Bumblefoot

My two younger rats have seemed to have developed bumblefoot. One of them had a minor case and the other one has it bad on one foot. It's very swollen and has ruptured a couple times. I've been applying veterycin to it as often as I can, but I'm not sure it's helping.

Is there anything else I can do from home to help him?? I plan on taking him to the vet next week but I want to help him before then. It looks painful but doesn't really seem to be bugging him too much despite how bad it looks.

I honestly never thought I'd have to worry about it because there's no wire at the bottom of my cage. But, they do have a snack shack and plastic platforms that may have caused it. I also heard of Blue-Kote. I'm willing to get some if someone can link me to at least a picture of it.

Edit - I cleaned the cage and will keep it clean. I tooknow out the snack shack and covered the plastic platforms with flannel to keep them softer.

Can you get pics of the bumblefoot? it will help us figure out what you need to do on the severity of it. I have just taken in 2 older boys both with bumblefoot, so am going to start treatment on the one probably tonight. There's no infection, so you just want it to shrink and dry up...and that's where Blu-kote comes in. Its an antiseptic etc for livestock, stains like you wouldn't believe but does GREAT stuff with bumblefoot.

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B000HHJL88/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Soft bedding, soft things covering hard stuff is best. Mostly rats get bumblefoot because they are genetically prone to it and/or they are obese or very elderly meaning the whole foot (including heel) is pressed to the ground.

this is my duders foot when the shelter first took him in, its improved a bit since then.

If it's ruptured a couple of times like you say then why have you waited to take him to the vet? At home help just isn't good enough. You say it doesn't appear to be bugging him but how could it not? It's painful! There's no way in hell that I would let a swollen injury like that rupture twice before taking my rat to the vet. He needs to see a vet.

Actually rupturing is normal for some bumblefoot... scary as heck for the owner. It's not a painful condition for the most part. Only when it's infected you need to use antibiotics then you can move onto blu-kote