Bumblefoot?

[Jerry]

I have a young bird that has what appears to be a swelling on the base of the foot. The swelling extends somewhat up the leg. The foot/leg affected happens to be the banded leg and I'm fearful that the swelling might become debilitating. Does anyone have any idea of how to treat this disorder? Any help appreciated.


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Jerry H.

[dano7]

Go to the search engine on the top of this page, type in "bumblefoot" as the key word and before you perform the search go down to the next field which is "Search Forum/Archives:"; hit the drop down menu and select "General Discussions"; twelve topics will be linked and you choose "Bumblefoot or ??" from April 11, 2004. That band may have to go!!

[Trees Gray]

Hi Jerry,

Please make sure this is diagnosed correctly, as I have seen a lot of different descriptions of Bumblefoot, from a growth on the toe to actual swelling of the foot.

A trip to the vet might be in order. If there is blood flow involved this needs to be taken care of immediately.

One of my birds had a growth on the toe that sort of grew towards the sun like coral in the ocean, kind of yellow looking??? My rehabber told me to put tea tree oil on it three times a day, which was done. It dried up and we were able to pick it off. Once it was gone it didn't come back. She said it was Bumblefoot and she had seen some raptors with it. This does not sound like what your bird has.

Let's have the experts on the subject respond...please

Treesa

[fred130]

Hi,
This is something that cannot be dealt with over the web. If it's pox, there is no household remedy available. if it's a bumble foot, the problem comes in that we don't know what bacteria is doing it and again, there is no household remedy. If it's something else, we can't see it so this is something for a vet to take a look at.
If you find out anything more, would you post about here? Thanks and good luck.

[This message has been edited by fred130 (edited May 13, 2004).]

[Trees Gray]

Hi fred,

You are right about there being no remedy for the disease, but the topical treatment for the pox is tea tree oil. You use a cotton swab dipped in the oil and rub into the pox, do not get near eyes, or nostrils and beak. It is a natural product but has strong smell.

My rehabber told me about this, and it does help dry it up quicker. Also, it was a remedy on my above post on Bumblefoot.

I must make it clear that this is not the same thing Jerry's bird has.

Treesa

[Jerry]

Here's an update. I soaked the foot in a warm salt water bath (I did not have epsom salts). How long should this soak last? We managed about 7-8 minutes. The back toe is sort of curled up under the pad or base of the foot and there appears to be a couple of abrasions present. No sign of pox anywhere else on the body. (It's also very early for mosquitos to be a menace yet in Indiana). I then applied betadyne all over the foot. Then applied an antibacterial ointment. He seemed to feel better after the treatment. However, I do not have any antibiotics on hand. I immediately ordered them but won't have them for a few days. Vet requires 3-4 days to get in, so I'll probably have the antibiotics by then. There is still enough "play" in the swelling around the leg band that it will turn around without resistance, so I don't think that will be a worry unless the swelling continues to escalate. I suspect that he has somehow scratched or abraded the bottom of his foot and bacteria has gotten in and caused the symptoms. I hope we're doing all we can for the bird.

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Jerry H.

[fred130]

Treesa,
Thanks for the information about the tea tree oil. There are some medications out there that also serve to dry the pox lesions but as you say, that's about all one can do for the bird.

[dano7]

Hi Jerry,

Good deal. Infection it seems to be. You may try a plastic boot for whatever medication you have. At some point the curled foot may be an issue that can be treated by cutting a cardboard "ski" that runs the length of the back toe to the front middle toe - cut a slot for each toenail and and tape the ski in place to keep the foot flat (though the curling may just be a way of favoring it while it is sensitive).

If this bird progresses well today, you might go the other way - away from antibiotics toward a few days of really good nutrition, a good avian vitamin (try Prime), a genuine pigeon seed mix, chopped greens and carrots, a few drops of AC vinegar in the water, and a couple drops of fish oil/cod liver oil on the seed. I say this because the birds immuno system may be not up to par because of poor nutrition. What is the weight and feather quality?

[This message has been edited by dano7 (edited May 14, 2004).]