Red, irritated toe.

[LJ4RockPebbler]

My guy has a redish toe that we don't know if he hurt flying around or if he hurt it with his constant picking of it. He sits around on one foot now and tucks that one in as they do when they sleep which must mean that it's bothering him. Took him to a vet 2 days ago and he was given Metacam, once a day so that it helps him not to pick his foot. Was told if it didn't get better in a couple of days, to take him back. Any suggestions on what might help him stop picking it? Thanks

[liz]

Rambo has problem feet and was picking them constantly. He hates red plumb oil. My solution was to smear his feet with it.

[Wolf]

Sometimes foot issues may be dietary in its cause and often they have to do with the type of perches that are being used. Where on the toe is the red place? and what are the perches as well as the size of the perches that you are using?

[Pajarita]

Forgive me for forgetting but how old is he?

[LJ4RockPebbler]

He has 2 rope rainbow color perches in his cage along with 2 wooden ones and they vary in size. He'll be 2 years old in March. It's the tip of his toe that has been red and bothersome. Just to update his progress, the toe seems to start to get better yet he will still pick it from time to time which I'm sure is slowing the healing process.

[Wolf]

Your last post pretty much rules out what I was thinking, but it gives me another possibility and that is the rope perches. He may have gotten a nail caught in the threads and damaged the toe or the nail, I would replace the rope perches with nice wooden tree branch perches with bark still on an see if this improves the condition.

[Pajarita]

Yes, that's what I was thinking: got the nail caught in a thread, pull to dislodge it and ended up with separating the claw from the nail bed a bit which makes for the inflammation and his picking of it.

[LJ4RockPebbler]

I was actually thinking the same thing but realized that these rope perches are relatively new and wound very tight so I thought maybe not but then again, who knows. Thank you for all your help.

[Pajarita]

It might not have been the rope perches... the toe could have gotten caught in upholstery, draperies, carpet, anything that is made out of fiber, actually. And it only takes a single time, too!

[seagoatdeb]

When they have a sore toe or itchy toe their tendency is to pick it and it is hard to stop them. They ususally stop when it quits bothering them, but I have never found anything that worked except constantly distracting them and you have to be around to do that for a few days.