Is this cage setup safe for a crippled parakeet?

[lzlori]

Hello everyone,

I'm a new member here and a newbie owner of a bird. A few days ago my pastor let me have one of his parakeets. His name is Beck. He's quite tame and very sweet. I offered to take him because as of several days ago his left foot/leg just stopped working and one of the other birds were picking on the poor little guy and wouldn't let him eat after he'd worked so hard to get up where the food was (I watched him climb up using his beak and right foot). No one there knew what had happened to him. Beck had been in that big cage with several other parakeets for about two years with no previous problems.

I took him home and was able to get him an appointment with an avian vet on Friday, January 5th.

I'm keeping his vent clean so it doesn't get hardened and blocked. Beck's eating and drinking well. In addition to parakeet seed, I give him a little snap pea, carrot and Millet sprays for him to eat. He doesn't seem like banana or green grapes. I haven't tried celery yet. Any feeding tips are welcome!

My question is concerning the cage I've setup for him. Since he can't really perch, he sleeps in a half laying down position. That's why I've put everything I think he needs down on the bottom of the cage. I also haven't given him any toys because I'm worried about him overexerting himself in case his foot or leg is broken.

I'm posting a picture of Beck in the cage I've setup for him. Please let me know if you think this cage is okay at least until he sees the vet on the 5th. Is there anything I should add, take away or change. I'd welcome any and all advice.

Thank you!

 

[LaManuka]

Awwwwwwwww, what a little sweetheart!! I'm so happy little Beck has found his way to you!! 💝 I haven't ever had a bird with a disability like that, but you can get flat "platform" type perches for him to sit on, those may work for him better than the rounded dowel ones?

You can get similar sorts of platforms that fit into the corners of the cage too, they may work better for his little feet? I just found some on the following webpage - mods please delete if this is against the rules but I have no affiliation with mysafebirdstore!

FLAT PERCHES

Flat perches designed for both healthy and disabled birds.

www.mysafebirdstore.com

Hopefully someone with experience with issues similar to Beck's will be along shortly who can help you better than I. Best of luck with your visit to the vet too, and I hope you'll keep us updated! 💝

 

[lzlori]

I just tried to reply to your post but it went out as email for some reason?

Anyway thank you for the tip on flat platforms. That's a great idea!

I will post updates about Beck to this thread especially after we see the vet on Friday.

Thanks again!!

 

[Vampiric_Conure]

Yes yes yes! Flat perches are a Godsend! My former conure, Archie, loved his and he had a paralyzed leg from when he broke it when he was a chick. You can also get ladders, as they seem to be easier for birds to navigate than just climbing the sides of the cage. There's also things like this:

wire bird perch at Amazon . I've had one for almost 20 years and my birds adore it! It lets them widen their feet and not get bumblefoot.

 

[lzlori]

Yes yes yes! Flat perches are a Godsend! My former conure, Archie, loved his and he had a paralyzed leg from when he broke it when he was a chick. You can also get ladders, as they seem to be easier for birds to navigate than just climbing the sides of the cage. There's also things like this:

wire bird perch at Amazon . I've had one for almost 20 years and my birds adore it! It lets them widen their feet and not get bumblefoot.

Yes yes yes! Flat perches are a Godsend! My former conure, Archie, loved his and he had a paralyzed leg from when he broke it when he was a chick. You can also get ladders, as they seem to be easier for birds to navigate than just climbing the sides of the cage. There's also things like this:

wire bird perch at Amazon . I've had one for almost 20 years and my birds adore it! It lets them widen their feet and not get bumblefoot.

Another good tip. I'm so new at this that I need all the help I can get. Thank you so much!

 

[Vampiric_Conure]

Another good tip. I'm so new at this that I need all the help I can get. Thank you so much!

Once your fid gets used to climbing with one leg, feel free to expand perches upwards. They can be agile little boogers! LOL!

 

[lzlori]

Once your fid gets used to climbing with one leg, feel free to expand perches upwards. They can be agile little boogers! LOL!

That's what I'm hoping for... That he'll get used to using his strong foot and leg and become more active. If the vet determines that her will always be crippled then I'm going to learn how to encourage him to exercise a little bit. I can't wait to see him become an energetic bird again!

 

[GaleriaGila]

I AM YOUR BIGGEST FAN!
Thank you for taking this darling on!
I'm so glad you're here. You'll get great advice and sincere support.
Folks like you make the world a better place.

 

[lzlori]

I AM YOUR BIGGEST FAN!
Thank you for taking this darling on!
I'm so glad you're here. You'll get great advice and sincere support.
Folks like you make the world a better place.

Thank you... I'm happy to have him. Beck is so sweet and it broke my heart to see him in a cage with other birds picking on him. He's doing fine so far out so it seems to me because he's eating and drinking well. He will see the vet on Friday and until then I haven't tried much to encourage him to perch on his good foot. 3 more days to wait and then I'll post and let you all know what the vet said.

 

[lzlori]

Update on Beck:
Went to the avian vet this morning. Beck has a bad infection and a possible tumor in his abdomen. Antibiotics prescribed and a recheck in a week to see how he's responding. Then we'll see how what's what with the possible tumor. He may need surgery but too early to tell yet. Either the infection or tumor or both is likely what's causing the paralysis on his left foot/leg.

Thanks to ask who responded to my need for advice. Will try and update on a week.

 

[LaManuka]

Update on Beck:
Went to the avian vet this morning. Beck has a bad infection and a possible tumor in his abdomen. Antibiotics prescribed and a recheck in a week to see how he's responding. Then we'll see how what's what with the possible tumor. He may need surgery but too early to tell yet. Either the infection or tumor or both is likely what's causing the paralysis on his left foot/leg.

Thanks to ask who responded to my need for advice. Will try and update on a week.

Thank you for updating, but I'm so sorry his exam didn't go better. Thank goodness he has you to care for him though and give him the best possible chance at life! I once had a budgie with inoperable testicular cancer and his avian vet managed it with quarterly shots of Lupron and daily pain meds. He lived a very good quality of life for well over another year, so i hope for as good if not better an outcome for Beck!

 

[lzlori]

Thank you for updating, but I'm so sorry his exam didn't go better. Thank goodness he has you to care for him though and give him the best possible chance at life! I once had a budgie with inoperable testicular cancer and his avian vet managed it with quarterly shots of Lupron and daily pain meds. He lives a very good quality of life for well over another year, so i hope for as good if not better an outcome for Beck!

I'm sorry that your budgie died from cancer though it is encouraging to hear how his vet was able to prolong his life comfortably. Thank you for replying. Please pray for Beck to respond to the antibiotics and hopefully be cured and able to use his left foot again.

 

[LaManuka]

I'm sorry that your budgie died from cancer though it is encouraging to hear how his vet was able to prolong his life comfortably. Thank you for replying. Please pray for Beck to respond to the antibiotics and hopefully be cured and able to use his left foot again.

Thank you for your kind words, and I most certainly will hold little Beck in my prayers. Budgies are tough little critters, "tough as ten bears" as my husband likes to say. My little Petie certainly was and I'm pretty sure Beck has a whole lot of fight left in him yet, and he's so lucky to have you in his corner!!