Bath for one legged quaker

[JessandBrad]

Hi! My quaker lost his leg about 3 months ago. Since he is only a year old he has recovered amazingly well, is happy and friendly. However, being a quaker he loves water, and has tried to bath in his water bowl many times, unsuccessfully. We have tried giving him a bigger bowl, but he wont go into them because he wants to be able to hold on to the bowl with his good leg and hold onto something else, like the bars of his pen, with his beak. If anyone has any advice on how to get a one legged parrot a bath bowl he will actually use, I would be so grateful!!!

 

[lupe]

Poor lil tyke...someone will come along and help ya out...

 

[Birdiemarie]

Have you tried a ceramic/glass pie pan or a small shallow baking pan? Perhaps put a rag on the bottom to help with traction and/or lettuce leafs. Put it by the side of the cage so he can still hold the bars.

 

[Birdbabe]

How about misting, or holding him in your hand while bathing him yourself in the kitchen sink? That's what I do with my blind bird and my crippled bird.They feel safe in my hand and I sprinkle water with my other one.

 

[parrotluv]

Poor little guy,how did he loose his leg?

 

[Bokkapooh]

Definitely try gently misting him

 

[Ribbit21]

Have you tried those little boat toys for kids? They come in all sorts of sizes. They are a favorite of my toe less Quaker, especially when he was younger and not as mobile.

 

[JessandBrad]

Wow, you are all so very helpful!!

How did this happen? Thanks for asking, I enjoy ranting about this... PETCO did this to him. I saw romeo, our quaker, in petco about 9 months ago. I felt so horrible about him being in petco to begin with, they keep their parrots in such tiny pens. My husband and I already had a quaker, Roxie, and about 6 months after seeing romeo at petco I went back for some supplies, and to my horror, saw Romeo still there. The last thing we needed was another parrot, but I quickly managed to convince Brad that we should get him... god forbid he be stuck there another 6 months or more.

2 weeks after we bought him we woke up to see his foot, bone sticking out and whole toes ripped off. Thank God for our amazing avian Vet, Doctor Hall, who let us bring him in on his day off when his son was sick, to see him. He amputated on the spot and saved his life. He said the leg band on him had cut off all nerve endings and his foot had died, and that if he had waited till Monday to amputate he worried it would be to late.

This is the second parrot bought from petco that he had to amputate a foot off of. His calls and complaints to petco, which he formally filed, do nothing. I am sure all of you know how hard finding a good avian vet is, I know without mine little Romeo would be... I try not to think about it.

But, this site has been amazing for finding advice on how to cope with a one legged parrot, I love you guys!!

 

[SandraK]

A little late to the party but I was going to suggest putting a platform perch (one of the barred ones) in the bottom of his bath area to give him something to hold on to with his remaining foot and his beak.

 

[gibsongrrrl]

I would try cutting a piece of dridek and putting it in the bottom of his bathing dish. Will give him traction inside the dish. I do that for mine so they don't slip.

DriDek Brooder Bedding

 

[JessandBrad]

Thank you all, just so you know, Romeo just took his first successful bath since his leg was amputated!! He just hopped right on in!!!

 

[Wendy27]

I don't go to Petco anymore - ever - have you ever noticed how they let their betta fish rot in dirty filthy little cups of water and don't even seem to notice when one of them finally dies (a miserable death) from ammonia poisoning - I wish these creatures had some rights - but they don't - I once tried complaining but got absolutely nowhere. Bless your heart for giving this guy a lovely life - full of love and nice baths.