Help!!! My bird's foot was bitten...

[lilbusyhoneybee]

My green cheek conure flew to my macaw's cage while she was feeding and bit her foot through the bars. My GCC's foot is bleeding and swollen, it looks purple. I don't have any money to take her to the vet (and my parents won't take me either...they are not animal lovers and understanding of parrots as I am, so they think it's a waste of money taking my bird to vet because either way she is going to die...I know stupid way of thinking but I really can't do much on my own). So far I've removed her into a quiet and dark room and I placed her in her carrier so she won't move around much. Up until now she is alright, her foot has stopped excessive bleeding (I think it's still dripping a bit but from what I see I believe it's slowed down) and she still stands up. At first I had removed all the perches on her cage and placed her on the bottom (lined with newspaper) but she would still climb up so I took her out because I did not want her moving everywhere. She is still active. She moves around and is eating and drinking water. (Right now I've decided to feed her seeds since I know they are her favorite, normally she feeds on a pellet diet but at the moment I just want to keep her eating so to keep her energy up). I don't think she is in shock, she does close her eyes but because I covered her carrier to make it dark and quiet. I'm just worried because without a vet or x-rays I can't be sure whether her foot is broken or it was just badly bitten. She keeps her foot up obviously but when she tries to move around she uses her injured foot as a support but can't actually grab anything. For example she wanted to turn around in her perch she would use her injured foot as a support but couldn't actually grab the perch. That is how she moves around right now by lightly using her injured foot as support. I'm really scared though because her foot is huge right now and purple, what do I do? Will she get an infection? I just wish I had the aid of vet but that is impossible for me. I want to make her a splint but I don't know what area of her foot might be broken. I also don't want to make a splint because of her wound? How do I go about this? Please please any info and help will be greatly appreciated. I don't want to lose her and I'm trying to do everything possible to help her. Please give me advice!!!

 

[sodakat]

If the wound is still bleeding you should put pressure on it. Use a clean gauze pad over the wound then apply pressure. You can gently clean the wound with betadine or hydrogen peroxide once you are sure the bleeding has stopped.

 

[henpecked]

I would think antibiotics are a must. Maybe a local AV would sell you a round of Baytril to give her. Any vet would have it but might need a AV to calculate the dose.Good luck and hope the little fellow survives.BTW welcome to the forum. Wish you had joined earlier, perhaps avoiding this learning experience.

 

[Pajarita]

If the foot is purple and hugely swollen, you need to convince your parents to allow you to take the bird to a vet because it could get gangrene and die.

 

[ruffledfeathers]

Maybe look up a local avian vet, have all your information together, and just kindly tell your parents that your bird will be able to be treated (probably will recover pretty well with antibiotics). Birds can recover pretty well with timely treatment--it's just a delay in taking care of them often has terrible consequences.
Let us know what happens.

 

[MikeyTN]

Since no one have mentioned it I'm just gonna say it. Give her away to someone who can take her to the vet. Tell them to make a vet appointment and meet them there. So at least you know they are for real caring for her at the vet.

 

[Superbird]

If the foot is purple and hugely swollen, you need to convince your parents to allow you to take the bird to a vet because it could get gangrene and die.

Tell your parents if they pay for the vet that they could take it out of your allowance and you'd do housework to pay them back. I think seeing the vet in this case is important. Appeal to their soft side

 

[Jayyj]

There are two issues here for your parents to consider. One that treatment by a vet may well mean the difference between life and death, and two that even if the bird is doomed, a slow death from an infected wound is a cruel way for it to go.

It sounds like this bird really needs medical assistance, so you need to get working on them! Try to explain again why the bird needs to see a vet and, as Superbird says, offer to find a means to pay them back the costs of an examination.

 

[chippy]

oh,dear...I do hope your parents don't stay firm on their position of no vet! As someone else said, an infection could be a slow and painful way to die

In the meantime, do you have any polysporin or similar antibiotic ointment that you could put on it?

Poor thing...I hope you can get her to a vet. Is there anyone else who can help you? Grandparents? Aunt or Uncle? Family friend?

 

[Lintini]

Probably one of the most frustrating issues to read on animal forums...the dreaded parents that refuse vet care.

Out of curiosity, if your macaw was sick would it get vet care, since they are much more expensive to buy than a gcc? It's really hard to imagine a household with such a treasures that don't come to you cheap, would not be deemed fit to see a vet when they are ill or for an emergency like this.

If I were you I would be begging and pleading with your parents because it's really wrong that it's having to suffer. I would start offering to do chores and help them out anyway to pay them back.

I really hope you can find a way to get your bird to the vets

 

[lilbusyhoneybee]

Thanks everyone for your concern and help! I give you all the good news that I convinced my parents to take Gertrude my conure to the vet!!! I went today and they put her on antibiotics. Honestly I thought the vet would do more as the foot is really bad today (it's blue) I was seriously prepared for the vet to say that amputation was the only solution and that would be out of my economic reach so I would have had to put her down. But it was not the case, the vet didn't even take 5 minutes with her, he barely looked at her leg and prescribed antibiotics. I thought at least x-rays were necessary, I mean a macaw bite I'm sure would have crushed her little bones. We'll see what happens after the antibiotics. I mean her foot is huge, swollen, and blue. I'm just glad she is still alive and actually being herself. I really think she is not aware that she is injured. She is so set on being active that I have to restrain her a lot. I'm keeping her in her carrier because even if I put her in her cage (which has no perches except one on the bottom) she will still climb all over the place. She cannot keep still. She is still eating (sadly I am spoiling her by replacing her pellet diet with a seed diet as too keep her motivated in eating) and drinking water which makes me happy to know she is not depriving herself of food.

 

[sodakat]

Great news. I've had many foot bites among my flock, especially because I keep multiple female Eclectus who will 'take the hit' in order to get in some other bird's space and other than maybe a day or so of kind of taking it easy, they do want to get back to normal activities when the foot bite still looks bad.

Honestly, I would let her decide when she's ready to move about her cage. If she is feeling good enough to go back to flying and climbing that is a good thing.

 

[George gourlay]

I agree with sodakat if the bird is wanting to move about well i would let him/her. Having the foot moving will keep blood pumping around and this will help in reducing the swelling. So i would say dont worry petal..

 

[Jayyj]

That's really good news, well done - must be a huge relief!

 

[chippy]

That's great news! I agree with the others, let her move! It'll keep her foot more limber as it heals and will help with swelling etc.