Gouldian with injured leg

Is your finch sick or not well? Find out why.
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mary jane
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Joined: 03 Aug 2022, 01:43
Location: America

Thank you for your reassurance, finchbreeder~~I am feeling guilty constantly about not grabbing him and giving the antibiotics and pain med that vet gave me. She said I should consider having the toe removed as it may be painful in the position it's in.
He often keeps the foot off the perch, as if putting weight on it hurts. They would have to sedate him and cauterize the spot where toe is. And she said I would definitely have to do the antibiotics and pain meds if they did the surgery. My regular vet, who used to raise canaries, said I should give it some time. I am in awe of Brett, who did what the Avian vet at vet school said they could not do because he is so tiny.
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BrettB
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Location: Perth

Hello Mary.

When you say his hind leg, I presume you mean his toe?
I would think, with a little bit of narrow cloth, you could probably strap his hind toe to his tarsus (see the picture previously)
I presume what has happened, is that in the struggle to free himself, he has broken his toe and it is now crooked.
He may have done other damage, like cut off the blood supply to the toe, in which case it may well drop off.
Or he may have damaged the nerves, like my bird had, in which case there is some prospect of it recovering.

Like Finchbreeder, I have had a number of birds sustain feet injuries, missing toes, etc and they have generally managed full lives, even breeding.

With respect to the antibiotics, I would not bother too much. You would be surprised at what the birds own immunity can cope with.
I had a rat chew a Double Bar finches leg half off. Simple first aid (antiseptic, heat and rest) and the bird recovered, went on to live for years. Think of a peg leg Double Bar, all he needed was an eye patch and a parrot.

Cheers
Brett
"We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are ." Anais Nin
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mary jane
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If he doesn't always put weight on that foot---does it mean he is in pain?

And Brett~~his back toe was injured by a piece of string and it "healed" forward rather than back where it belongs. Vet School said maybe it should come off, but he's "too tiny for a splint". Could only remove it.
And they said for me not to put antibiotics on it! I didn't agree with that!!

But now it's healed, but wonky.
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finchbreeder
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Location: Midwest of West. Aust. Coast
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Does he never put weight on it? Or is it that he sleeps with that foot up? Or somewhere in between?
LML
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