Fajr's foot fracture

[shiraartain]

Just got home. The callus is fine, no longer any need for asplint. One more month of no flying while we wait for the leg to finish healing fully. Area around callus is still a bit tender. He can now bathe, but we also can't clip his nails until the month is over. No more vet appointments for the leg.

His leg healed the way it did because the fracture itself was diagonal instead of straight across. Because of that, when the muscles in the leg contracted, the bones moved and healed that way.

Offered him a bath but he just walked back into the cage to eat...he's so unpredictable

[Wolf]

He doesn't want things to get too boring for anyone ??

[Pajarita]

Yes, broken legs are tricky with birds and they usually need a rod and an external fixator or the bone ends up shortened. But he will be fine with a leg a bit shorter than the other -I am and I have a difference of about an inch

Please take him back in another year or so for another XRay because, sometimes (not often so don't freak out), the callus keeps on growing and it becomes a problem.

[shiraartain]

LOL Wolf, it certainly seems so! Parjarita, I'll be sure to keep an eye on it!

I have good news and bad news.

Good news: I've observed him using the leg to grasp food and he perches on it now while pulling the other leg up to doze off.

Bad news: Found a single tail feather while changing his newspaper yesterday- not out of the ordinary. Found three more today. Examined the shaft, no blood at all, looks normal. My immediate suspicion is plucking, as he's only had a perch and ladder in his cage. I spend time in the same room hanging out with him, but it looks like that's not enough. Vet told me to hold off on trimming nails, and they get caught very easily, so I hadn't put any toys in. But immediately after seeing the feathers, I added more perches, two hanging toys, one swing he likes to do acrobatics with, a cat toy (plastic ball that jingles when he rolls it), and wooden blocks he likes to hold and play with. Going to trim his nails as soon as my dad has the time.

[Wolf]

Please be very careful as that leg is still fragile, which is why the vet said to hold off on trimming his nails. I don't have a link to it but they do make a perch that will help to blunt the tips of his nails it is smooth on two sides and textured on two sides. I have them in my birds cages and I never trim their nails.

[shiraartain]

Wolf I will look into those, but under normal circumstances he's out of hte cage often enough that the natural branches make very little differences.

The nail clipping is becoming a necessity as when we do try to take him out to spend time with us, his nails keep getting caught on clothing.... I just want to trim them slightly so that this will stop. He tugs and pulls and I'm afraid he'll injure himself that way even more. The pros of nail trimming are outweighing the cons right now.

[Wolf]

I really don't see any pros or cons involved here with trimming his nails, if they are getting caught then it simply needs to be done, so I am not meaning that you should not do it just be very careful. That is all I am trying to help with. I see nothing more gentle than for them to do it them selves in the way that would occur naturally although in some instances it may not be enough. I have a budgie that I have to trim his beak because it simply grows to the point that he has problems eating, so while it is not his nails, I do understand and guess that other than saying be careful that all I am trying to do is help with a long term solution to the nail trimming.
Some people have good luck with using an emory board and lifting one toe at a time and giving it a few strokes to dull the tips, I don't know if this would work with Fajr or not but I thought to mention it. Good Luck with it.

[Pajarita]

The trick is to use the pedicure perch (I use only SweetFeet, which is the kind that Wolf described) for the bird's roosting perch because the bird stays on it for hours and hours with claws firmly pressed against the 'emery board' sides because of the toe-locking mechanism natured gave them for when they sleep.

[shiraartain]

I apologize Wolf, I was just trying to explain my rationale for ignoring the vet's instructions, but it seems I wasn't clear. The pros would be, as you mentioned, leaving his mending leg alone. The cons are potential injury by toy or by him trying to free his clothing. I'm extremely nervous about touching the leg, so I haven't even broached the topic with my father yet. He hates new things touching him, so I don't think he would tolerate the emory board...would probably try to chew it up, honestly.

Parjarita, thank you for the name. I will look it up! Anything that eliminates the nail-trimming routine from our lives is a welcome addition.

[Wolf]

Well you know him much better than I do and I would also be concerned about him getting hung up because of long sharp talons and that must be addressed for his safety, I am just saying be careful with stressing the leg, like you I tend to worry about them.