Sun conure biting foot

[george1815]

Two weeks ago, we noticed our sun conure Mango had developed these large red sores on both her feet. We took her to the vet who couldn't figure out what caused it. She initially bandaged the feet and prescribed 10 days of antibiotics and a nonsteroidal for pain.

Mango kept biting the bandages and we also noticed new sores on exposed areas so we took her back. A second vet put a large collar on her and told us to put her in a box.

We just finished the 10 day course of drugs and noticed the feet seemed to have scabbed over. So we took the collar off. But over the past few days, we noticed a bunch of new red, raw looking sores. Mango must have bit the skin off, and she is constantly pecking at her feet.

Reading online, I saw someone recommend applying aloe gel to the feet. We also plan on putting the collar back on. Otherwise, any more advice on what to do? Thanks for any tips.

 

[BoomBoom]

I heard from my avian vet's tech aid that some sun conures are prone to biting their feet. She supposedly sees it all the time in their clinic, in highly stressed birds. It sounded behavioral than medical. That said, something could be bothering the feet too. Sorry this is happening. Can you put the collar back on till it completely heals?

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

My cockatiel, Peaches, had a foot injury last year and the vet prescribed Healx by Harrisons. It worked. Though I never found out what caused it.

Before applying anything other than what is prescribed, I'd check with the vet or at least check to make sure that what you're applying is neither hazardous nor harmful to your bird.

Skittles bites his nails a lot. The vet told me he is 'grooming' himself. She said suns are very 'proud' birds and do a lot of 'self-maintenance'. LOL.

Does Mango like to bathe? I've heard most suns love water. Skittles LOVES bathing. Maybe allowing Mango to bathe and soak his feet would help?

What BoomBoom said about high stress makes a lot of sense to me. Highly stressed birds do tend to self-harm. It could also be a reaction to the area he's sitting on.