FOOT INFECTION

[basenjishunt]

My RT has a foot infection which is being treated by my vet, but i wonder if anyone has had a similar problem. It is in the crease of the Halux joint. It started as a split, and I treated it with first aid. It looked like it would get better, then looked open again. I took her to the vet, and he needed to knock her out to get a good look at the joint. Turns out it split all the way through, and you could see the tendon!! It was cleaned well, covered in artificial skin, DMSO/baytril, and bandaged. I'll be going back in a couple of days to get a prognosis, and have the bandages changed. He may be able to stitch up the split. Hopefully the infection will be stopped before it affected the tendon. He told me it was not an issue with the perches (she is free lofted), but that her feet were very dry, and the crack was in the worst place to heal. I'll be using prepH on her feet from now on. I hope she recovers without any damage to the Halux......Tim

[HawkingRage]

wow, thats interesting to hear but sad at the same time. did the vet say how long it would take to heal up?

You coming on mrch 3rd to the mini meet here in pueblo?

[basenjishunt]

I go back to the vet thursday to get fresh bandages, and a prognosis. She could loose use of her Halux( very bad) if the infection has eaten into the tendon. Hopefully he can stitch it up. She probably is done for this season. I don't think I'll be coming to the meet.

I plan on doing whatever it takes to get her better.-Tim

[Master Yarak]

I am not vet. Having seen first hand a vast array of injured Red-Tails, there recuperative powers are impressive. I predict it will heal. It may take a long time, months. Do you have any idea what caused it? When did you first notice it?
Please keep us informed as to the birds progress.
Yarak

[basenjishunt]

Yarak,

When I first trapped her, I had her tethered on a low bow perch wrapped in neoprene over nylon rope. I noticed after about a week that there was some "yellow" worn off the pads on the bottom of some of her toes, and the joint of her halux (the underside)looked loke the skin was broken. I brought her to the vet for a checkup, and was told that maybe the perch surface was too soft, which made her pads too soft, and this might have caused the wear. At the same time I had just started free lofting her so I figured the change of perches would fix things. I have a natural branch wrapped in rope, a shelf along the window with cocoa mat, and a long 2 x 4 the width of the mews with astroturf.
I checked her feet regularly, and things looked better. After a few weeks I started noticeing the crack again. I started putting Panalog ointment on it. From that point on it would look better-worse-better-worse. Finally when it started oozing even when I kept it clean, I took her to the vet. From now on I plan to check feet every single day. You couldn't tell how deep it was until she was completely knocked out, and you could flex the joint totally and see how it had gone through the skin. She's on antibiotics 2 x a day, and eating as much as she wants.-Tim

[HawkingRage]

GOOD LUCK WITH HER TIM

[basenjishunt]

One thing I found out is the cream I was initially putting on had a steroid in it, which I'm told can actually prevent healing in Raptors ina circumstance like this. It's called "Panalog" I think.
I called the asst. director at the Minn. Raptor center for a prognosis, as they've seen it all pretty much. She said as long as the tendon is working the prognosis is pretty good.....Tim

[Jelly]

Thats an interest tid bit of knowledge. I wouldn't have guessed. Good luck with her and good health.