pink spots on bottom of feet?

[Gen120]

I noticed this AM that Sammy has 1 pink spot in the middle of each foot on the bottom, now, are those pressure sores, or what? I noticed it after I got her out of the shower. I am kinda worried about it, because I always check her feet, about 1 time a week. She has a bunch of different perches, but tends to sleep on her food bowl when she goes to sleep, and then moves to another perch in the middle of the night.

She has a comfy perch, a wooden perch, 2 sandy perches (she does not sit on those very often), and when she is out, she it on the playstand or on her jollyball (on the perch at the bottom). When she is in her cage, she is on her comfy perch, could she be using it to much?

What would be causing this??

Thanks, Victoria

 

[jamie]

Is she overweight? Amazons can tend to get fat and the extra weight can cause some problems with their feet. Where is her food dish in the cage? If she is sleeping in it, even part of the night, I would move it to a lower position in the cage to discourage her from sitting on it like that. Of course, that might not stop her, if she's determined to sit there

 

[Gen120]

Ok, Thanks Jamie, no, I don't think she is overweight, she has been flighted for a year now. I will move her food dish down to the bottom and see if that helps. She weighs 350 grams, a few days ago, when I weighed her, but she flies all the time, all over the birdroom, so I think she weighs so much because of all the muscle mass?

 

[Billie Faye]

but tends to sleep on her food bowl when she goes to sleep

This is the issue...moving the bowls down will help (after she has eaten...is it the bowl she is sitting on OR the piece the bowls fit on? You will know once the bowls are removed...If it is the piece then you need to put a perch IN FRONT of this for her to use..

 

[jamie]

Being flighted does not necessarily mean that she's not overweight. What does her breast feel like? Also, are you able to get a good look at the skin on her breast (if she takes a bath, it will be easier to see the skin). If it looks yellowish, you are seeing subcutaneous fat. That's not always bad, but her skin should look more pink than yellow. She could be heavier because of extra muscle - my Jenday Conure is a little heavy, but he's not fat. Dr. Hannon always says he has a breast that any chicken would be proud to have

 

[Gen120]

BF, Sammy's food bowls are in the little holders that came with them, attached to the cage. I can take the food bowls and the holders off, and put a few crock lock food dishes in her cage, at the bottom. I can put a perch where the food bowls are now, after I move them. Is that a good idea?

 

[jamie]

Victoria I think she was suggesting putting a perch in front of the bowls to give her another alternative. I do that in my cages and the birds will sit on the perch to eat (most of the time) rather than sitting on the edge of the bowl. Haggie & Saffron usually hang from the side of the cage to eat though.

 

[Billie Faye]

There is no perch in front of the food bowls now????
That could be the issue also...So if there are NO perches in front of the food/water bowls, I would put one there (large enough so her feet don't go ALL the way around) today...
It is going to be a pain to remove bowls /etc every night and put them back up in the AM for the day...

 

[Gen120]

I just now weighed Sammy and she weighs 373 grams. The last time I weighed her was about a month or so ago.

 

[Gen120]

No, BF, there is a perch in between the 2 food bowls, and I mean, take those bowls out permentantly, and just have the crock locks in her cage instead. I will put a new big perch right in front of her food bowl, should I take out the comfy perch or keep it in the cage? It goes all the way across the cage, from 1 side to the other.

 

[Thugluvgrl187]

Squeeky got one of these on his foot and I was trying to figure out the same thing. Not sure what caused this but it took about a week for it to go away. Maybe they are putting too much pressure on that one foot?

 

[Gen120]

The pink spots are on both feet

 

[Thugluvgrl187]

hmmm. Squeeky had one that I think was on his right foot. It didn't look like a blister or anything just like a pink circle.

 

[Gen120]

yep, that is what Sammy has, a small pink circle on the bottom of each foot.

 

[Thugluvgrl187]

Here is a link I found
www.greyforums.net - Parrot foot problems

 

[Beatriz Cazeneuve]

For one thing, I would take away those sandy perches. I really do not like them at all, I mean who would want to stand on such a rough surface? I would replace them with real tree branches, they are free, they are both perch and entertainment (they love to peel the bark off and chew on them) and they are uneven (which is ideal for working the toe and feet muscles properly). I would also wrap the hard perches with paper towel until the sore goes away (you don't want the bird to end up with bumble foot).

 

[Gen120]

Ok, Thanks for the advice!

 

[Gen120]

any more advice?? Sammy is around 17 or 18 years old