Clipping and muscle atrophy

[Mel]

I wonder if the scarring is due to a muscle tear in the past?? Atrophy can be reversed with strengthening exercises but the scar tissue would definately effect this due to the lack of elasticity in the area, poor little Dexter.

Chicka has no pec muscles either, her keel bone is very promenant. Whoever clipped her clipped the feathers that help them stop, not the flight feathers!?!? The vet thinks she's been cage bound for a very long time, hopefully when they grow out she'll learn but for now we're just trying to get her to flap (not just dig in the claws - ouch)

 

[greycloud]

Yes, the vet and I discussed this. Though he could rebuild muscle the scar tissue will not correct itself. Though he is able to lift his wings away from his body, he cannot extend them out. If I were to try, they would probably tear again.
Very sad for Chicka too. Depending on how long she has been clipped and if she was ever allowed to fledge as a young bird, it may take alot of practice teaching her how to fly, turn and put the brakes on. I wish you and Chica the best.

 

[Aussie Ben]

Poor Dex and poor Chicka. At least they have great guardians to look after them, that have their best interests at heart.

 

[Birdamor]

The physical problem of atrophy with clipping is twofold. One is the atrophy of the muscles that move the wings and how these are affected as has been very graphically described by Greycloud. But this does not only affect the wings themselves, it also affects their breathing and their laying because the muscles that move the wings continue down their chest and onto their abdomen - and these are the same muscles that females use for laying eggs (canary breeders did not know why but they did know that hens that flew laid better than hens that did not and that's why they have been keeping the hens in flight cages during the resting season for hundreds of years even when they kept the males in tiny cages). As to their breathing, birds do not have a diaphragm, like we do, their lungs are almost rigid and the air flows through them by the bellowing effect of the air sacs which are, in turn, moved by the same muscles that move the wings so, when they don't fly and those muscles atrophy, they end up with diminished lung capacity, a dangerous thing (it killed my mother) and one of the reasons why pet birds suffer from respiratory infections so very often. The most important link between flying and breathing comes from the fact that the posterior air sacs can only be fully utilized during flight. This was observed in studies of birds flying in wind tunnels equiped with XRay machines. No flight, no full extension of posterior air sacs which means partial atrophy. And having any internal organ atrophy, even if it's only partially, is never a good thing because it makes it more prone to infection (cannot cleanse itself out naturally) but most especially the air sacs because the avian respiratory system is one-way and not two-ways like ours (the air sacs are connected between themselves and with the lungs with the air flowing from one to the other in sequence -and that's also why birds cannot cough, because the air that goes in is not the same air that comes out next, it needs to go through all the different air sacs) so when there is infection in one air sac, chances are, it will end up in all the others because the bacteria, virus, fungus or parasite will 'travel' with the air from one to the other.

 

[SharonC]

Good grief! I didn't realize that clipping affected other things other than flight...I've been consideing reclipping Levi...I'll have to think further.

 

[GreenCheek]

Thanks Birdamor! That was very interesting! I also had no idea on what all was affected from clipping besides their wings.

 

[Mel]

Yes, the vet and I discussed this. Though he could rebuild muscle the scar tissue will not correct itself. Though he is able to lift his wings away from his body, he cannot extend them out. If I were to try, they would probably tear again.

As a sports therapist many of my clients have chronic issues due to scar tissue. At the best you can make it more pliable with massage but it will always be a vunerable area in the muscle and regardless of what people think you cannot "break it down". More tears result in more scar tissue.

That's really interesting stuff Birdamor, thanks. I knew clipping effected the respiratory system but I had no idea how. Shadow came clipped and does wing flapping exercises several times a day which is good, she's molting now I think i'll leave her flight feathers. AS for Chicka only time will tell

Ben thank you for your kind words

 

[J & K]

I have had Oscars wings clipped a few times and that changed his attitude 180. I also let is wings grow back, usually in the winter. This year I clipped them just a little bit so he can still fly a bit, but just not get uplift. I read that when birds are young, that it is imperative that they learn how to fly for self esteem and coordination.

 

[Birdamor]

I have had Oscars wings clipped a few times and that changed his attitude 180. I also let is wings grow back, usually in the winter. This year I clipped them just a little bit so he can still fly a bit, but just not get uplift. I read that when birds are young, that it is imperative that they learn how to fly for self esteem and coordination.

Absolutely correct. I don't generally agree with clipping although I can understand people using it as a temporary training tool (I would not but I can see how other people might think it's their only choice) but I absolutely abhor the practice of clipping baby birds! It falls under the 'emotional atrophy' side of clipping.

 

[Spiritbird]

This thread isn't to start a debate on wing clipping (please!),


It ended up being a long thread anyway.

 

[HRH Di]

I have a feeling that Max was clipped before he was fully fledged. He's definitely acting like a baby just learning to fly. Poor guy, he lands worse that Ruby and she only has 4 toes and is more than a year younger.

 

[wildheart]

I have a feeling that Max was clipped before he was fully fledged. He's definitely acting like a baby just learning to fly. Poor guy, he lands worse that Ruby and she only has 4 toes and is more than a year younger.

That is very-very sad.