Expert: Chrys Meatyard - 11/4/2007

Question
QUESTION: My budgie seems to have hurt his foot. I took him to the vet and my vet (who is an exotic specialist) coundt tell what was wrong exactly. He was acting fine but I know budgioes hide their pain but when she was examining him she thought he may have done some suffient nerve damage and couldnt feel anything anymore because he was more interested in my ring than her poking at his foot. I have just noticed recently that he has chewed his entire toenail off. He isnt chewing it anymore and I understand birds sometimes mutilate themselves if a specific area is bothering them. He is eating and pooping and interacting with his friends but he isnt playing the same- well understandably so because his foot is obviously hurting or unusuble. Yet I am wondering, if perhaps i bandage of splint his foot it might help it heal or feel better. The vet said it is too stressful and hard to take an xray of a bugies foot so we didnt go through with it. What do you think I should do?

ANSWER: Hi, Amanda,

I think your vet isn't an avian vet (or not a good one).  I need more information about what might have happened to your bird's foot, is the bird holding it up all the time, any blood, lumps, etc., etc.  Birds don't hide their pain...parrots are big babies when it comes to this and if your bird were in pain, s/he'd definitely let you know it by crying/screaming out in pain.  I cannot say whether a splint would work because I don't have a clue what is wrong with your bird's foot.  

Obviously, your budgie needs medical attention in order to determine what the problem is.  Perhaps you need to try a different certified avian vet (www.aav.org).

If you can provide more information, I can try to help.

Chrys

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Ok well yes she is holding it up all the time and wont use it. I think she may have gotten her toe caught on something like a drape and pulled too hard and hurt either her toenail because she has chewed it off. My budgie is not screaming in pain she just favours it all the time and its been like 3 weeks. My aviarian vet IS an aviarian vet. The fact that when the vet tried to examine the foot my bird was more interested in pecking at my ring than when she was pinching it or fiddling with it to see if there was any pain. Then I noticed she chewed off her toenail. I don't know I just don't want my budgie to be in pain. Is it not common for budgies t o get their toenails caught in fabrics and pull too hard? I know when we get a hang nail or something like it takes us a couple days for it to heal itself. I don't know how much more info I can give you.She eats, she sleeps,  but doesnt stay in her cage, and occasionaly moves from place to place and likes to be on flat surfaces. She is always holding up her foot but moves her legs., her one foot's toes just doesn't wrap around the perch. Thanks for any help.

Answer
Hi again, Amanda,

Yes, birds can get hurt/injured on all sorts of things in our homes.  This is why it's best to supervise them when they are outside their cage and not let them have free-flight.  Your bird could have gotten its toenail stuck in something, its entire leg caught in something, and when it pulled to free itself, it could have pulled a muscle, etc.  Often times, it can take several weeks for an injury like this to heal itself.  Since you have had your bird to an avian vet that didn't find anything, I'd just wait and see if the leg heals itself shortly.  As long as she isn't showing other signs of being ill, she should be OK.  Perhaps when she pulled away from being stuck in whatever, it pulled the toenail partially off and she just finished the job.  The toe isn't black is it?  If it turns black, this means there is no blood supply and the toe is dead.  When the vet was trying to examine the foot and the bird wasn't too concerned, the injury can't be that bad.  Like I said before, if your bird was in pain, you'd definitely know it as parrots are big babies when it comes to pain.  I keep pigeons, too, and pigeons NEVER cry out in pain...I had to amputate an entire foot a couple weeks ago from one of my pigeons and the bird never made a sound!  Parrots aren't like this AT ALL (your keet is a parrot).  Your bird likes to be on flat surfaces because she has better footing at the moment on flat surfaces.  

Keets' toes/feet/legs are so small that they can get themselves in bad situations without knowing it.  Supervise your bird when it is out of its cage or keep the bird confined to a specific "play area" in your home that is bird safe.  Also be sure there aren't small things inside the cage that your bird can get injured on/with.

Chrys