Foot wound

[okreeves]

Hello. I just joined this forum because I'm looking for some advice on a foot injury. Earlier today we noticed that Clementine, our goffin cockatoo, was favoring her left foot. I have tried to google info on foot stuff but everything that comes up is about Bumblefoot which I am doubtful of. Her foot was not red or hurt looking at all leading up to this. But it is now a bit swollen on the bottom of her foot. It is not red and doesn't look scratched or anything, just bigger and a bit rounder than the other. It also isn't hot like an infection. Even though she was putting less weight on this foot all day, she has been her normal self climbing around on everything and enjoyed her time playing in the yard. She is a very active bird and eats well. She spends the vast majority of her time out of her cage as one of us is usually home most of the day. She has a rope perch, wood perch, and bird cozy, as well as some toys in and on top of her cage. She also has a very large wooden perch she plays on.

My thoughts are more of an injury than bumblefoot, like a sprain maybe. I can move all her toes andshe doesn't seem to be in pain when I palpate the foot so I don't think it is broken. Could it be the beginning of bumblefoot even though there was never any red sore spots? There is also no discoloration at all.

Has anyone had anything similar to this?

Thank you and sorry this is so long, I just wanted to give as many details as possible.

[Wolf]

Not a long post at all, but I have a couple of questions. Well actually it would better answer if you could post pictures of the perches that she uses, so that we can see them ourselves. In the event that you cant post pics of the perches, I will ask about the perches. Are the wooden perches smooth and completely round? Are they the same diameter for the entire length of the perch like a dowel? Also what does she eat and when? Diet and nutrition can and often does play a big role in this type of circumstance, so I am trying to cover all bases. Now, from what you have said it does sound like the beginning stages of bumblefoot, to me.

[Pajarita]

Age is another concern because, added to a long term diet too high in protein, we could be talking gout...

[okreeves]

Her wooden perches are natural wood, not uniformly round and have differing diameters. She used to have a perfectly round uniform perch but we switched it out for a natural one about a month ago. The big perch/tree she has to play on we made ourselves so it is very differing in size and shape with some very large branches and some very small. She eats a bird food called Encore that is a mix of pellets, some seed, nuts, and peppers. Her favorite veggies are corn and tomatoes. She gets bits and pieces of things we eat, different fruits, veggies, pasta every once in a while, rice, soups, etc. The foot doesn't look any different today, still a bit swollen and she isn't using it as much as the other foot. There is no scab, dark spot, plug, missing scales, or redness. It is also pretty soft, not a hard scab or callus.

She is also only about 10 months old and hasn't has any other health issues.

[Wolf]

I apologise that I have not yet looked up the food that you are feeding her, but I will do that shortly and get back to you this evening on that. Could you tell me what woods were used in making her perches and play tree?
Is she flighted or not? Is it possible that she landed wrong on something, thus twisting her foot or landed too hard and bruised it?

[Wolf]

I just went to look into the ingredients and nutritional values of the food that you are feeding, Clemintine. There are several varieties of this food mix, so could you please tell me which one you are using?

[liz]

If OK can't post pictures he could email them. Even I can do that.

Rambo has a foot condition that only flairs up in the winter.

[okreeves]

The big perch we made before we got her in July, it is mesquite branches from our yard that we cleaned and got all the thorns off. She has had it since we got her. There's currently more stuff on it, ropes and a hanging toy, than in the picture. The perch in her cage we bought from Petco and it is either this one in the picture or one very similar. I didn't post an actual picture of it because I wrapped it up in gauze to make it softer on her feet today.

The food is Vitamin fortified Classic Encore Parrot Food.

We are kind of in between wing clippings, about half of her flight feathers are partially in. So she does get around pretty well.

I read on different sources that epsom salt soaks and aloe vera can help if it is the beginning of bumblefoot. So this morning I massaged some aloe vera on both feet. We then went out and got some epsom salt and antibiotic/pain relief ointment. I soaked her feet in warm epsom salt water for about 5 minutes then about an hour later rubbed some of the ointment on her foot. I feel like these could help if it is something other than bumble foot as well.

I would post a picture of the foot but on camera you can't really tell that anything is wrong with it. It hasn't gotten any worse and she is still acting fine besides putting less weight on it. She seems like it is feeling a little better after the foot soak and ointment.

[Wolf]

Mesquite is listed as a safe wood for parrots as long as you remove any sharp places. I would double check the large playstand for any sharp edges or protrusions, they don't have to cut as they can also bruise.
If this is the food that you are feeding http://www.fmbrown.com/products/pet-bir ... -food.html it has a lot of protein and fat which is not good as parrots need to eat a low fat and low protein diet.
Finding a good ready mixed food for your birds can be quite the challenge as most of the companies making parrot food count on the owners lack of knowledge. For instance, this encore food has as its main ingredient, sunflower seeds. Sunflower seeds are loved by just about every parrot that I know of and because of this they make wonderful treats but when they are used as a major part of a parrots diet they will end up causing the bird to have liver disease. This is due to the high amount of fat and proteins that they contain, which is why the bird likes them so much.
I would suggest looking for a seed mix that contains a high percentage of whole grains, vegetables and then some nuts, in that order.
My birds are smaller than yours but I ended up using a seed mix for their evening meal, mainly to supplement the vitamin/ mineral balance of their diet. I remove it from the cage after they go to sleep. And I cook for my birds main food which is given in the mornings it consists of white beans, lentils, whole grains and vegetables and as these are all cooked I also give some fresh vegetables and fruit too.
I worry that this might be the beginnings of bumblefoot or as Pajarita mentioned gout, although gout usually occurs later on in years. In either case diet can play a huge role in the cause and or prevention and treatment of both of these issues.
It is just as likely to be a tendon issue as manzanita is a slippery wood for them to grab and hold onto as is mesquite with the addition that mesquite mat be sharp in spots and this can cause bruising if the bird grabs hold where there is a sharp protrusion like where another branch had began to grow. So strain, sprain or bruise is very likely. I would continue the soaks and the aloe treatments to see if this improves.
Have you examined the foot using a magnifying glass? If not I would do so.

[okreeves]

Thanks a lot Wolf! I will definitely look into a new food or preparing my own. I am going to continue with the soaks and ointments and hopefully these will help. If it is bumblefoot and not a sprain or something similar, I caught it very early on so hopefully it will go away. Do you know of a better kind of perch to use? I kind of figured any natural wood perch made for parrots would be good.
Under magnifying glass I still don't see any cuts, discoloration, or punctures.