretty ok otherwise, they are all eating, drinking and are still laying daily.  My problem is do I let them carry on as they are or  dispatch  them.... I don't want them to suffer unneccessarily......

[Aunt Sally]

Did the vet say it was bumblefoot or something else ?

[Chuckles]

She said it was bumblefoot.

[joyfull]

Hi, have a look at this link from the poultry information section re bumblefoot.
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=21073.msg252596;topicseen#msg252596

[Foxy]

Have you been able to change the flooring in the run? bumblefoot can take a while to sort out. Is it possible for the vet to take a culture from one of the feet? it may need a different a/b

[Chuckles]

We managed to get rid of the bark but unfortuately we haven't had chance to put any turf down.  They've been on Baytril which the vet said should have cleared it up, she doesn't think we caught it early enough.....

[Foxy]

I know that it can take ages to sort out, so dont give up just yet. A soft floor, maybe finely chopped straw might  help, or even grass cuttings as a short term remedy, sorry just thinking aloud. Might be worth keeping them on the Baytril for a bit longer, bumble foot can take ages to sort out. I had one hen develop it, a big heavy girl it only resolved when popped her on a grass run for a bit.

[Chuckles]

Sorry for the delayed reply......

Thanks Foxy, think I just needed some back up on not giving up on them.  I want to give them every chance I can without them suffering.  The run in having a revamp this weekend and I'm hoping to get some turf down....short term I've put some chopped straw down, just hope it helps really don't want to lose them.

I've already lost one of my girls this week, Betsy - she had a prolapse a couple of months ago and was doing ok ish but she tried to lay again at the weekend and I think it was all too much for her, poor little mite 

[Kate and her Ducks]

Have to say, I thought the treatment for bumblefoot was to lance the pus out. Antibiotic have limited effect when there is an abscess and need to have drainage too.