Merlin's good foot going bad... :(

[Mayden]

So, Merlin has two feet. Yep. We call one his 'back foot' because of the angle it sticks out at (it's splayed), the other, his 'good foot' is a normal foot.

Well, I've recently posted a thread about the types of perches Merlin has (http://www.parrotforums.com/general-health-care/33536-perches.html) asking about nail trimming. We recently went to the vets for a checkup, his 'back foot' is fine, all joints are doing well. However, he's started to develop a small sore on his good foot. The vet recommended swapping his perches around more often, as he favours "spots" in the cage, rather than perches. Now, if you look at the types of perches I have, I'm struggling to find out what's the best for him to be using long term. I realise I should have asked the vet more, he liked what I described but I'm still unsure. We've swapped his blue calicum perch out for his flat platform perch as his sleeping/hanging out one, hoping that might help with the sore as he is more likely to use his backfoot at the same time (alieviating some pressure) or lie down completely.

Can anyone offer any more perch suggestions, or suggestions for his foot in general? It's not bumble foot or anything, just looking almost... raw/sore. It's not huge either, just a little thing, but obviously we're concerned.

Also, any ointment or anything that's bird safe that we can use to help with healing/reduce any pain - something else I should have asked the vet about but since he didn't mention it himself, I don't think he feels it's necessary, but I've been cuddling him on his back and it looks quite sore.

I've gotten quite upset tonight/writing this because although I know my baby is a disabled birdy and him not having two good legs does upset me some - especially when I see him get frustrated trying to scratch himself or something, it's never been 'that big of an issue' because he's coped just fine and is improving on his back leg each and every day... but now we've hit a wall and even his good leg is getting worse. I just feel so rubbish and want to protect him and make it all go away. :'(

Andrew has had a stern talking to about reducing the birds food, because obviously weight is somewhat of an issue. It's not in regards to his 'actual weight' but the fact that Merlin will be putting more weight on his good foot, making it sorer etc... it's the first time Andrew's been to the vets with me and I think Richard talking about it helped instead of me just nagging.

Anyway, suggestions to help anyone?

 

[SoCalWendy]

Have you tried grapevine? I have one in each cage and one on top of her cage in the living room.

 

[Mayden]

Have you tried grapevine? I have one in each cage and one on top of her cage in the living room.

Natural perches are actually incredibly hard to get a hold of here in the UK unless you have the trees/plants in your garden. We have barely a yard, so unless we manage to find a farm type thing that doesn't mind us hacking their trees, we're not going to get any 'natural' perches. We'll have to manage with storebought stuff. (Includes java and such)

 

[JerseyWendy]

Cat, could you wrap some of his perches with vet wrap to soften them up? Perhaps that would take away some of the pressure points???

Please don't feel badly, you are a WONDERFUL, caring parront to ALL your fids! HUGS!!!

 

[Mayden]

Cat, could you wrap some of his perches with vet wrap to soften them up? Perhaps that would take away some of the pressure points???

Please don't feel badly, you are a WONDERFUL, caring parront to ALL your fids! HUGS!!!

Last time we tried vet wrap with one of his perches (play stand) Merlin was absolutely terrified... but I think we'll try and get some again and just put it on his favourite perch, in his favourite spot and see if that will help. Good idea Wendy, thankyou! Will look into doing that. Will ring out normal vet tomorrow and see if he has any I can purchase so I don't have to order some and pay shipping. :21:

 

[crimson]

Since I have a Senegal like you I feel for you, I can't imagine what it's like for your Sennie to struggle, when they rely so heavily on grasping things.

I have a cockatiel(now 7 wks) and has splayed leg....quite badly. one foot is turned sideways, he/she struggles to climb but eventually achieves it.

since you are having such trouble acquiring proper perches, I would like to help.
If you pick out any perch that you might think will help, and if I can buy it here in Canada, I will be glad to ship it to you all wrapped up and boxed up....you just pay for the shipping,postage, perch etc...

 

[SoCalWendy]

Man that's hard... You got vineyards there in the UK? Just a suggestion, maybe they have grapevines.

 

[SoCalWendy]

Don't know of this helps or what the price is....

[ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Natural-Large-Grapevine-Birds-Exercise/dp/B00DSJA84I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374799866&sr=8-1&keywords=Grapevine+perches"]Mac's Natural Wood Large Grapevine Perch for Birds. Rope, Exercise, Natural, Perch: Amazon.co.uk: Pet Supplies[/ame]

 

[JDlugosz]

Man that's hard... You got vineyards there in the UK? Just a suggestion, maybe they have grapevines.

They have a train to Paris now. I've heard there are grapes in France.

 

[MikeyTN]

Why don't you research the safe wood to use that grows in your region and go out into the country side, I'm sure there's trees somewhere around where you can get some branches???

 

[Betrisher]

It seems to me Merlin is not one of those birds for whom natural perches are the very best thing, so I'd be going with whatever synthetic substance is most comfortable for him. I can't use ordinary perches for Dominic because of his huge lipomas (they drag and get caught on natural branches etc). I've used those twisted rope perches for him and he finds them really comfortable. I gave him the choice and he chooses the rope perch every time.

Another idea might be to offer stout plastic tubing. You can notch it at either end so it fits between the cage bars and it's 'sticky' enough not to be as slippery as, say, pvc pipe. It might help to experiment with different diameters too. If you're using a particularly thick perch, it might pay to offer Merlin a skinnier one so the point of contact is different.

Do let us know how you get on - I hate to think of Merlin being sore and you feeling bad about it! I'm sure there's a great solution out there!

 

[Mayden]

Since I have a Senegal like you I feel for you, I can't imagine what it's like for your Sennie to struggle, when they rely so heavily on grasping things.

I have a cockatiel(now 7 wks) and has splayed leg....quite badly. one foot is turned sideways, he/she struggles to climb but eventually achieves it.

since you are having such trouble acquiring proper perches, I would like to help.
If you pick out any perch that you might think will help, and if I can buy it here in Canada, I will be glad to ship it to you all wrapped up and boxed up....you just pay for the shipping,postage, perch etc...

Thankyou! I really appreciate that. I will have a look if I can't find anything here, those pumice perches we can't get over here, so I might ask you about those sometime. I have paypal, so that's pretty safe for transfers Thanks again!

Merlin's foot was also completely out to the side, we did physio from 8 weeks till about 24 weeks to turn it around, but it would only 'easily' turn backwards. But at least it's kind of inline! His joints and things are all 'normal' just... backwards! So maybe you could try speaking to a vet about that with your tiel?

Don't know of this helps or what the price is....

Mac's Natural Wood Large Grapevine Perch for Birds. Rope, Exercise, Natural, Perch: Amazon.co.uk: Pet Supplies

Ouch, £40! Will have a mooch around at sellers for grape/apple branches. My vet listed some more but I'll have to double check again.

Why don't you research the safe wood to use that grows in your region and go out into the country side, I'm sure there's trees somewhere around where you can get some branches???

Unfortunately, to go about hacking tree's, we'd have to go 'deep countryside' and as our only mode of transport is a bus, we're likely to run in to a bit of trouble with that - and also we'd need some tools as I doubt the branches I'm interested in will just snap off? I think we do have a small saw, but carrying that on public transport is akin to carrying a weapon, so I can't do that unless I bring the entire kit and then, carrying to the kit to the middle of nowhere...

Will maybe see about farms that I can dig out online and contact them, if it's a case of just picking them up, I'm sure I can rope my friend into helping (he has a car).

It seems to me Merlin is not one of those birds for whom natural perches are the very best thing, so I'd be going with whatever synthetic substance is most comfortable for him. I can't use ordinary perches for Dominic because of his huge lipomas (they drag and get caught on natural branches etc). I've used those twisted rope perches for him and he finds them really comfortable. I gave him the choice and he chooses the rope perch every time.

Another idea might be to offer stout plastic tubing. You can notch it at either end so it fits between the cage bars and it's 'sticky' enough not to be as slippery as, say, pvc pipe. It might help to experiment with different diameters too. If you're using a particularly thick perch, it might pay to offer Merlin a skinnier one so the point of contact is different.

Do let us know how you get on - I hate to think of Merlin being sore and you feeling bad about it! I'm sure there's a great solution out there!

He does have large 'natural' perches with bark he can strip (but doesn't), but they are pretty huge. I'm just not sure at the moment if we should be increasing the amount of foot touching perch (so larger, flatter surfaces), or reducing it by having smaller perches. Or just put his cotton perches as his 'favourite' instead? I just don't want to be aggravating the store thinking I'm doing what's best...

On his more favoured perches, the diameter actually increases and decreases x4 as you go along, so if he shuffled a step across, his grip would have to change again, which is why I'm so baffled to why he got the sore in the first place!

Could you show me a picture of what plastic you mean? The only thing that pops to mind is pvc, but that's not what you meant

---

Will look into natural perches, but I'm doubting I'm going to be able to get any unless it is store bought.

Will be contacting vet about vetwrap!

Will swap out his perches weekly until we see any improvement.

HIS DIET IS CHANGING. If I have to beat Andrew senseless to get it to change, it will be changed.

 

[Betrisher]

Could you show me a picture of what plastic you mean? The only thing that pops to mind is pvc, but that's not what you meant

I haven't got a picture, but I mean the clear, thick kind of plastic you often get in fishtank setups. In fact, it's the kind of plastic they use for shower perches! I've seen it in diameters like 3/4" to 1" and just wondered if that might be the ticket for Merlin?

 

[Mayden]

Could you show me a picture of what plastic you mean? The only thing that pops to mind is pvc, but that's not what you meant

I haven't got a picture, but I mean the clear, thick kind of plastic you often get in fishtank setups. In fact, it's the kind of plastic they use for shower perches! I've seen it in diameters like 3/4" to 1" and just wondered if that might be the ticket for Merlin?

Product

Like that?
Seems like it'd be a bit "dowel"ly to me... but I dunno!

 

[Betrisher]

No, like this:

 

[Mayden]

No, like this:

Ah right! I guess hardware stores or something will have something like that. I can give it a try, but again, it being entirely circular... I'd have to vet wrap it anyway as Merlin can't perch on smooth without slipping. Will look into it, I'm sure they'll be cheap enough to try!

 

[ShellyBorg]

With a sore on the foot I would remove all perches and go with platforms until the foot is healed. You can make them using 2x4 (untreated and green) Here in the US they are cheap, may be $2 for a 6 footer. That would give a flat walking plank and remove pressure from the foot.

 

[Mayden]

Thanks, if I'm honest, the sore is very very minute. I spoke to the vet again and he told me to not use any creams or anything as he doesn't want to soften the skin and make it 'easier' to get worse, basically.

He said the vet wrap was a really good idea, so he can have his flat perch for his sleeping and his others can be vet wrapped for 2-4 weeks or so.

He also told me not to worry and that he wasn't really all that concerned about the sore but because it's Merlin and he's only got the one good foot, we're just being extra vigilant. So I'm overly fussing for nothing, but you know. He's my baby and it's his only good foot!