Fajr's foot fracture

[Pajarita]

Wait a minute, are you saying that Fajr had a displaced fracture and it was never set right? If so, whyever not?

[shiraartain]

Sorry for the late response Parjarita, I tried to post the X-rays, but it seems the CD's aren't made to be read on a personal computer...or there's something wrong with my CD rom.

For clarity, I'm going to refer to the emergency vet as Vet I, the money-driven vet as Vet II, and the current vet as Vet III.

Vet I set it, the day he was injured. Vet II took the second xray and behaved as if the bone healing this way was not a manner of concern and Vet III didn't seem concerned about it either (he said if there had been pins, he would have removed his splint, but as there are not and the splint is well done, he doesn't want to X-Ray again until he knows there will have been progress.) I will ask about why it healed the way it did when I go in this Friday.

As Vet III emphasized not letting him fly or move excessively (when he moves, the stress is all put on the area just above his splint and if he lands incorrectly, that area will become injured and cause further problems), he sleeps in his large cage in my room, and is in his travel cage all day, with the family. He is taken out for petting, but we restrict his movement- though I will admit he does try to fly if he hears water running while he's out of the cage. Put in a toy with him as well, so that he has something to do. I put in a LIXIT drinking bottle so he can get water on his own as I've started school again and can only give him water when I give him the antibiotics right after I come home- around early evening. Normally I avoid water bottles for birds, but it's a medical temporary situation so it should be fine. Took him about two minutes to realize that after my finger touched the spout there was water on it and then drank to his content.

[shiraartain]

The splint started peeling off by itself...as the vet predicted, the skin under it was chafed- so happy we got him back on the antibiotics to prevent an infection . Anyways, dad cut splint and put it back over site of injury as a temporary measure until Friday. Would go earlier but I have class and tomorrow is a holiday- will call in to report that it came off, but not sure if they'll even be open.

Not worried about swelling or anything around the splint BC there are now keratin sheaths around the leg and so they stand between the covering and the leg.

[Pajarita]

Well, let me tell you that, in my personal experience, leg fractures are not the easiest thing to treat in birds (it has to do with blood flow) so I think that everything is going as well as can be expected. Thank you for the update!

[shiraartain]

Yes, I was very worried and it seems he won't have all his strength back in that foot...researched splinting and one site said you need surgery in order to have a chance of the leg regaining the full amount of strength.

Temporary splint fell off and vet's office seems to be closed today. We took the cone off and Fajr immediately set to preening himself. Sooo many keratin sheaths!

Another perk of the cone that I didn't think of before is that it prevented him from plucking while stuck in a cage... Gonna keep a close eye on him for the next two while his leg regains its strength.

Fingers crossed that Friday's X-ray comes out well! Really don't want to have him splinted again

EDIT: WOW is he angry with me! Now that the cone and splint are off, he is showing his full distaste for being picked up by his torso...I was doing it so that he wouldn't exert his leg while he had his splint on, but I've been given a clear "no more!" through his bites.

[Pajarita]

Yes, they don't like to be grabbed by their bodies -it's what predators do right before they eat them.

The thing with legs is that birds don't have very good circulation in them (there is one main artery and one main vein and that's it) so if the blood flow is impaired, the end of it (usually the foot but could be part of the leg, too) withers and falls off. But strength is nerves and not blood flow and nerves do regenerate -up to a point, of course- so there is always a chance that movement will improve with time.

I had a bird's broken leg set surgically (it had been broken for many, many years and it had never healed because the 'ends' did not 'meet') and it took 8 weeks of treatment post-surgery and it involved a rod, pins connected to an external fixator and a splint.

[shiraartain]

I'm very happy he was able to receive treatment, then. Grabbing him by the torso was necessary as he would fly and latch on to the closed door.....definitely not good for his leg.

I'm overflowing with love for him, because ever since the splint and cone were removed, his entire personality is present. Unfortunately, this includes his stubbornness. Held cage doors together so he could go to bed and he refused. Opened room and had him step up, but when I tried to put him in the cage he just cuddled up to my shoulder. Took a lot of convincing to get him in.

I noticed he eats more now too. Less than a teaspoon of food in his bowl every night before I put in the seed.

My schedule is set so I return home by early evening at the latest, but I had to wait to meet a professor today (thank you present for writing my Japan recommendation letter) and ended up coming home just as sunrise hit. I felt so guilty, even though I was with him this morning before I left and he had company all day.

Switching his appointment to Thursday BC I think now that the splint is off it's better to go a bit earlier and I also have obligations on Friday that I had forgotten about. The Vet we last saw has Thursday onwards off it seems, so we'll be seeing a different one this time.

[Pajarita]

I know it's an imposition but, please, let us know how it goes.

[shiraartain]

Going in tomorrow morning. Came home today and between cage transitions just sat and cuddled him for a bit. I've missed him! It's no fun for either of us having a cage between us...he was tired and was content to let me pet him and preened my eyebrows when I closed my eyes and just rested my face against him. No attempts to fly away...until he realized it was bedtime.

I don't understand how people can always keep their birds in such small cages. I overflow with love for him every time he comes out and his entire personality is easy to see. He's a different bird when he's in that tiny cage.

[Pajarita]

I hear you! I hate to keep them in any kind of cage!