Bumblefoot (ulcerative
pododermatitis) is a bacterial infection and inflammatory reaction
on the feet of birds, rodents, and rabbits. Pododermatitis is referred to as
"sore hocks" when it affects a rabbit and "bumblefoot" when
it affects a bird. We centralise our discussion on birds as it majorly affect
male, heavy birds. Bumblefoot is a common infection for domesticated poultry and
waterfowl such as chickens, ducks and quails.
Causes
Injury to the lower surface of the foot
due to walking on rough perches, splinters, wired floors, and poor litter of
bedding quality; then infected with staphylococcus bacteria.
In other words, constant walking on
hard, rough, or sharp surfaces, birds can develop small wounds on the bottom of
their feet. These wounds are very susceptible to infection by opportunistic
bacterial pathogens, chiefly Staphylococcus aureus.
Signs
Some of the major signs are lameness,
swelling of the foot pad and hard, pus filled abscess on the foot pad.
During the early stages of bumblefoot, it may initially appear as a small, superficial lesion, rough abrasion, or mild discolouring of the foot. However, once there is a breakdown in the skin barrier, it provides a direct opening for opportunistic bacteria to enter and cause infection. Once the foot is infected, chickens may often begin to show slight behavioural changes (associated with onset of pain caused by the infection), and varying degrees of lameness.
Bumblefoot Grades
Grade
1:
Loss of definition of the epidermis (seen as a shiny, reddened surface or small
lesion), with no apparent underlying infection.
Grade
2:
Infection of underlying tissues in direct contact with the surface lesion with
no gross swelling.
Grade
3:
Abscess state; infection with serous or caseous fluid draining from a fibrotic
lesion.
Grade
4:
Infection with swelling of underlying tissues involving deep vital structures.
Usually a chronic wound at this stage, which may or may not be concurrently
causing tenosynovitis, arthritis, and/or osteomyelitis.
Grade
5:
Crippling deformity and loss of function.
Prevention
Some of the preventive measures are:
· Provide a
quality, clean, dry and deep litter.
· Keep perches
less than 18 inches from the floor to prevent foot damage due to impact of
jumping.
· Remove
potential sources of injury like sharp objects and surfaces.
Treatment
Follow the steps below to treat
Pododermatitis in chickens.
· Soak foot in
warm water and Epsom salts.
· Clean the
affected area with soap and warm water, then disinfect with spirit (ethanol).
· If skin is
open, drain pus from abscess. Use a sterile scalpel or disinfected blade to
cause small opening if there is no break in the foot.
· Flush the
abscess cavity with hydrogen peroxide to clean out pus and debris.
· Pack the cavity
with antibiotic ointment and wrap the foot with gauze and elastic bandage.
Repeat daily until the foot heals.
In summary, treatment often requires
opening the wound to drain the pus, soaking it in Epsom salts, and antibiotic
treatment and local application of the antiseptic povidone-iodine as local
dressing.
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