Hi all--
I just wanted to share some info about how to recuperate injured birds.
A couple of years ago, two of my budgie hens got into a major ***** fight, resulting in a major leg injury for the smaller of the two birds. The injury happened around the ankle and the inflammation caused her toes to swell up like wee sausages. Despite being treated, she kept chewing at her foot, losing two toenails in the process. Amputation was on the table!
Thankfully, my vet improvised a small Elizabethan collar out of X-ray film. It was about 3 inches in diameter, with a hole the size of a nickel cut out in the center. He lined the inside edges with surgical tape so it wouldn't dig into her neck, and after overlapping the edges, stapled it closed.
This was the picture I took of it the following day after I'd attempted to clean and dress it.
Here you can see how swollen it had become, compared to the other foot. She could not put any weight on it!
The Boo Boo, after wearing her collar for several weeks when this pic was taken. Able to put weight on it and starting to return to a normal color!
2 1/2 months later, foot is totally healed. She's regained about 90% use of it. She can't quite grip as tightly as her other foot, but she can hang upside down from the cage to her heart's content lol
Don't let her cuteness fool you, she's like a moray eel when she bites!
I just thought I'd post this info, since I'm having to use this exact same collar on one of my button quail who keeps re-opening a wound on the back of her head with her toenails.
I just wanted to share some info about how to recuperate injured birds.
A couple of years ago, two of my budgie hens got into a major ***** fight, resulting in a major leg injury for the smaller of the two birds. The injury happened around the ankle and the inflammation caused her toes to swell up like wee sausages. Despite being treated, she kept chewing at her foot, losing two toenails in the process. Amputation was on the table!
Thankfully, my vet improvised a small Elizabethan collar out of X-ray film. It was about 3 inches in diameter, with a hole the size of a nickel cut out in the center. He lined the inside edges with surgical tape so it wouldn't dig into her neck, and after overlapping the edges, stapled it closed.
This was the picture I took of it the following day after I'd attempted to clean and dress it.
Here you can see how swollen it had become, compared to the other foot. She could not put any weight on it!
The Boo Boo, after wearing her collar for several weeks when this pic was taken. Able to put weight on it and starting to return to a normal color!
2 1/2 months later, foot is totally healed. She's regained about 90% use of it. She can't quite grip as tightly as her other foot, but she can hang upside down from the cage to her heart's content lol
Don't let her cuteness fool you, she's like a moray eel when she bites!
I just thought I'd post this info, since I'm having to use this exact same collar on one of my button quail who keeps re-opening a wound on the back of her head with her toenails.
