Hello everyone, I am a worried conure parent On tuesday, she had a pedi at her regular vet. I've been thinking of switching vets, because every time I take her, she comes out limping and curls up either one of her feet for days on afterwards. Unfortunately, the next avian vet is about 45 mins away from me.

Anyway, same thing happened, limping conure went back home. I put her on the rim of her water bowl and gave her a walnut as a treat. She didn't eat it and insisted on being with me, so I picked her up and she leaned back against my chest. I noticed she was down but that isn't abnormal after a trip to the vet so I didn't pay too much attention, until I looked down and saw the hand I was holding her with was covered in blood.

I flipped out, saw that it was coming from her foot, and set her down. I phoned the vet in a panic, and they told me to put flour on the wound. That helped for about a nanoscond, and the bleeding continued. They told me to come back and they'd be waiting for her, so off we went. 15 Minutes later, I was at the vet, my shoulders, hair, chest and hands covered in her blood. They took her back, and a little bit after, the vet came out to say that "it really wasn't too much blood, like you had suggested." I showed her my shoulders, paper towels, hands, etc, and she shut up. She went back to monitor her, and came back with her in her cage, and told us that the solution they put on nicks and cuts shouldn't come in contact with water.Well, thanks for the warning AFTER the fact. How uncommon/common is it for a vet to nick a bird's nails? I try to take her every 3-4 weeks, so the nerve doesn't grow out and cause wounds, but I feel like I am still not doing it right??

It's now friday, and she has been eating and drinking, and enjoying being outside like she normally does, but isn't playful, and sleeps a lot more. She also wants to be cuddled non stop, unless she's outside on her favorite branch.

My concern is, it's friday night, and she's still down in the dumps. Is this normal behavior? Should I take her to another vet to make sure she's fine? Does she just need some more healing time?

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Poor Pipa, how traumatic for both of you! After this experience, I think I would choose the vet forty five minutes away. Do Pipa's nails grow extremely fast, three to four weeks sounds a little excessive to me. I understand not wanting to let them become overgrown but it's possible taking her in so often could be part of the problem, if they were pretty short when you took her in today, that could be the reason for all the blood. This is just an opinion, a good vet would be able to offer a much better explanation. If nothing else, a different vet would hopefully treat you and Pipa with more respect.

She will probably be just fine, it's normal for a bird to be a little depressed and very clingy after a traumatic event or injury. I would keep a very close eye on the foot for more bleeding or signs of infection. Do you have an avian vet you could reach over the weekend if you need to?

I'm so sorry this happened, wishing the best for your little sweetheart. Please keep us updated.

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"She is not refined. She is not unrefined. She keeps a parrot." Mark Twain

So sorry to hear Pipa went through that. I have NEVER had my parrot's nails bleed or be sore after a trim. The only time is when they needed to draw blood and had to clip one purposefully short to draw. It was likely sore but I never had it bleed afterwards and it would only be a single nail. I would not return to that vet for trims (or maybe anything else?). You shouldn't have to bring them in every month for a trim (although if others with more experience disagree, please let me know) - try a pedi perch to help keep them in shape more often.

As for what you should do now, its hard to say for sure. I'm sure she's a bit traumatized (and thus extra snuggly) and is likely very tired due to blood loss. I don't know if a vet can do much more or not as she likely just needs to recover and regain her strength (and have less sore feet) but I hesitate to advise you one way or the other as you know your bird. Perhaps others with more bird experience could say. Eating and drinking is a good sign for sure - she sounds OK but I cannot say properly one way or the other. Hope she's back to her playful self soon!

Hi, good to see you back, but not under this circumstance . I'm sorry Pipa comes out of the vet crippled after pedicures, and bleeding this time! There should never be nicks and cuts from a pedicure . Even more surprising that it's at an avian vet's office!
Usually professionals use a dremmel, not clippers. That doesn't leave blood. Maybe have someone hold her in a towel, and clip the nail points off yourself and save the drive, money, and stress for both you and Pipa!

Hiya .. So sorry about Pipa poor baby.

Gracie has been to the vet more times then I can count in the past 4 mths & for some really stressful tests & several procedures. Once she got a dremel trim with no stress or injury during or after. Not one time has she left the vets upset, down or stressed out.
She's always happily munching away on whatever special treat they bestowed upon her.

Besides myself shes pretty hands off except the staff at the avian vets office pretty much anyone there can handle her and she adores their attention. She's stayed there multiple times for the entire day and when I pick her up its always a chipper lil girl.

All that said a good avian vet and staff is definantely worth the drive.

If they are clipping the nail instead of dremel then owie . I think I would be concerned big time if my vet messed up a procedure as simple as nail trimming and would be looking for a new one asap. And not giving you after care instructions to avoid water man not ok id be upset too.

I'm sure your week has been so stressful I hope Pipa is feeling better soon

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♫ ♪ You will always have a part of me nobody else is ever gonna see my Gracie girl ♪ ♫

So sorry to hear of Pipa's experience. If her nails need cutting on such as regular basis then I feel you should have some tests done. They shouldn't need cutting on such a regular basis. Perhaps you could see if you can get her used to you filing them a little to just keep those pesky points at bay. BTW my AV recommends a COLD compress to be put on to stop the bleeding. Give her lots of love, probably traumatic for her. Let us know how she is later on please?

PS. Don't forget the rough concrete type of perch are useful in helping keeping nails trim.

Agree with Allee re probably just clingyness after the trauma. Give her the attention she needs when she needs it.

I wouldn't want to go back to this vet.

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I hope Pipa is feeling more energetic and playful soon and yes I would most certainly bring her to the 45 min away vet and I wont say what I would do to that other creep...I know someone said that bringing Pippa to the vet so often for a nail trim might be the cause of it but however often you bring your bird to the vet to have XYand Z done it is the vet who should determine what needs doing and if you ask for something that doesnt need doing then your vet should explain to you why its not in your birds best interests to do your bidding and if your vet isnt capable of making a simple accessment like that regarding the care of Pipas nails then he or she is most certainly in my eyes not qualified to diagnose anything else...my vet refused to clip Mr Biggles nails and beak despite my protestation and he was right...he said it was an un necessary trauma for him at that point as they werent that badly overgrown and he told me we were treating his infection first and of course by the time the infection cleared Mr Biggles had trimmed back his own toenails using a pedicure perch and also had trimmed his own beak by playing with toys and beaking the pedicure perch.
It could be that Pipas foot is sore and that this is preventing her from playing but I would have her checked over none the less just to make sure that there is no infection creeping in and also to check her that shes not suffering any ill effects from the blood loss. I am so angry with that vet you went to...Im presuming he or she is supposed to be an Avian Vet although even a small animal dog or cat vet should be able to know when not to clip a toenail, things like that should not happen in a veterinary practice. I would not only not go back there but I would advise everyone else I know in the vicinity (regardless of what pet they have )not to go anywhere near that vet. When I pay for the services of a vet I am placing what I hold dearest in the world in their hands and I expect them to be both professional and thorough and to Always Always Always put my bird or cat or dogs needs first. I am so sorry you got such an incompetent vet and I hope Pipa feels better soon

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Thank you for all your responses. I'm definitely not going back to this vet. I only take her in for nail trims when he nails scratch the heck out of me, and they end in sharp points. I'm just done torturing her for no good reason. I already feel bad enough as it is! She's acting fine today, bratty, but loving and still cuddly. She has special perches for her nails, but she just sharpens her beak on them (her beak is seriously sharp sometimes) and I'm too scared to cut the nails myself.

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If you can have a move round in her cage perhaps so that she spends a bit more time on the rough perches I think it will help. I have one similar to this below and find it does work quite well. You can turn it round while attached to achieve the best results. I think it is the best one I have purchased to date.

Pollys Twister Perch Small

When Pipa has recovered from her ordeal try and play with her re filing her nails. She may let you, see if you can make it fun/game and plenty of praise and rewards.

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If she will let you, or you have help, you could try just filling down her nails when they get pointy. If you use a file and just take down the points a little, there really isn't any harm you can do. It would be like filing down a corner of your own nail. A simple hand file should be enough to tame down the points, you shouldn't even need something like a dremel. That would save her the trauma of having to go to the vet all the time for her nails, and it would probably save you quite a bit of money as well.

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