Budgie toenail injury

[Norrism80]

We have a pair of budgies we got from a woman who seemed loving and disappointed to have to let them go on the surface but we discovered was very frustrated with them to the point of posting frightening things on Facebook, So we decided not to take the ample consideration time we usually would and welcome them. She couldn't drop them off fast enough.
We quickly became enamored with them and their noises and habits with each other, but have been having a very hard time getting them to accept us. They're comfortable in the home they fly around when we let them out but they won't let us touch them or really get closer than a foot or two, the female (euridice) being the more tentative of the two. Orpheus (the male) is much more confident and explorative, tho also not willing to give us a chance to build trust or comfort. He likes flying circles and real close to our heads while we're sitting on the couch And he seems to be talking to us directly often he also makes sure we keep our distance. I don't know the woman who had them before actually treated them, only frustrated posts on Facebook which i find hard to believe didn't translate to behavior in some way and i figure that has something to do with the fact they seem to have no interest in becoming tame to us and we don't have the heart to separate them permanently, given their undying love for each other, and don't want to stress them to much with the sheet out shirt to capture them unless necessary. Today it became necessary. He while being to explorative man bird he is landed on our sons mouse cage. The mouse,always curious as to what's against the cage and why it isn't IN the cage. Nipped his toenail. It bled for a while, wouldn't have seemed like alot but i know they don't have a lot to begin with. So i caught him with a sheet, stressful for him and her watching, and less importantly me to because i don't want to a cause such stress but i digress. Once in the sheet, using my super calm soft guy voice and trying to expose only the foot and him as gently as possible while keeping him mostly immobile, i found his toenail nipped mostly off but still hanging. The bleeding was such that i had to watch for awhile to see if it continued. With a wiggly bird and a sheet that absorbed anything produces evelry time he got wiggly i was able to watch long enough to see it basically gradually wet around the wound, i used flour as a haptic which worked pretty quickly. Now to my point of concern i have him in a make shift segregation cage as we don't have a small cage yet. I'm waiting for a replacement debit card and have very little funds until it arrives (a day or two) unless i can get my bank to let me withdraw money without any of my cards in my lost wallet which I'm trying to accomplish tomorrow when the banks open. Our regular clinic has an avian vet that should be in during the week and i can take him when she's in and i can access my account. The bleeding is stopped, but the tip of his toenail is still attached. They both seem traumatized. Neither is making much noise, and when they call out for the other, for since reason the other doesn't answer. When he gets agitated and started trying to jump out hitting the top i reach my hand in and am seemingly able to calm him, he spent the past hour sitting on my hand in the enclosure or walked up my arm a little, and it seemed to be comforting to him, he only left his perch on my arm when i moved him off so i could get up for a minute and he seemed agitated again for a minute after i removed my extremity from his vicinity. This is by far the most direct interaction that's been possible since they got here, but I'm concerned about their separation, but also his nail getting disturbed, restarting the bleeding. I thought them being next to each other so they could chatter would help the separation but it doesn't seem to be since they don't seem to be communicating. Any advice would be appreciated, should i let him in the big cage so have each other, or shouldi keep him in this small enclosure (a Rubbermaid drawer with a grate from a box fan on top, with seed and water and the sheet i used to capture and wrap him earlier. They always chatter and chirp and whistle, even while asleep, always next to each other one or other of their perches. The silence is deafening, and heartbreaking, and if she could have a look on face i swear she looks distraught. Any advice is welcome.

 

[Norrism80]

Sorry for the long introduction and post i felt an amount of context is important to set the stage in relation to the birds relationship with each other compared to with us, theyve been together for far longer than they've been with us. And they seem clearly unhappy with being apart.

 

[Norrism80]

Front - zoom in on his raised foot you can see where the toenail is cut and turned sideways.

Also should i attempt to clip off what's remaining or will it fall off by itself?

 

[Norrism80]

If you zoom in on the raised for here you can Clearly see its on his toenail a little less than half way from the tip.

 

[Norrism80]

Not even half way i was able to get a good close look but he tucked it in whilei was trying to take a picture of i can get one that is more clear ill post but the two pictures i posted already look like it's farther up than it is.

 

[Norrism80]

 

[fiddlejen]

Hi (your pics are not visible). I’m glad you were able to get the bleeding to stop. But by toenail do you mean claw? Or clawtip? I don’t think (??) budgies have toenails?

You may want to consider getting their wings clipped when you go to the vet. My budgies fly around freely, and I can’t handle them at all. Well except a little tiny bit at night time we practice step ups when they’re half asleep. But if you want to work on developing some friendliness, clipping might be your best option.

As far as the current behavior, my Mr. Don’t-Touch-Me-Jefferson, Whilst Recovering from a night-panic, or more recently a minor injury, is much more likely to let himself be handled, and even seem slightly comforted by it, than usual. For the moment, you might be preferable to his usual budgie companion, because you are a lower-energy interaction than other-budgie, and your body warmth even from your hand is probably somewhat soothing.

I do hope you’re able to get him to the vet and get a new small cage for them today!

 

[Norrism80]

Thank you for the response, i read your story about Jefferson's sideways reverse Mohawk. And yes claw and i realized my pictures did nothing lol Im not used to this kind of forum i in fact am rare for being at the older end of the millennial generation and use little social media or web based communication aside from YouTube. While trying to take pictures in the small space he was in he slipped out and went for the perch at the door of their cage and they gave love through the wire, allowing me to get the pictures, after trying to catch him, only allowing myself to chase back and forth a few times before we call truce and take a break, he was letting me sit quite close and chitter to him, at a few points he took to trying to dislodge the claw tip his self, successful or not i haven't been able to tell yet but there had been no new blood ( though still a little dried on his toe and feathers on his chest) while he was out i opened the lower door and cleaned out the bottom and laid a small blanket so if he goes to the floor looking for anything his claw(much better) isn't exposed directly to any droppings or scraping on wood. I moved the blankets we have hung to isolate the front room providing a path into the bathroom which is very small where i was able not only to catch him but he was forced to perch on my finger, so i spent done time with him in there, where he, still not seemingly by choice, perched on my hand a few times and my head once each time spending a significant time there and investigating and stepping around a little, i even got a solid step up from him. I put him in thesmall space intending to keep him there for a while with my hand in, about when the cat came home and everyone was waking for the day he started trying to wiggle through. Seeing He would either make it or get in a jam and with a predator about i decided to let him in the big cage with his girl, they're quite happyto be back together and both resting, hes gone for seed a few times and pecked at a few things and they've argued a bit and made up so i think they'll be ok there the pictures when zoomed in are hard to see what i see in person, dried blood and cell phone flash on little bird feet with alot of textures to hold dried blood cone together to look much more horrifying than in person, tho the claw is definitely tipped and was hanging last i could look close so it is definitely ouchies theimages just look like mutilation, but on my finger even up close it looks, i don't want to say ok, but not as bad as it did and certainly not as bad as the image. As far as the cav goes since he seems to be well enough i am going to rest my head, let him rest his, we shared a lot last night, contact hopefully the regular one at the clinic for our mammalian pets, and see what she says at this point, and if i can't find a small cage relatively low cost i shall be procuring a sheet of mesh that isnt galvanized and some crimps and taking suggestions for ideal size and features for a small budgerigars cage. As for clipping much like you describe Jefferson, he is born to fly, outs funny as you described Jefferson and calliope sounds much like orpheus and euridice. He flys laps and comes back to coax her out, while she watches in dismay at her reckless lovers antics. Weve considered clipping just to tame them, and haven mt discounted it by any means, but we still for now at least can't imagine taking that away from him. And as a side note to get him back in the cage is easy, the problem overnight was i didn't want him back in the cage, i wanted to catch him and have him contained but the more i watched him and them, i ultimately decided to let him home. Since he was in hand and cat was about (still oblivious to bird not in cage) i put him in in my hand opened my hand and he stayed on my finger chirped at me as if to say that's all I've been asking! Chittered thank you and stayed perched there for a minute and a half talking to his girly and puffing his feathers before he looked back and finally flitted up to her.

 

[Amsterdam]

i really want to help you out but i cannot see a picture please upload a pic so we can give feedback