Urgent Possible bird Gangrene???

[Best Bird]

Help! My baby got his foot bit off about a week ago and I’ve been watching it closely to watch for infection and bleeding. I did what emergency treatment suggested which was put a powder on the foot to stop bleeding. I dabbed water on his food when the bite was fresh to wipe away guck, then I put flour on the tip where the bleeding was. I didn’t have corn starch and I read the next best thing was flour. His foot has become hard on the tip. I’m not sure if it’s hard from the dried blood and flour or if it’s gangrene?

 

[Mizzely]

My guess is that it is necrotic and that part of the foot is dead. The body is cutting off the blood supply and he will lose that part of the toe.

 

[Best Bird]

My guess is that it is necrotic and that part of the foot is dead. The body is cutting off the blood supply and he will lose that part of the toe.

He won’t loose the rest of his foot will he?? Does it look like it will travel to you?

 

[Mizzely]

He won’t loose the rest of his foot will he?? Does it look like it will travel to you?

I would have no way of knowing that. I would schedule a vet visit. It can be a painful process.

 

[April]

Oh my poor sweetie. I'd really urge you to take him to the vet. I'd say he needs to be on antibiotics and pain meds to help the toe heal. Is he in a cone so he can't bite or pick at the toe? Someone on another bird page had a Conure just get a normal toe nail trim were the nail was quicked by mistake and bled a small amount and he fussed with it a bit and they woke up the next day and he'd completely chewed his toe off and the next day chewed off half the other one from the intense pain.

I'm not saying that's what will happen to your baby but toe wounds like this can cause them so much pain that they start to self mutilate so it's really best to see a vet in person when there's a wound this severe.

 

[Shezbug]

Definitely needs a vet

 

[Cat The Great]

Hi, as others have said your bird really needs to go to see an avian vet. That toe to me looks like it is necrotic, which means he will lose that part of the toe and ideally needs to have antibiotics and anti-inflammatory meds for the pain. Unfortunately, there is no way to avoid a visit to the vet and my concern for your bird would be infection besides the pain he must be in. I recently went through this process with my bird last month where she mutilated her back toe on her left foot and I had to take to an avian vet that was an hour and half away from me. To make the long story short, she was continued on anti-inflammatory medication and was put on antibiotics to prevent a bone infection or any type there of. Luckily for me, she ended up not having surgery because her toe fell off but I did have the issue of her picking at it and I had to cone her. So please take your bird to the vet to get this treated. It is very painful for them and at least with my bird she was very fluffed and not her usual self until her toe fell off and she started healing really well. They adapt extremely well to losing a toe or part of a toe but it is extremely important to get proper care for them as the infection could very well kill your bird.

 

[Best Bird]

I will take him to the vet. I wasn’t sure if he was not doing ok or not because I know birds hide their pain because they are prey. He’s been acting like his usual self and hasn’t had puffed up feathers and has been walking on it and thankfully he isn’t picking at it he only gets upset when I touch it becaue he doesn’t like any of his toes being touched. So maybe it hasn’t gotten really bad yet and the vet can treat it easier hopefully.

 

[Cat The Great]

I am glad that he is acting normally and that you are taking him to the vet. Hopefully, the vet is able to treat your bird easily.

 

[expressmailtome]

Depending on what is causing the necrosis, it may be necessary to amputate some good, healthy tissue with the bad to prevent the necrosis from spreading, but as others have said that is something that only a veterinarian can tell you with certainty.

 

[Tyrion]

Best of luck with your baby

 

[Pixiebeak]

How is your quaker? Did he recover ok?