Pink Spots

Christinenc2000 · Sep 10, 2015

I noticed last week the bottom of BB's feet have pink area. I put aloe on them and seems to be getting better. I have read up on this and not sure what is causing it. I have not changed any perches . In fact I wanted to buy a new one and really hate to until I resolve this

His roosting perch at the top runs the length of the cage. This just happens to be his go to spot . He might jump around on the other ones moving around the cage but this is the sit and sleep perch. Will wrapping it with Vet tape help ? Its been in the cage for a long time. Yes it is clean

He goes insane if I move this but I thought about dropping it down a little and putting another short perch higher to see if he would roost on that.

Any suggestions are welcome.

JerseyWendy · Sep 10, 2015

Christine, what type of perch is his roosting perch? If it's a dowel, I'd replace it with a natural piece of wood (dragonwood with bark still attached for example). If the pink spots are sores, wrapping a perfectly round perch with vet wrap won't help the issue because BB will still have his feet in the same position while perched on it.

Did that make any sense?

Christinenc2000 · Sep 10, 2015

Is a Mimosa branch. Its been in there for a long time. I checked to make sure nothing is on it to irritate him. There is no swelling in his feet.

Yeah i will check and replace it this weekend . BUT he is NOT going to like it at all. Last time he stayed out of the cage trying to eat the new perch from the outside. LOL IT WAS A MONSTER

Christinenc2000 · Sep 10, 2015

There is no dowel in his cage

First lesson I learned here LOL

JerseyWendy · Sep 10, 2015

I've never seen Mimosa branches, but I'm guessing it's not perfectly round everywhere, right? If so, why not try to just turn it around?

Christinenc2000 · Sep 10, 2015

Yes its perfectly round. They actually do not have a thick bark on them. I will try turning it when I get home tonight.

Birdman666 · Sep 10, 2015

Quote from the vet manual:

"Round pads on the pressure points of the feet are the kind of thing that usually comes from sitting in one spot. Round symmetrical (dowel) perches of any kind promote that kind of thing. Special consideration should be given to what the bird "sleeps" on. They spend many hours in that spot every night. Natural branch shapes with bumps and dips and bends allow the bird to change pressure points simply by shifting a step."

Stage 1: PINK SPOTS! I suspect that's it.

Bumble Foot: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

If it's a roundl sleep perch, you don't need to lower the perch, I would just switch it out to a natural branch that has some shape to it.

Christinenc2000 · Sep 10, 2015

Yeah that sounds like it. I'll order something tonight. Have to measure . Thanks

I really feel bad about this.

Birdman666 · Sep 10, 2015

Christinenc2000 said:
Yeah that sounds like it. I'll order something tonight. Have to measure . Thanks

I really feel bad about this.

Don't. It happens.

If it progressed to the point where there were open wounds, and sores, and you continued to neglect it... that's something completely different.

The fact that you noticed it, and did/are doing something about it shows that you're on the ball, and doing your job as a bird Mom...

The other thing is, this could indicate a low vitamin A level. So increase the vitamin A foods right now. Give him a sweet potato or something.

Christinenc2000 · Sep 10, 2015

Yeah I kinda freaked out about it.
Ok so what would be a good size roost perch ?

So far in cage I have
1 sand perch on door
1 concrete perch on side
1 very nice dragon wood perch short its at the back of the cage. pretty long 1/2 the width of cage
1 Mimosa at the top of the cage that he sleeps on runs the length of the cage
and 1 crape myrtle branch that also runs length from food to water dish 1/2 down.
Dang that sounds like a lot but actually its not . All are short but the last two

Birdman666 · Sep 10, 2015

Didn't you say you had grapevine naturally growing in your area and available to you? Why not just cut a long stretch of grapevine perch, and run it the length of the cage near where he sleeps?

Once you clean it up, you get two long wood screws, and four of those large washers, and power drill it in place to hang it up.

Christinenc2000 · Sep 10, 2015

See that is why I post here. Because I was freaking out and never thought of that. I also have crape myrtle. THANK YOU !

ToMang07 · Sep 10, 2015

I use branches sourced from my yard for Willow... I had a branch come down off my weeping willow so she has a couple willow perches in the Willow cage, lol

JerseyWendy · Sep 10, 2015

Christine, shoot 'henpecked' a message. He has THE best dragonwood perches - EVER!!!

Christinenc2000 · Sep 10, 2015

Yeah it just kinda shook me up . Lots going on in my life right now and this kinda made me take a deep breath.

Thanks for all the fast comments. I really do feel better. Poor BB hated the taste of the aloe LOL

Christinenc2000 · Sep 10, 2015

JerseyWendy said:
Christine, shoot 'henpecked' a message. He has THE best dragonwood perches - EVER!!!

Will do ! I have to measure first . Really like the Idea of the grapevine. There is a HUGE one next door so I can trim it

Flboy · Sep 10, 2015

Remember, in your part of the country, there is a lot of branches you can use. Burch, willow, maple, sycamore, and more.

Mimsy01 · Sep 10, 2015

Can they get a yeast infection, like human athletes foot? I ask this because I have a dog with a lot of allergies that is prone to them and wonder about any porous surface. All natural wood perches (and concrete style ones as well) I soak in vinegar and then bake at a low temp from time to time and toss the rope ones through the washer and dryer sometimes.

btw i have a few dowel perches that were in cages that I bought that were kinda small in diameter imo so I wrapped some in sisal and others in leather. I use vet wrap on the rope ones if I see any loose parts to make them last a little longer.

Christinenc2000 · Sep 11, 2015

I took the large perch out. Cleaned off the one lower in the cage that went the full length . Place it up where his roosting perch was............ and I have been up and down all night. Seems there are monsters living in the cage now. Yup a Macaw yell at 11 pm when you are sound asleep will wake you up FAST. From what I can tell he slept holding onto the side of the cage. After taking a shower this morning when i came into the den he was on the perch but as soon as I entered the room he moved back into his hanging spot on the cage .

So either he is pouting and being a little brat about the whole thing or he is really upset. Amazing

Its just a good thing I closed the door last night once he went in to find out what we had done or he never would have re-entered.

Christinenc2000 · Sep 14, 2015

Just a update. No more pink spot WHEW . I took out that big perch. Replaced it with a long Crape Myrtle branch. Lots of dips curves and not on fully round area on it. Of course he hated it but now using it. I also did a major steam clean to his cage. Baked a huge sweet potato with cinnamon and stuff him full of it LOL. Actually we eat more sweet potato here than white potato so he is use to it. Kept aloe on his food and yup he is fine now .

Pink Spots

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