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Help me please! Toe issue.

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SallyPax

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My bird won't quit picking at her toe. She already ripped the nail out after it had been treated from a dog biting her through her cage. I am at my wits end. I have stopped the bleeding and have a vet appointment tomorrow morning. Does anyone have any experience in this? What might they do? Bandage? E-collar? She won't leave it alone.
 

Danita

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Well, that happened to my timneh grey. The vet wrapped it and put a worry tab on it, like a large clump of tape, so they chew the tape instead of the sore. She will give him something for pain, likely metacam and an antibiotic.

Let me see if the thread is here.
 

Danita

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Here are two pictures.
One is of his hospital cage I set up and the other is of how the toe is wrapped
 

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Saemma

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Please do get her to a vet to check for infection and to provide meds if necessary.:( I would just stay with her, make sure she is as comfortable as possible and try distracting her. Also make sure she is perched on her most comfortable cotton perch too.


Auntie Dotty,

:heart: I love those photos of Newman. Your rare and exotic african grey!!:heart:
 

Greycloud

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Poor baby. That is sad picture of her looking at her sore foot. Please do get her medical help ASAP. I would hate to see this become a habit.
 

KimKimWilliamson

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Is it possible its broken?
My finch had an injury to his toe and before I could catch him and treat it, she chewed it right off at the "knuckle". I eventually caught him and quick stopped it with powder, and it healed fine.....
 

suncoast

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I would wash it, but some neosporin on it and wrap it so it had a "worry" tail or bump. I would also wrap it up around her foot or ankle so she can't rip it off just the toe. Or you could wrap the toe and put on a little birdy "sock" and tape that around her ankle. Just make sure she can't get it caught in anything.

Ginger
 

SallyPax

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Thank you everyone, I am taking her to the vet shortly. She will need to be bandaged up or collared and sent home. I can't afford another overnight stay. I am watching her and distracting her but when I turn my back for two seconds she tries to pick. She is already on meds from Thursday night when his incident took place. I am just about to have a nervous breakdown from worry.
 

SallyPax

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If I need to rewrap it later, what kind of padding and tape do you all recommend? Gauze and first aid tape?
 

Birdiemarie

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Our fids sure will give us grey hairs. I'm glad you're taking her to the vet to have it checked and wrapped. Let us kn ow how she does.
 

Birdiemarie

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If I need to rewrap it later, what kind of padding and tape do you all recommend? Gauze and first aid tape?
Sometimes the vet will give you some as a reserve. Hopefully she'll leave it alone.
 

SallyPax

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I am quite sure I have a new patch of grey hair. Thank you, I will keep you updated. I'm sure this is going to be a long week.
 

SallyPax

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What would make a good "hospital" cage? I have a small cage for another bird I have that I could move her into or I could get an aquarium? She has two cages, one large, one small but I think she needs somewhere she can't climb.
 

Birdlover

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Aquariums make great hospital cages :)
 

Greycloud

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I know you are going to vet son which is great. Let them give you what you will need to wrap the foot.
I want to mention though that Ginger suggested neosporin. I have read many stories that this is not safe to use on birds. First if it gets on the feathers it coats them and can cause the bird to not have the ability to sustain heat. Another person I know just recently posted that her vet very nicely scolded her for using it on the foot of her lovebird. The bird became very ill. The neosporin is an antibacterial. When the lovebird ingested it, it resulted in the good bacterial in the digestive track being destroyed. The bird became very ill and required lots of meds to build that good bacteria back up and strengthen the immune system. Just thought I would mention that here since I recently read the post of this bird that got sick from it.
 

suncoast

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Oh my Gosh, so sorry I suggested it. I thought it would be okay if it was covered. Also soften and heal the boo boo faster. Again I apologize.

Ginger

I know you are going to vet son which is great. Let them give you what you will need to wrap the foot.
I want to mention though that Ginger suggested neosporin. I have read many stories that this is not safe to use on birds. First if it gets on the feathers it coats them and can cause the bird to not have the ability to sustain heat. Another person I know just recently posted that her vet very nicely scolded her for using it on the foot of her lovebird. The bird became very ill. The neosporin is an antibacterial. When the lovebird ingested it, it resulted in the good bacterial in the digestive track being destroyed. The bird became very ill and required lots of meds to build that good bacteria back up and strengthen the immune system. Just thought I would mention that here since I recently read the post of this bird that got sick from it.
 

JLcribber

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The vet will show you how to wrap the foot and just be sure to ask them for extra bandaging material. They usually use "vet wrap" which is a material that sticks to itself and does not require tape.

You need to relax. Those feelings will be transferred to the bird. He has a sore foot but this is not a life or death situation.

The vet may suggest a collar for a short period of time to give the foot a chance to start healing. It is a necessary evil. There should be some good healing within a week and probably about 2 weeks to heal enough to where she can't keep opening up the wound.
 

Greycloud

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Hey Ginger, no worries! A whole crew of us on this other board were shocked to find out about neosporin. Some vets even still recommend it but the area must remain unaccesible to the bird.
**Another note-never ever use any creams, gels or lotions with benzocaine! It can kill a bird within minutes. The "Caine" ingredient reacts the same way as euthanasia.
My sons old teacher put some on a cut on his roosters comb and the bird went into cardiac arrest within 2 minutes and died.
 

Danita

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My vet used that really thick white tape, not vet wrap, but another. She wrapped it up so well. PLUS she put that Avi-soother cream by Harrisons on the wound AND I put it on the tape. I put that cream on the tape 6-8 times a day. It tastes bad so he didn't touch it when the cream was on it.

The hospital cage was a soft bottom, towels and covered in newspaper. Newman was on the med so he was really tired. He just sat with his foot up the whole time.

MY mistake was putting that syptic pencil on the open wound which irritated it to no end. He picked and picked. Then it needed stitches.

Hopefully your vet will wrap it, give him a little sedative, and something for the pain.

Don't worry, once it is wrapped really well the toe will start to heal.
 
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SallyPax

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Thank you everyone for the input. We are back from the vet. After a good cleaning, she wrapped the toe with the healthy toe beside it with vet wrap. Both toes and behind the ankle. She said she may pick at it but this wrap isn't easy to pick off. She did give me extra as well. I feel so much better knowing that if I do turn my back, and she picks, she won't instantly be opening the wound again.
 
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