Lovebird toe necrosis progressing (Sad update #81)

[Toy]

If he can reach his bandage & toes then the collar is not thick enough. He should not be able to lift his foot high enough to get it to his beak with the proper thickness. Go back & look at the last photo on the bottom right of my B&G macaw I posted. The collar needs to be out past the bottom of the lower mandible. You could try strips of t-shirt to add thickness. Keep in mind once t-shirt material is cut it will roll up some, so cut it wider.

I found another photo with a frontal view.

 

[lunasalix]

Thank you! I will add some layers and see how it goes this afternoon.

 

[Toy]

You may need to help him eat until this is healed, as he won't be able to use his feet or bend.

 

[Zara]

You may need to help him eat until this is healed, as he won't be able to use his feet or bend.

Lovebirds don´t use feet. Using a flat plate would work ok for him to be able to eat himself, whether he wants to is another story.

I hope all is going well @lunasalix

 

[Toy]

Lovebirds don´t use feet. Using a flat plate would work ok for him to be able to eat himself, whether he wants to is another story.

I hope all is going well @lunasalix

I don't have small parrots. All mine are large, so they use feet, assumed they all did. I just hope he will be OK & stop chewing & heal well.

 

[lunasalix]

Thank you all for all the advice! Mango didn't do much damage to the vet wrap I put over his bandage yesterday. I replaced it this evening, for good measure and will keep an eye on him all day tomorrow. If all I have to do is replace vet wrap every day or so, I'd rather do that and let him maintain some range of motion.

He's being such a good boy with being toweled for his meds and rewrapping now. He seemed almost completely calm tonight while I gave him his syringe of Metacam and wrapped his bandage. No fighting at all, and barely an increase in respiration. He's come a long way from the half-feral bird he was 3 weeks ago.

The vet gave me a bag of bird bread mix from Harrison's yesterday, so I fed him half a mini-muffin of it tonight and he gobbled it up. He might be surgery-ready earlier than expected.

 

[Zara]

You´re doing great taking care of Mango!

 

[lunasalix]

Update: We had a vet appointment Friday to see if Mango was ready for surgery yet. His body condition is improved and the area around the protruding bone fragments had either healed or dried up and came loose.

While the vet was clipping away hanging dead skin, she stopped and ran out of the room and came back with different scissors. I heard 2 distinct clips and she turned around to reveal Mango's new foot - minus the jagged bone fragments sticking out. She was able to remove them at the joint - no anesthetic needed. Now we're waiting on the scabs to heal, then he'll be free to rejoin Peaches out of the cage.

My only concern is that when I opened the cage door to let him get some closely-monitored exercise, he refused to come out both yesterday and this morning. I don't know if he is in pain and guarding his foot, lethargic from unidentified illness or infection, or just feeling lazy. He usually jumps at the chance to stretch his wings more and is good about returning to his cage as soon as he's ready to rest.

 

[rocky'smom]

Just my thoughts call your vet and ask for advice.

 

[lunasalix]

Mango ended up needing surgery 2 weeks ago because his foot began rejecting his 2 remaining toe tips. The vet removed them at the joint and my little guy has been much more active and playful since.

We went for a recheck today and found his toes healing nicely. She gave him a more flexible bandage so he can regain some muscle in his foot, but that meant it is much more dangerous for him to chew on it, so he got a longer collar. He had some trouble balancing and preferred snuggling up to me instead of trying to walk. He is able to eat and drink fine, which I was worried about, but definitely seems depressed. I'm so ready for all of this to be over.

 

[Tiel Feathers]

Thanks for the update! It sounds like the surgery was the way to go. Hopefully the collar can come off soon and you both can get on with your lives. You sure are a good bird parront doing everything that was needed for your little sweetie!

 

[Cynthia & Percy]

Thanks for the update I’m glad things are progressing well

 

[lunasalix]

Question: the vet warned me that he would need to eat smaller quantities because of the longer collar compressing his crop. My issue is: he's making clicking sounds when he breathes, which is worse after he eats. He is still on antibiotic water, so I doubt a run-of-the-mill bacterial infection is the cause... Should I be concerned or am I overreacting?

 

[Cynthia & Percy]

When in doubt call the avian vet it never hurts to make a phone call

 

[enigma731]

Can you hold him up to your ear and determine whether the clicking is from his head or his chest? My suspicion would be that he got something in his nose and can't get it out because he can't scratch with his feet. But definitely check with the vet.

 

[finchly]

Clicking is a concern, I know you will call your vet. Please keep up posted.

 

[lunasalix]

He threw up this morning before the vet opened and was having a lot of trouble swallowing. She told me to shorten his collar a bit and that seems to have worked. Now to see if he can reach his foot... I already added 3 layers of tape as a precaution.

 

[finchly]

Wow! You and he are really going through it. Hope it all resolves shortly.

 

[camelotshadow]

Hang in there...your fid needs you...its not any easier on them...

 

[lunasalix]

That's the worst part, knowing that he doesn't understand why any of this is happening. He must have been terrified yesterday before I got that collar off of him. The vet feels confident that he'll be free of the boot and collar in another week or so. I'm just hoping he doesn't decide to eat his foot anyway while I'm at work. I'd do anything for him and Peaches.