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Pressure Sore! Need Advice!

Dostc426

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Hello everyone!

My sun conure has a small pressure sore on his foot, which I have dealt with once before, at which time I apply coconut oil on his foot until it goes away, and have changed the perches to be rope perches and/or covered them in vet wrap! This time around I can no longer use vet wrap and rope perches because he always regurgitates (lovingly lol) on them and eats it back up, usually ripping it up in the process and making it a hazard!

He only uses all natural wood perches, all varying in size so I'm surprised he even has a small pressure sore to begin with! I'm guessing he has been occupying one of his perches more often than the others while I am working. He also got a new nighttime cage, which the bars run horizontal rather than vertical (his daytime cage has them vertical) so it might be that as well?

The perches are usually cleaned by scraping off any food leftovers, then I srub the surface with a vinegar water solution and a paper towel.

For someone who cannot use rope perches and vetwrap, is the solution simply a matter of rotating the perch with a different perch every other day?
 

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expressmailtome

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I am not sure, but do you mind if I move this to the health section so that it is more visible to members with experience?
 

Tiel Feathers

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I bet it is from part of a branch he sits on frequently like you suggested. If you don’t find the culprit it could turn into bumblefoot, so maybe make sure all the branches are smooth? Changing them around is a good idea. Put different perches in his favorite spots and see if that helps. How often does he regurgitate on the rope perches or vet wrap? Can you just change the vet wrap when it gets spiked until he’s healed?
 

Dostc426

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I bet it is from part of a branch he sits on frequently like you suggested. If you don’t find the culprit it could turn into bumblefoot, so maybe make sure all the branches are smooth? Changing them around is a good idea. Put different perches in his favorite spots and see if that helps. How often does he regurgitate on the rope perches or vet wrap? Can you just change the vet wrap when it gets spiked until he’s healed?
That is what I am thinking too! When he is less hormonal he tends to sit and look out the window more than play with his toys and for the past two weeks he has been mainly sitting on that perch and has been less hormonal! He uses this one Hardwood Bird Perch in varying sizes, and manzanita in varying sizes. The one he sits on is 3/4 inch hardwood, which is what I was told was the appropriate size for his feet. I am very paranoid over his health so I always look him over top to bottom to see if anything is amiss and thankfully noticed! I switched the perch out and applied coconut oil to his foot right after I noticed. For the vet wrap its usually every other day, but it can be unpredictable, I might just put it back on during this time. He eats up his regurgitation and visually* the aftermath looks like he could possibly be eating some of the fibers of it, so its more of a precaution, but I really have no idea if he is also eating vetwrap fibers along with his regurgitation.
 

Dostc426

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You can wash rope perches in a dishwasher.
Oh yes! I used to do that, however whenever he regurgitates on it, he eats it back up immediately after and usually leaved the perch looking like he pulled up fibers with it, so I am worried he was maybe eating cotton fibers as well.
 

JLcribber

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You may want to increase the diameter of his perches. 2" thick or even more. This way the bird uses more of its foot to carry weight because it sits on it. Not around it. Some flat perches are also a good addition.

The best perches I've found are natural branches that are nice a twisty and bumpy. Endless positions to stand differently. A rope perch is still round/symmetrical. That is part of the problem.
 

Mizzely

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I also think most recommended bird perches are way too small and create unnecessary strain on the foot. Like John mentioned, flat perches are a good addition, as well as thick perches like 2".

You could also invest in a camera that you can view via wifi (many inexpensive options on Amazon for $30 or less) and see where he tends to hang out the most.
 

Dostc426

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You may want to increase the diameter of his perches. 2" thick or even more. This way the bird uses more of its foot to carry weight because it sits on it. Not around it.

The best perches I've found are natural branches that are nice a twisty and bumpy. Endless positions to stand differently. A rope perch is still round/symmetrical. That is part of the problem.
Thank you for the suggestion! That is really good to know because I was always told the opposite! Would 1-1/2" work the same? I have attached a photo below! He has 3 really thick 1-1/2" hardwood perches that he hardly occupies. He luckily has only one 3/4 inch diameter perch, the rest range from 1-1/2"! I will be sure to get a 2" perch as well!
 

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Dostc426

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I also think most recommended bird perches are way too small and create unnecessary strain on the foot. Like John mentioned, flat perches are a good addition, as well as thick perches like 2".

You could also invest in a camera that you can view via wifi (many inexpensive options on Amazon for $30 or less) and see where he tends to hang out the most.
That is really good to know, and also frustrating that most information doesn't tell you that for sun conures! This is the second time this has happened in the past two years and the first time I was naive and using 3/4" dowel rods. Made the switch then to rope perches, and then FINALLY the switch to all natural perches. I am happy to know that I am another step on the right track, and that the wrong size might the the last thing that I can avoid so he doesn't get another sore again!
 

Mizzely

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That is really good to know, and also frustrating that most information doesn't tell you that for sun conures! This is the second time this has happened in the past two years and the first time I was naive and using 3/4" dowel rods. Made the switch then to rope perches, and then FINALLY the switch to all natural perches. I am happy to know that I am another step on the right track, and that the wrong size might the the last thing that I can avoid so he doesn't get another sore again!

It's not "common" or popular advice yet I don't think lol. I've been using large perches for my birds for years now after having one with arthritis that got a lot more mobility when I moved her to thicker perches, and then I found that all my other birds enjoyed much thicker than is recommended for them too! Some people say their birds don't care for the thicker perches, but I think providing a lot of variety in terms of size and texture is the key. Afterall, I doubt many conures in the wild are thinking, "Well shoot, I WAS going to eat that fruit, but the perch is over an inch thick." :lol:

So don't throw out your 3/4", but add in a lot of sizes to vary how he has to hold the perch :)
 

Dostc426

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It's not "common" or popular advice yet I don't think lol. I've been using large perches for my birds for years now after having one with arthritis that got a lot more mobility when I moved her to thicker perches, and then I found that all my other birds enjoyed much thicker than is recommended for them too! Some people say their birds don't care for the thicker perches, but I think providing a lot of variety in terms of size and texture is the key. Afterall, I doubt many conures in the wild are thinking, "Well shoot, I WAS going to eat that fruit, but the perch is over an inch thick." :lol:

So don't throw out your 3/4", but add in a lot of sizes to vary how he has to hold the perch :)
Lol! Well I certainly appreciate the advice and will definitely apply it! I will certainly keep his 3/4"! No need to throw it out for sure, I will just have to make sure he just doesn't stand on it the most! In the meantime, should I bother wrapping vet wrap (even though I would prefer not to) for extra cushion until I notice that it goes away? Or should rotating his perches and making sure he doesn't favor a perch to long, and coconut oil suffice?
 

Mizzely

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I probably would just rotate due to the concerns about ingesting :)
 

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That sure sounds good to me! :D
I don't know if this will work for you, but I have to pad Rupert's perches sometimes and all I do is wrap a bit of paper towel and tie it down with some paulie rope. When it gets yucky, replace it. Rupert likes to tear off pieces of it (he makes "spitballs") and drops them all over the bottom of the cage.
 

Dostc426

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I don't know if this will work for you, but I have to pad Rupert's perches sometimes and all I do is wrap a bit of paper towel and tie it down with some paulie rope. When it gets yucky, replace it. Rupert likes to tear off pieces of it (he makes "spitballs") and drops them all over the bottom of the cage.
That is a great idea! :D The only downside is that my Sun loves paper towels THE MOST! Lol! When his hormones calm down I will definitely keep this in mind! :)
 
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