Expert: Roger Lederer - 1/31/2012

Question
I have a military macaw that is approximately 4 years old.  He caught his foot up in some thread/rope that he had chewed loose from his swing/perch.  The threading was not wrapped tightly and could not have been wrapped around his ankle for more than half an hour.  However, he is limping on the foot and while he can open and close his toes he does not want to use the foot to perch.  He seems a little calmer than usual, but is eating and drinking normally and will allow me to handle his foot.  What is the best manner of handling this?

Answer
Well, it depends on what is wrong. If it is merely swollen, it should recover by itself shortly. If a blood vessel was broken, it might take longer. If a tendon was damaged, it might take quite awhile. Unless there is some obvious trauma, there's not much to do but wait it out. If you can see signs of injury, keep an eye on it and if it gets worse, see a vet. Meanwhile, you might want to read this website at http://www.petparrot.com/Injuries.htm