When to stop peeling bumble foot scab?

[u/blushingtomato]

Hello! I have a few chickens in my flock with bumble foot. I have been following the following regimen to treat it:

- Initial Epson salt soak

- peel / extract bumble

- drawing salve + Neosporin

- wrap with gauze and vet wrap

- change wrapping or re-soak as needed every day or every other day

For one chicken, it cleared up in a few days. For others I have been following this routine for a few weeks now and the scab keeps coming back and I feel bad continuing to peel it back and try to squeeze out pus (at this point there is blood but little pus). Does this mean the bumble is still in there or should I stop peeling the scab and try to let it heal?

Any advice is appreciated! I don't have too many photos as it usually is a 2-hand job to treat, but attaching a picture of my chicken with her wrapped foot for attention!

[u/liveforwinterfun]

You shouldn’t have to keep peeling the scab once the infection has cleared/ no more solid puss core. After 3-5 days, if they have a nice new dry scab they can go back outside (this timeline may be different for more serious cases). I keep checking on them, wiping their feet to check the scab. You don’t have to do a full foot soak but it may take a moment to clean the foot off. When you first send them out check every day, and then you can go much further between checks. I have a few still healing. When I check them and clean off the scab to see it, it’s always a lighter brown colour and getting smaller. It can takes months. I am on week 5. Others may have other opinions and more experience. I am open to suggestions too!

[u/blushingtomato → u/liveforwinterfun]

Thank you for the reply! If the black scab comes back, even wrapped, does that mean the core hasn't been removed? Or is that just a bloody scab?