• Welcome to Avian Avenue! To view our forum with less advertisments please register with us.
    Memberships are free and it will just take a moment. Click here

Young cockatiel foot won't curl

Cockatielier

Meeting neighbors
Joined
4/20/19
Messages
55
Location
New Hampshire
Thanks all. I am reading your responses and have to look into everything you said. This morning Bertie was limping more than usual, so I figured I would set up a box for him in the bottom of the cage. But he didn't like the idea of being so low and started climbing the cage using his beak and flapping. I had to leave so I put him back up on the rope perch and he sat in his food bowl for several hours until I got home. I got a couple more rope perches, a plush birdie tent that hangs from something that he can relax in only so far we haven't found a good place to hang it, and a cozy corner plush perch thing that I can't for the life of me figure out. We switched the food bowl to one he can't sit in. Anyway, here are a couple pictures so far, don't know how clear they are. The cage needs to be cleaned and the box is still in the bottom. Very much a work in progress. This is exhausting. Also, the teen just told me that the bird's good foot has a small bruise looking area on it. Yikes. Edit: At this point he can't jump. He can only walk a little unsteadily. Cage1.jpg Cage2.jpg
 
Last edited:

Zara

♥❀Livin´ in Lovebird Land❀☼
Super Moderator
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avenue Concierge
Joined
1/8/18
Messages
31,366
Location
Reino de España
a cozy corner plush perch thing that I can't for the life of me figure out.
They tie to the corner of the cage so the bird can snuggle into it. It is not a perch.

, a plush birdie tent that hangs from something
Just be aware of the dangers of snuggle huts. Most members avoid them here as birds can ingest the fibres. I´m not sure which one you have, but if it is fluffy, then look for ones made from fleece.

Also, the teen just told me that the bird's good foot has a small bruise looking area on it.
Do you think maybe he banged it? :( poor little guy. Could it be food residue from the food bowl?
 

Kodigirl210

Rollerblading along the road
Joined
10/13/18
Messages
1,403
Location
Cali
I would flip the box over and cover it with a towel. It will give something soft to rest on off the ground.

Take the wood Y perch and put it exactly in the middle of the 2 bowls and have one with water and one bowl have pellets/seed.

Take one rope perch and twine it from just below the edge of the box up to the wood perch by the food in kind of a big C.

Use the single bowl for treats or fruits and veggies. And use the other rope perch from the bottom of the covered box up to the single bowl.

I never understood the cozy corner things either, so I ditched them.

If you want to remove the box entirely then get some platform perches but I would flip it and cover it with a towel first to see if he will rest on it that way. He probably felt vulnerable down in the box because he can’t see out. With it flipped over he will be able to see and hopefully be high enough he’s comfortable on it.

Please let me know if any of that works otherwise he may have to be put in a tub or something until he has platform perches where he can rest both feet. He most likely bruised the good one scrambling up the cage.

And the boing I posted would work in that particular cage. It would make a very lazy spiral and be safer than going up the side of the cage or just get a longer one if that would be more comfortable for everyone.

Hoping Bertie feels better soon!

OnePlus Colorful Bird Perch Natural Dye Rope Parrot Chewing Toy Sturdy Bird Swing for Bungees, Parakeets, Cockatiels and Macaws (59 in) Amazon.com : OnePlus Colorful Bird Perch Natural Dye Rope Parrot Chewing Toy Sturdy Bird Swing for Bungees, Parakeets, Cockatiels and Macaws (59 in) : Pet Supplies
 

Cockatielier

Meeting neighbors
Joined
4/20/19
Messages
55
Location
New Hampshire
Hmm! This is the soft fuzzy hut. Is this the one we should avoid? All Living Things® Soft Fuzzy Bird Hut | bird Toys | PetSmart

I guess the corner perch thing is just a vertical blanket then. It's soft and fuzzy too. HMM.

I have a feeling he's been climbing his cage too much with one foot. Half-perching on the edge of his old metal food bowl probably did not help.

The new rope perches close together are giving him a way to use his tail feathers for extra stability. And he loves his new food bowl. He can access it from the rope perch, and grabs the bowl handle if he starts to teeter.
 

Kodigirl210

Rollerblading along the road
Joined
10/13/18
Messages
1,403
Location
Cali
He needs to be able to rest his foot without constantly clutching a perch. I was just trying to work with what you already had and also want to make sure he can go from somewhere where he can rest his foot back to his food. That’s the main reason for rearranging the perches. If never gets a chance to relax it, it may not heal very quickly.
 

Cockatielier

Meeting neighbors
Joined
4/20/19
Messages
55
Location
New Hampshire
I would flip the box over and cover it with a towel. It will give something soft to rest on off the ground.
Yup, I had a closed box on the bottom but so far he doesn't like it down there and didn't use it. I need to order the corner platform perch(es), they didn't have those at the pet stores today, and I'll try the coil too. The Y perch is slippery and short and basically useless but it's still in there for extra stability. The rope perches seem to work the best, and extending one at least closer to a platform set up on the bottom of the cage hopefully will work. Need to get one more rope perch. Maybe 2. :)

At this point his mobility is severely limited. To walk anywhere he holds on to something with his beak so he doesn't wobble. Once he gets stronger he'll be able to come out into the house and wander around and I think that will help. Right now he's still a little stressed trying to get used to his ever changing crib.
 

Cockatielier

Meeting neighbors
Joined
4/20/19
Messages
55
Location
New Hampshire
He needs to be able to rest his foot without constantly clutching a perch.
Yeah, that's why I'm going to order that corner perch right now. It'll take a few days to get here tho.

Actually what I did tonight was put his old metal food bowl back in but stuffed it with old t-shirt soft material so maybe he can nest in there. It's where he has been sleeping, but I don't think he's going for it. Must be more fun sleeping in food. :) Edit: We just picked him up and plopped him in the t-shirt bowl so we'll see if he stays there. It's a cozy little nest.
 
Last edited:

Kodigirl210

Rollerblading along the road
Joined
10/13/18
Messages
1,403
Location
Cali
I love it. Why fix it if it ain’t broke. If he loves his bowl for sleeping then yippee hopefully he snuggles down in the comfy bed you made for him. He might be shy too. Waiting for the lights to go out hehehe :D

Order some vet wrap too or buy it at the local feed store. Anything that is slick can be wrapped in it and it makes a very tacky surface. It’s usually in the horse supplies.
 

Kodigirl210

Rollerblading along the road
Joined
10/13/18
Messages
1,403
Location
Cali
Here is a post of it. Do not get any abrasive stuff. Sif ended up with lesions from those because she doesn’t walk with a normal gait from the missing toes.

Vet Wrap Tape Bulk, FDA Approved, Cohesive Bandage, Self Adherent Rap, Adhesive Stick, Dog Cat Horse, Assorted and Camo Camouflage Colors 2, 3, or 4 inches Wide x 15 Feet - 6, 9, 12, 18, 24 Packs Amazon.com : Vet Wrap Tape Bulk, FDA Approved, Cohesive Bandage, Self Adherent Rap, Adhesive Stick, Dog Cat Horse, Assorted and Camo Camouflage Colors 2, 3, or 4 inches Wide x 15 Feet - 6, 9, 12, 18, 24 Packs : Pet Supplies
 

iamwhoiam

Ripping up the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
4/16/12
Messages
28,269
Location
the zoo
My sparrow has a resting bowl that I've layered with paper towels. He's had that since the day I found him when he was about 1-2 days old. It's a comfortable place for him to sit and his food and water dishes are adjacent to it so they are within easy reach for him. Check into getting him some ladders.
 

Kodigirl210

Rollerblading along the road
Joined
10/13/18
Messages
1,403
Location
Cali
As long as Bertie is happy who cares? Trust that I think about that all the time as I peel my GCCs off my head all the time lol.
 

katebf38

Sprinting down the street
Joined
2/17/19
Messages
423
Location
Phoenix, AZ
At the very least the store should pick u the avian vet bill for the bird. I’m all about loving and taking in special needs birds, but that is not what you contracted for. Make sure you renegotiate it’s price if it’s a permanent injury and remember you are only seeing one symptom of injury. Best wishes for a good outcome for you both.
 

Cockatielier

Meeting neighbors
Joined
4/20/19
Messages
55
Location
New Hampshire
Today was not a very optimistic day. I spent all morning trying to accommodate Bertie's needs. He was perching on the metal water bowl this morning and that wasn't good, so I put him on a towel in the sun in front of the sliding glass window and let him bake for about an hour. This is the disturbing thing. His good foot is now developing problems so that he helps himself move around by dragging himself with his beak. After an hour in the sun I put him back in his cage, but when he went back on his rope perch, I noticed him lifting his good foot like it hurt. That's it. No more perches for him. So I cleared out his smaller travel cage, took the perches out and filled the water and food bowls in there, lay a real soft material in there, and put the cage in the warm sun by the window. I also had him sitting next to me for a while. I put the cuttlebone in his cage and he chewed on that for a while, I figured that may help his immune system. After a few hours in the travel cage, I put him back in the big cage in his nested food bowl with the old t-shirt in there. He stayed there till the teen came home from school, and then he snuggled on her lap while she did her homework. Then he went back into the big cage, ate a lot, and then she helped him into his t-shirt food bowl nest, and night night.

I don't know guys. If a bird can't fly, and if it loses mobility in its feet so that it has to drag itself around with its beak... yikes. I will need to schedule an appt. with the vet and try to get the skinny on what exactly is going on here. I'll bring the xrays and the vet report from the pet store's vet. I wonder if this is a degenerative disease.

Yikes. I just found out that cuttlebones are from cuttlefish, which are an octopus-type sea creature and wiki says they are among the most intelligent invertebrates. Agh. Now I feel even worse.
 

Zara

♥❀Livin´ in Lovebird Land❀☼
Super Moderator
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avenue Concierge
Joined
1/8/18
Messages
31,366
Location
Reino de España
I will need to schedule an appt. with the vet and try to get the skinny on what exactly is going on here. I'll bring the xrays and the vet report from the pet store's vet.
That is a very good idea.

I put the cuttlebone in his cage and he chewed on that for a while, I figured that may help his immune system.
Yikes. I just found out that cuttlebones are from cuttlefish, which are an octopus-type sea creature and wiki says they are among the most intelligent invertebrates. Agh. Now I feel even worse.
They don´t do much for birds. They are a good grooming tool but provide so little nutrition.

I don't know guys. If a bird can't fly, and if it loses mobility in its feet so that it has to drag itself around with its beak... yikes.
You should read some of Brittanys threads. Her bird is missing a foot and does not fly. @Brittany0208

Maybe look into a silo type water dispenser so Bertie can´t sit on it and get too wet.
 

Tiel Feathers

Joyriding the Neighborhood
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
9/15/14
Messages
20,193
Location
Quincy,CA
Real Name
Deanna
So earlier you mentioned that his good foot has a small bruise looking area on it. Is it on the bottom? It’s good you’re making everything soft for him and taking him to the vet again. You are doing wonderfully with him, and I hope he doesn’t start having more trouble with his good foot.

Many people mistakenly give Cuttlebone to their birds hoping to increase their calcium intake, but it actually isn’t a very good source of calcium.
 

Kodigirl210

Rollerblading along the road
Joined
10/13/18
Messages
1,403
Location
Cali
I would definitely rethink having him the big cage. He needs to rest his feet so putting him in the travel cage will limit his want/need to move around. It would be best if just had the soft material, food and water now until you can get him looked at. His good foot is hurting because he’s bearing all the weight on it because he’s perching. If you could put a heating pad under half of the travel cage bottom that would be great too. Sending positive thoughts :sadhug2:
 

Cockatielier

Meeting neighbors
Joined
4/20/19
Messages
55
Location
New Hampshire
Is it on the bottom?
I'll check that tomorrow. The teen has been keeping closer tabs on that one, and had dabbed it (once) with some hydrogen peroxide. She's better at turning him over because he's more bonded with her, he's a little nervous around me.
His good foot is hurting because he’s bearing all the weight on it because he’s perching.
I really hope that's the case. I also have that corner platform coming. I told the teen yesterday to start putting the bird in the travel cage for me when she leaves for school every morning. So he's basically switching between his food bowl nest and the travel cage, with minimal perching in the big cage. He doesn't like the travel cage. But he won't stay on the floor of the big cage, he starts climbing the bars. This way on sunny days I can put him in front of the window and let him get good Vitamin D and natural warmth because it's still chilly outside. I feel like the sun is healthy for him (and us).

If the cuddlebones don't do much for birds I don't know why they sell them everywhere, esp. considering cuttlefish have to be harvested to provide these. Do you all give calcium supplements to your birds? Or just let the vitamin drops/powder take care of it. Or do you even give vitamins.
 
Top