Steve is favoring a foot to stand on, could he be in pain?

[Pajarita]

I would not worry about that nail at all. Yes, it's a bit crooked and most likely due to some type of trauma when young but the defect is very slight and keeping the nail trimmed should do the trick. But let us know what the vet says so we can learn from your experience.

[skycneye]

wow that is really pretty
good luck with the sell

[LadySaphine]

wow that is really pretty
good luck with the sell

???

And thank you Pajarita. Unfortunately because of the shutdown we can't really spend any more money... (my dad works for the VA, and he's not getting paid. My mom is currently looking for a new job.)

Steve has been better. I think I would clip nails by myself if only they weren't so dark and there was no chance of bleeding. :T He's being a great little bird, though! So sweet and cuddly... we call him our old man (even though he's only 3 months old!) and he just loves to hang out on our shoulders!

[marie83]

Some of Ollies nails are more or less that colour but you can see the blood vessel if you hold him up to the window when its really bright outside. I don't know how good yours is to handle though so that might be stressful. Even then I only take tiny bits off at a time, for some reason Ollies grow like they are on rocket fuel no matter what perches I use.

To be honest though a nail trim shouldn't cost much at all but I guess things might be different over there, I could pay for a trim if I needed to just by getting someone to pay me to wash a couple of cars or scaling back on living expenses. Trust me I do know times are hard when you haven't got a lot coming in, I was surviving on £15 a week for food and household shopping for 2 adults and 2 kids at weekends at one point. Most people over here spend at least £40 a week just for 2 adults and the odd extra bit on top of their main shops. The thing is it is more than do-able if your willing to put in the effort.

If you do attempt to do it yourself then practice handling his feet loads with lots of positive reinforcement first, then introduce the clippers near his feet without actually cutting anything. Finally get him used to the sound they make as they close together- it wont sound like the real thing but will go some way towards not startling him. You need to be confident he wont move suddenly as one mistake can damage the whole toe but always have something on hand to clot the blood with before you start just in case. I would also get someone confident to do the restraining so I could concentrate on clipping the nails to begin with too.

You could always try filing it down which is less likely to cause injury but again I would build up to that with training and do it a little bit at a time to avoid stressing him out as filing the nails will take longer.

It would still be preferable to be shown by a professional first but I never was shown by anyone and managed just fine, I've been trimming nails on lots of different types of animals from a very young age with no mishaps (touch wood cuz theres always a first time).

[Lquan]

Once in a while when toe nails of my Lily get too sharp, I use a cardboard nail filer to sand down her nails. 5 or 6 light stroke per toe will do the trick. Use the finest side of the filer. I always have someone to hold her with 2 hands while I am doing it. If your parrot bites, then have your holder wear gloves.

[LadySaphine]

Steve's toe has been getting worse, now. It's becoming more twisted. I got a picture of it as well...



I don't know why the nail is twisting and I noticed it only today. I'm trying to convince my mom to make an appointment to the vet as well (I would make one myself but being 14 it's a bit hard...)

[marie83]

14 year olds are allowed to work in this country and don't get charged tax. There are a lot of laws about working hours etc though to make sure children don't get exploited. Most kids here do paper rounds, leaflet delivery, car washing, odd jobs etc but I don't know your area or where you stand on that legally over there.

Theres a kid at one of the places I work that does 2 hours a day, 5 days a week selling sweets for £30 a week, its not much but would easily pay for a consultation with a vet if not the treatment.

Maybe your parents will give you pocket money too in return for doing jobs you wouldn't normally do around the house? Even small amounts of money can add up quite quickly if your determined enough and don't spend it on yourself.

In the meantime keep showing your parents your responsible and care for the birds welfare.

[LadySaphine]

No, I meant that I can't exactly make an appointment and drive there. Sorry for the mis-communication. I can't drive yet. And besides, I still have school, so it makes it a bit hard for me. (I do get like $2.50 a week and my mom will pay for any vet bills, although I'll help in any way I can).

I'm the primary caretaker of our birds (in fact, almost all of our animals, from the fish to the dogs) and I clean their cages, feed, water, and cook for them, as well as train them and play with them. The latter everybody does, of course. As far as I know, I can't work until I'm 16 and I've been hoarding my money (I realize how expensive everything is now... whew) for something important. (I still believe I'm still paying for Peanut- at least, in the first few months I was broke because a $500 birds + supplies is a bit out of my budget!)