Lovebird's bad toe.

Hi everyone,
I'm very new here.
I have had my lovebird ''Trevor'' for just over a year now, a few weeks back he got a small fiber wrapped round his toe. Not sure where it came from as he is always well supervised when he is out of his cage. Anyway I took him to the vet and they removed it for him, gave me some cream and spray and said keep an eye on the toe. But since the doctor removed the fiber his toe has only got worse, the doctor said it was pretty deep and that he may end up loosing the toe.

He is due to go back next week, but I am worried if it can wait that long?? It is yellow and black and I am really worried he will loose it, it is hard for him to stand on it and walk but he does not seem any different (personality wise). He still eats a lot and is happy and loves to spend time with my wife and I.

I live in China so it took a lot of searching to find a vet who can deal with birds. And even then I have to travel 4 hours

Thank you so much in advance for any advice given.
Take care.

Hello Paul, and welcome to the Parrot Forums family.

No, you definitely cannot wait until next week to get that toe looked after. You need to get Trevor in to the vet right away. From the looks of that toe, I think he's in imminent danger of losing it. In fact, I'd be surprised if he didn't. But I do hope I'm wrong.

Regardless of whether he'll lose it or not, though, the need to get him in to the vet is every bit as urgent. He needs antibiotics to stave off infection that might spread to the rest of the foot or get him very sick. I'm actually surprised and disappointed that his vet didn't give antibiotics in the first place. Especially after acknowledging that losing the toe was a possibility.

From your description of the scarcity of vets in your area I realize it would be difficult, but I do suggest that you try to find another avian certified vet to look at him. If you can't find one soon enough, though, then take him back to the same guy. Trevor may be acting like all is well, but that's what birds do. As prey animals, any sign of weakness is a death warrant in the wild. So their natural instinct is to hide any sign of pain or sickness. Because of this, by the time a bird is visibly unwell it is often too late to save him.

Please keep us updated on Trevor's condition. We'll all be pulling for him.

Thank you so much for your warm welcome and your informative reply. Avian vets are very scarce here, it can be hard to find a vet for cats and dogs so an avian vet is even more hard to find. Since I have had him he has been a healthy, fun, wonderful pet. Makes me sad to see his toe like that.

I will take him back to the same vet as soon as possible, (i shall call now) but its 9pm here now so will most likely have to be tomorrow. I hope he does not loose the toe.

I will keep you updated on how he is.

Take care

Welcome to the Parrot's Forum.

The information you have received regarding your Parrot's toe is excellent.

I wish to provide you supporting information that will help you in the future. You are faced with a very common problem and that is the lack of Vet care that is near where you live.

For the safety of your Parrot(s), you should consider having an emergency Medical kit at your home that will support your general care of your Parrot(s). What you have in your kit is based on what care you are willing to bring to your Parrot(s).

Most Parents quickly learn to care for their basic needs of their Children and I am only talking this same level of care for your Parrot(s). In the majority of cases it is limiting the movement of a broken bone and halting the loss of blood. Everything that you would need, would fit into a plastic sealing container the size of a shoe box. Think of it as a First Aid Kit for your Parrot(s).

As part of your next visit (very soon from what I had read) with your Vet, please ask for a list of medications that you should have on hand (he will make available to you). Note: Some of the Medication will need to be kept cool to assure its longer life. Also, what should be part of your emergency Medical kit.

Please promise that if he provides this information and also some of the supplies (please pay for what he supplies) that you will bring your Parrot(s) to him for a yearly healthy Parrot examination, every year. Also, present this as your idea to provide good care for your Parrot. Yes, you can say you got the idea from an Internet Forum, but it is better that it is your level of interest in your Parrot's good care that is driving your request!

NOTE: Most of what will be part of this kit can be purchased at the Pharmacy where you live. Once you have a start for your kit, I (we) will provide additional recommendations.

Thank-you for your loving care of your Lovebird(s).

Hello, I'm sorry about your lovebird's toe, but yes, he's most likely going to need to have it removed immediately. The black tissue is necrotic, or dead. That being said, he can live a normal life without his toe.

You absolutely cannot wait, if you do the infection in his toe will likely spread to his bloodstream and cause him to become septic, which is deadly. Please take him back to the avian vet ASAP to have his toe removed and get him antibiotics. And as Sailboat said, it would be a very good idea to ask the vet what you need to have at home for a bird first aid kit and what medications you should keep on hand. As said this is never a replacement for a yearly checkup for your bird with an avian vet, nor is it a replacement for treatment if he becomes injured or sick.

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Wow, thank you for so much useful information. I shall indeed ask about a bird first aid kit and medications, because of where I live that sounds like an absolute must.

He is going to the Vet today, I am worrying a lot about him and just want him to be O.K.

Thank you again for the advice and help, and I shall keep you updated on Trevor.

Have a wonderful day.

Aww poor fella! I will be curious to hear the outcome. I'll be thinking of Trevor and sending good birdie thoughts his way.

I found this Thread that lists the items that one would want to have in an Emergency Medical Kit: It is located in the General Health Care Forum and is the last of the Highlighted in Light Blue Sticky Threads:

Author (OP): Hayden1987

"First Aid Kit After keeping and breeding parrots and volunteering for bird rescue here in NZ and dealing with wild and domestic birds I have come to realize the importance of having a first aid kit especially put together for birds..
Accidents can happen anywhere and at anytime so be prepared!
I always have 2 fully stocked at all times..
One is always in my car (mainly for wild birds)
But the other is in the house in an easily to get to place.

Here's my kit for anybody who is interested.

Equipment and Supplies
•Scissors •Tweezers•Nail clippers and metal nail file •Cornstarch (to help control bleeding from a nail) •Flashlight and batteries •Scalpel blades and handles •Eye dropper •Syringes of various sizes •Feeding tubes of various sizes (if you are trained in how to use them) •Lubricant such as mineral oil (corn oil) or KY Jelly (without spermicide) •Cotton swabs •Clean cloths (hand towels) and/or paper toweling •Disposable gloves •Stethoscope •Gram scale •Needle-nose pliers or*hemostats •Wire cutters •Net • (large bath) Towels for restraint and/or to cover cage •Pet carrier Heating pad or heat lamp to use at home •Home thermometer to measure temperature of bird's environment •Heat pack or hot water bottle (to keep the bird warm during transport; wrap the pack in a towel - do not apply directly to your bird, or burns may result)

Bandaging Materials
•Square gauze of various sizes - some sterile •Non-stick pads •First aid tape - both paper (easily comes off of skin and feathers, or use masking tape) and adhesive types •Bandage rolls - gauze and VetWrap •Wooden sticks of various sizes for splints - tongue depressors, Popsicle sticks, toothpicks •Band-Aids (for humans)

Nutritional Support
•Rehydrating solution such as Gatorade or Pedialyte

Medicines
•Wound disinfectant such as Betadine •Triple antibiotic ointment for skin •Antibiotic ophthalmic ointment for eyes, e.g., Terramycin •Eye wash solution•Sterile saline
NOTE: Watch the expiration dates on any medication, and replace as needed.

Remember,
Don't crop tube unless you have been trained
Keep the bird warm in a quiet area
Make sure you do your best to keep the bird hydrated, this is more important than food in an emergency, but do offer food as well
And most important get to your Vet: as-soon-as-possible.

I'm sure most of you know all this but for all the newbies out there i hope this helps."

Yesterday Trevor sadly had his toe removed, he is doing fine but the Vet is keeping him in the hospital for 3 days to give him his medication and make sure he is healing ok after the surgery.
House seems so quiet wihout him around, cannot wait for him to return.


Again thank you for the fantastic information. I shall try to aquire that list and store in my house. I have found a few parrot first aid kits online also.
I really want to provide the best care I can, so plan I to really read up and educate myself what to do in an emergency situation.

We'll be anxiously awaiting any updates on Trevor. You're both in my thoughts and prayers.

Thanks for showing him the love. I hope he's home soon.

I'm so glad that they got that toe removed quickly and that it went well. I say that I'm happy his toe was removed because while it's sad that he lost his toe, the longer he had it the higher the chance that he was going to have to lose his entire foot, leg, or his life. His toe was very obviously necrotic (dead) and after I posted my response that he definitely needed the toe removed, I was really worried that he wouldn't get to the vet in time and he was going to become septic and die. Any time tissue loses oxygen supply and it appears black like that there isn't much you can do to save it, you have to concentrate on saving the life of the patient rather than saving the appendage.

I'm also glad your vet decided to keep him in the animal hospital for after surgery care. It's important he's monitored to make sure he doesn't spike a fever or show any other signs of infection, and that he has no bad reactions to the anaesthesia. They'll make sure he gets all of the antibiotics he needs, as well as good pain medication and antiinflammatories. So feel secure that he is very comfortable right now, in no pain, and by the time you go pick him up to bring him home he'll be in good shape. I'm sure he's ready to get out of that hospital and go home with you!

They'll hopefully give you detailed after-surgery care instructions, and it's very, very important that you follow them so that his toe doesn't become infected in the first week or so after having the surgery, that's the most common time for infections to happen. I would completely clean out and disinfect his cage and everything in it BEFORE he comes home. Get a good antibacterial cleaner, in fact if you can find a medicinal disinfectant like Hibiclens (best option) or Betadine/Iodine in the drug store, should be with the bandages, antiseptics, antibiotic creams, etc. I'd actually buy a little bottle and use that to sterilize his cage inside and out (bars, doors, floor, everything), all of his perches, all of his toys, his food and water dishes, everything he comes in contact with or will possibly stand on. Hibiclens is amazing stuff, they actually use it in human hospitals as the scrub-in antiseptic for surgeons to use before surgery. I always have a few bottles around, one in my car, my truck, the bird first aid kit, the dog first aid kit, my medicine cabinet, and in my cleaning supplies. It kills EVERYTHING and it doesn't stain skin or feathers like Betadine/iodine does. It's a small bottle usually but you can mix it with water, it doesn't take much, and put it in a spray bottle to clean with. It's a pink liquid and I mix it one part Hibiclens to 3 parts water in a large spray bottle. It has no smell and I just use it like I would an all purpose cleaner.

So I'd clean and disinfect his entire cage, all perches and toys, dishes, etc. before he comes home. He should recover very quickly, and he should get around very well without his toe. He may have some trouble perching at first, at least while it's still sore, so you may need to lower his perches and pad the cage bottom for him with thick blankets/pillows when he first gets home. That way if he falls he won't hurt himself, and if he can't perch because his foot is sore he can comfortably stand on the padded cage bottom. If you need to do this remember to move his food/water dishes to the bottom as well for him so he doesn't have to climb. Follow the after-surgery care instructions, give him all his antibiotics until they're gone, make sure they send him home with pain medication as well, and most importantly, ask any questions you have before you leave with him! Don't be afraid to ask the avian vet anything at all...

Good luck to you and your bird, he'll be just fine. Please let us know when he gets home and how he's doing!

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I was given Hibiclens to use before surgery, and it came with stern warnings not to get it in my ears because it might cause deafness. I was careful not to get any in my eyes or ears but it made me a little nervous. I wouldn't be brave enough to spray it everywhere...I use a vinegar/water solution for most of the cleaning around the fid, and for real disinfecting mild bleach outdoors and a few hours of sunlight seems to work.

Thanks for everyones concern. Trevor arrived home 2 days ago and is looking and behaving great. Seems happy and content and not in pain like before. He still seems to grip fine even with the missing toe.

I took all the precautions I was given and disinfected everything before his arrival, and had his favourite vegetables and seeds waiting for him, of which he was really happy about. I am thankful to the knowledgeable people of this site as well for providing invaluable info.

I will upload a photo album of Trevor when I have the time.

Have a great day.

Kentuckienne said:

I was given Hibiclens to use before surgery, and it came with stern warnings not to get it in my ears because it might cause deafness. I was careful not to get any in my eyes or ears but it made me a little nervous. I wouldn't be brave enough to spray it everywhere...I use a vinegar/water solution for most of the cleaning around the fid, and for real disinfecting mild bleach outdoors and a few hours of sunlight seems to work.

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Just an FYI, no you never want to get Hibiclens in your ears or eyes, or your pet's ears or eyes, but as far as diluting it with water in a spray bottle to use as a disinfectant it's perfectly safe and highly recommended by most vets. My certified avian vet swears by it as a disinfectant for the bird cages of sick birds because it kills everything! I always disinfect with the diluted Hibiclens and then wash it down again with distilled water. I only disinfect cages, tanks, etc. when there is a known sick animal, a disease being spread, etc. because I know it's going to kill whatever it is (including MRSA) and as far as using it as an antiseptic it's absolutely the best thing available. Not only does it kill everything including some bugs that Betadine won't kill (like MRSA) it is also much less harsh on skin cells. This is why they now use it in scrub packets in the operating room.

FYI, the "don't get it in your ears/eyes thing" became a huge deal because some vets were actually making a diluted solution of Hibiclens and saline and using it to clean out the ears of dogs that had bad bacterial or yeast infections. A lot of dogs went permanently dead because the Hibiclens kills the growth of the psilia/hairs in your ears that you need to be able to hear.

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