Help, Blue has had an accident

[Billie]

My budgie Blue is 9 months old and does get a bit harrassed in the comunity cage but generally sticks up for herself. Tonight I noticed she was laying along a perch looking wonky, at first I worried that she had had a stroke but she did move around the cage.

She seems to have damaged her foot. I picked her up as she was reluctant to take any weight on it. I was worried she may have hurt the leg itself and put her in a seperate cage so the others wouldn't chase her around, they were hounding her from perch to perch a bit.

My initial fear that she may have broken her leg was dispelled by the fact the once in the smaller cage she immediately climbed around it franticaly trying to get to the others in the big cage. I put her back in with the others as I was concerened that climbing as she was would cause more injury and distress.

She has no broken skin or damaged claws, the only thing was the edge of her foot where the front and back toes join looked puffy and darker than the rest of the skin of her foot. She can close her toes with that foot but is reluctant to put weight on it. I'll see how she is in the morning. Any sugestions. Is it safe to wait and see or best to go to the vet. I think the avian vet isn't around till Wednesday. Don't want to take her outside to travel unless absolutely necessary as we are due snow here for the next few days, so don't want her to get cold.

Please help, any suggestions would be appreciated.

Billie

[battybirdie]

Hey Billie

Don't worry - budgies are amazingly resilient!

It sounds as if she may have taken a knock of some sort, and as she seems to be taking weight on her leg it's less likely (although not impossible) to be broken.

Do you have any witch hazel in the house? If you do then I would suggest soaking either some cotton wool or a cloth with it and holding this gently against her foot for a minute ot two - it's brilliant at bringing out bruising, and once that's out she won't be in as much pain. If you don't have any witch hazel something like Aloe vera would help too.

I know she was upset when you put her in the cage on her own, so that's not the best idea. However do you have one of your other budgies that she gets on better with - you could put the two of them in a seperate cage for the night. It would be less stressful for her than lots of them chasing her. I would also cover over the small cage to encourage them to settle down too.

If in doubt give your Avian vet a call - mine is absolutely brilliant, and will always give me advice over the phone where they can as they know I live 50 miles away from them

Good luck Billie - any problems don't hesitate

ps - almost forgot to say. I agree with not taking her outside unless you absolutely have to - one of the biggest problems with injured birds is shock, and where possible it's best to let them get over that first

[Billie]

Dear Battybirdie

Well I'm having an early night so I just went to check on them. Happily Blue is now sitting normally on both feet and standing tall again. Like you said maybe she just bruised her foot. I have left them in together only coz they are all settled and dozing and all the lights are now out so they won't move around in the dark.

If I put Which Hazel on her foot do I need to bathe it in clean water afterwards or anything. If she chews it with Which Hazel on it won't make her sick will it?

I'll keep an eye on them all tomorrow and if she looks in trouble I'll seperate her and Harry to another cage. Trouble is Harry is such a huge budgie he will be a bit squashed in the normal sized cage. They have one of the big aviery types that they all live in.

Thank you so much for you quick reply and advice

Billie *paranoid as ever*

[battybirdie]

Hey Billie

Glad she's looking better You won't need to worry about washing off the witch hazel as it soaks into the skin. It's really good stuff - well worth keeping the medicine cabinet.

It's great for humans and other animals too

[Admin]

glad she is feeling better billie if she's an active and playful bird, she may have just flown hard at the side of the cage and landed awkwardly causing her foot to swell, my frosty was always doing it! its the same as us if we land on our foot awkward our ankle swells.

i would keep an eye on her for the next few days and see how she goes, if it doesnt bother her at all then i wouldnt take it any further, but if every now and then she limps or refuses to put weight on it i would get it checked out as the little monkeys will do their best to hide an injury

hope this helps your not paranoid, your just a caring budgie owner

[Billie]

Blue is fine this morning , has joined in with the daily chasing game they all do. She does fly like a brick normaly and has a favorite perch of the swing, but doesn't always make it. You will hear a thud turn to look and she will be sittingon the floor. Maybe this time she landed awkwardly on the foot.

The hospital cage that came out yesterday will stay on standby and I will definately keep an eye on her for the next few days.

Thanks for you help and support.

Billie

[Admin]

so glad she is back to her normal self

lol @ flying like a brick #norty#

[Scully]

Batty took the words right out of my beak

witch hazel is great stuff

glad to hear the foots better