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Amazon rehabilitation - reaching out to AA members on their advice and expertise

Hawk12237

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Hi all you beautiful parronts!
Have a question I've been toying with in my brain for past several months. Rehibilitating my Blue front Amazon to be able to fly again.
My BFA ( poppers) is 14, came to me as a rescue ( third parront) when she was 7. When I first got her I noticed she couldn't fly. Never been clipped. But she tried a couple time and went straight to the floor on an angle. Her left wing would flap, her right wing would only extend part way and not flap. I thought that was odd.
A vet visit for her first visit when I took her on revealed she had a damaged wing, an old injury possibly between age 1-4, where she damaged her shoulder area where she folds wing. And possibly her keel. Xrays revealed improperly healed wing. Possibly never taken to vet from previous owner. ( first parront).
Now fast forward 7 years, she is still unable to fly since I had her. Back in March this year she had a full check up, everything normal (blood tests and that), and elected to get another xray of her wing. Nothing has changed. She has an occasional nerve spasm of that wing. She'll drop it down slightly and shake the wing, just that bad wing in an odd way.
I mention it in past to vet but he was unable to see her do it until this past visit. Says it's nerve.
And that I could do physical therapy on her wing to help her out.
Well that's a new one for me, so I've been researching but nothing definitive. She will let me rub under her wing, but she'll push my hand away slowly and nibble ( not bite) my hand.
I feel for her, and still maintain hope to see her fly, so willing to hear suggestions from AA members that may have dealt with an issue like this.

 
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Dartman

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We tried to work the house finches foot that Nerd bit and broke. It would tighten up and her toes would curl under. I kept messaging them back out and they'd stay straight for a while but she'd curl the toes back in eventually and I gave up and she adapted. I would give it a shot very gently and see if you and her can comfortably get some range of motion back. I'm sure it probably hurts so she doesn't try much but would be worth a try. Nerd bird had a wing with missing and bad feathers and he hated to stretch it out because it hurt and he knew it was ugly. However he could make short hops and emergency flights if needed and when he let one of the deformed flights grow in for a bit he even had a bit of control. He knew he was bad at flying though and usually walked wherever he wanted to go, he had really big thighs.
 
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Hawk12237

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Thanks Terry,
Her wing wasn't broken per se, says vet, but rather bitten quite good at spot where it bends at shoulder. Xray showed lots of scar tissue and perhaps hard build up at joint.
Had an African grey I rescued from a horrible home, don't even want to tell you how those patients treated the poor guy. But he was all kinds of messed up. Wing, hip, nerves, beak deformed, but lived just over 50. He took some work, but ever so sweet.
My BFA I could try I guess at getting some range of motion back. I'm gentle with that wing, but she'll take her foot put it on my hand and push my hand away...... She won't bite me.
 

simon777

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Maybe try standing in front of her and moving your shoulders up and down, while saying to her she should try doing it too. Make it into a game with laughing. It would be a start if she even tries to move the shoulder.
 

Hawk12237

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Maybe try standing in front of her and moving your shoulders up and down, while saying to her she should try doing it too. Make it into a game with laughing. It would be a start if she even tries to move the shoulder.
Worth a try, if anything it will help the link in my shoulders.
 

BeanieofJustice

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The same thing happened with Sam Axe; something happened (either he flew into something, or was thrown) and his wing broke and his keel bent and they healed without the help of a vet. He can't fully extend one wing. My vet told me that his experience with his African Grey with a similar break was the same and that the only way to possibly correct it was risky surgery.
That being said, I'm curious enough to follow this thread. I don't think that getting her to stretch could hurt at all. I try to encourage Sam Axe to extend his wings and stretch, he doesn't seem to have the nerve issue that you describe from what I've observed. I hope you can get your baby flying!
 

Hawk12237

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Hi steph,
Vet said same about poppers, keel was bruised and healed bent, wing didn't show broken but scar tissue, like a bad bite from another parrot perhaps before I got her 7 years ago.
Previous owner had 13 amazons. She was the only female. So makes sense. Previous owner had to rehome her because she was picked on too much from the males.
Her wing apparently didn't get the proper care. This healed wrong. The nerve is a probability, but not a difinative answer with out surety.
Poppers won't let me extend her wing, though she will lift her wing folded and let me rub under it.I'm going to take it slow and see if I can get her to extend it. Vet also mentioned that sometimes when the keel is not right it affects the muscles to the wings. So exercising it won't hurt I guess.
 
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