Urgent Finch with a broken leg! Help! **Sad Update**

[Doublete]

His toes were missing when I got him, except for one that was hanging on by a bit of hay, which doesn't really count.
I only noticed it had a toe on the end when I got him out, when I had him in the car I just thought it was a piece of hay stuck to his feathers.
The other toe is probably at the bottom of the aviary.
His foot has a red scab where the toes were, And apart from that I think he may have wrenched his leg in attempt to get away from whatever took his toes.

He is living with two budgies, one quite aggressive, one cockatiel who is fine with finches, one turquosine, one goldfinch, and 3 other zebra finches, one of which is his mate.
How could he have lost his toes? Could a cat have clawed them off somehow?

That sounds like the birds you have..... thought it was your friends? Or are they your friends birds? So confused

 

[xgreenbudgiex]

These are all my friends birds, they live in an aviary together.

 

[metalstitcher]

The bird needs to go to the vet to be examined and also most likely the budgie attacked and got a hold of his toes if there are signs of known aggression. Your friend needs to keep them separated.

 

[iamwhoiam]

How is the finch doing?

 

[xgreenbudgiex]

Hello!
Tornado is doing much better, he can use his leg a bit but still limps.
He is eating and drinking, and has been chatting to my finches.
My friend and I have been talking about what has happened, and we both think it was a cat, as the other birds were asleep when she thinks it happened.
She might need to add another layer of wire to her aviary.

 

[iamwhoiam]

Could be the cat but could be the budgies or another bird so she may want to consider separating the budgies and 'tiels from the finches. Not worth taking a chance, IMHO.
Good that Tornado is doing better.

 

[itzjbean]

Where is this friend now? Is there a reason THEY cannot pay the vet bill? This bird needs help or should be put out of its misery. It is probably in a LOT of pain. And also, this friend should not be allowing the cat around the aviary at all. Very irresponsible.

 

[xgreenbudgiex]

I am not sure her mother would let her take a finch to the vet.
I think that when his foot heals he should be fine.

 

[camelotshadow]

This is just a bad situation for the bird, its carer & yourself.
Sorry but her mother should be & is responsible for the well being of pets she allows her children to have.

If the leg is broken it needs treatment & pain meds. It is terrible to allow the bird to suffer with an injury like that which will not heal without some sort of treatment. If its toes they can heal but still broken toes/amputation hurts. Her mother would want some pain management I;m sure even if its not life threatening if her toes were cut off. I am recovering from a broken toe & it's not fun.

If a cats nails did the injury it could be bad. They lick there feet & nails with there tongue & cat saliva has deadly bacteria. I'm not sure how long that bacteria will live on the nails but the nails are dirty & scratch in the kitty litter pan & yard possibly & could carry other deadly bacteria. If the wound is infected with dangerous bacteria its likely to kill the bird.

Your friends parents should not keep an aviary if they have no means of providing medical care. Sending the bird to you is also unfair to you as you are not knowledgeable in avian medicine & have the dispair to watch the bird suffer & possibly die. If she is a minor it is sad that her parents don;t provide medical care for injured pets. If they can't provide proper care then they should not have pets. Obviously your friend can't take the bird to a vet & is sick with worry.

If it was a injury by cat the sad thing is that the bird could die from this.

The cat should be kept away from the aviary to lessen the chance of injury which is already high as there are so many different bird species in it which could injure each other.

I hope the bird survives & likes a pretty normal life. They can with missing toes but not sure how it will do if out back in the aviary.

 

[HawkEagle]

Refusal to go to the vet! I am speechless. Hope the poor bird fully heals and leads a happy life, my warmest wishes to Tornado. I feel so sorry for him-- he must have been in an awful lot of pain! If THEY knew terrible how it must have felt for their poor finch, maybe they would have reconsidered.
I firmly believe all pet birds (all pets for that matter) should never be refused vet care!

 

[xgreenbudgiex]

Refusal to go to the vet! I am speechless. Hope the poor bird fully heals and leads a happy life, my warmest wishes to Tornado. I feel so sorry for him-- he must have been in an awful lot of pain! If THEY knew terrible how it must have felt for their poor finch, maybe they would have reconsidered.
I firmly believe all pet birds (all pets for that matter) should never be refused vet care!

Its not that they refused, Its that the vets where I live are SUPER expensive.

 

[HawkEagle]

Its not that they refused, Its that the vets where I live are SUPER expensive.

I see. Well, that's true- many avian vets are rather expensive. My one charges 60 pounds just to see Lexy (budgie)! How is Tornado doing?

 

[xgreenbudgiex]

Unfortunatly Tornado died. I noticed him getting weaker the night before, I think he lost too much blood. I woke up to find him dead.

 

[Doublete]

Wait he was bleeding this whole time?

 

[xgreenbudgiex]

No, just before I picked him up from my friends house.
There was dried blood on his foot.
Amazing that he lived this long.

 

[CrazyBirdChick]

Poor thing. It probably died from toxoplasmosis. I'm sorry it suffered so much and sorry for you & your friend's loss.

 

[camelotshadow]

 

[Tiel Feathers]

Poor Tornado. Fly free little bird.

 

[iamwhoiam]

Poor Tornado. So sad.

 

[rocky'smom]

fly free and high little one.