Here are some  pics of a muskets  foot that is swollen.  Currently  the cause is
undeterminable until the bird sees an avian vet. The condition began as a small piece
of meat that was rotting on the talon of the first toe on the left foot. The meat was
at the base of  the talon, touching the  cuticle of the toe.  As  of right now  it is
suspected that the rotting meat infected the toe subcutaniously. After the removal of
the rotting meat it took  about 2 weeks for the infection  to happen and the swelling
of the toe, pad and  top of the foot happened  within a 12 hour time frame.  The bird
was placed on oral antibiotics for 4 days and then Baytril given IM OID X 5 days. The
infection and swelling  began to go  away and was  looking fine and  then the toe and
foot swelled up even more than the initial swelling.

UPDATE:  The musket seen an avian vet and had an abcess.  It was drained and bandaged
         and the bird was placed on an oral suspension of Baytril BID X 30 days.   It
         also remained on Carprofen for pain and it is also an anti-inflammatory. The
         infection  is called septicemia  which means the  bacteria from the  rotting
	 entered through the skin under the cuticle of the talon.








Update: February 6, 2007

	Bullet's foot  is healing nicely  and as expected.  The  infection from  the
	abcess seems  to have gone away  and as expected from  the moisture from the
	bandage the skin sloughed off exposing the tissue beneith.  Now the skin can
	begin to heal.  The foot needs to be  re-wrapped every  2-3 days and it will
	take anywhere from 2 to 5 months for it  to heal over and be as good as new.
	We are continuing the antibiotic and pain medication until it is  healed and
	will also  continue live  cultures to battle against a yeast  infection from
	the antibiotic!  Here is a pic taken today at my avian vet's office:





Eddie B. Horvath
Copyright 1996-2007 Eddie B. Horvath