FINCHforum

Hello! Two days ago, I clipped my society finch's nails (pair). My chocolate finch's legs are normal and healthy looking... However, my fawn-pied finch's left leg seems to be red, and I can see the vein clearly. On this leg, I clipped a nail slightly into the quick, but not enough to bleed. I used QuickStop on it immediately regardless. He is acting normally - no signs of pain in the leg and is using it properly. Eating well, drinking, singing, chirping, etc.

I am theorizing that perhaps it's a bit red because the nail is healing from where I clipped it? I've also searched up possible infection but there doesn't seem to be matching symptoms occurring in him. If anything seems to be worsening, I definitely will be taking him to the vet.

Any ideas would be very much appreciated!

No ideas from me but if any finch is looking 'off' for any reason at all - I would give them a heatlamp and perhaps a pinch of vitamins or NV Powder in their drinking water.

If the nail didn't bleed (actually bleed a drop of blood) then he should be just fine. But a heatlamp and pinch of vits won't hurt.

Thanks! I just now supplemented their water with a bit of vitamins. Since he's acting perfectly normal, I'm desperately praying that it's just a little bit of irritation from the healing...

Update: He's tucking his leg inside of himself as if he's going to perch to take a nap, but not too often. Otherwise, he's still using it normally to move about. Maybe he just needs a little rest - hoping it's nothing too serious.

Look VERY carefully at the leg, toes, feet. Small fibers tend to get caught around the feet, I lost a hen due to this, her veinnwas noticeable too. He fibers were so skall I used a little fish hook to get the fibers off. Even a string from your shirt could cause small fibers to get on the feet if it falls into the cage

I went ahead and looked at his feet... I don't see any fibers at all. (Thank you for the idea, though!) He has also taken a generous bath in the last hour, which I would think would remove any fibers unless they were caught tightly around his foot. I'm thinking his foot is probably irritated from the clipping because the vein that's noticeable travels most prominently down into the toe that I accidentally clipped a small way into the quick.

Okay, just wanted wanted you to know about that, it is a devastating way to lose one. It may just be irritated, the pinch from the clippers irritates the qwick.

The string idea did give me a scare... I thought he may have been losing circulation but his foot is completely clear of any fibers, thank goodness! I must have sat staring at him (or trying to, he's a very hyper little guy who likes to fly around and move constantly) for a good 10 minutes trying to decipher whether or not something was caught in his toes. Thank you so much for informing me of that!

No problem, I check.my burd for fibers often, after losing one.you do not want a second time! I found very small.clear fibers on one of.my males, I first noticed the vein, then pulled him out t get a better look, that is why your bird reminded me of the issue. Now I know why you shoud not use string or yarn as nesting material!

I'm sorry to hear about your loss... I may have never experienced something like that, but I can definitely understand how devastating it would be. Truthfully, you really brought something new and definitely important to my attention, as well! I have always let them nest with shredded up paper towel, but now I know to never allow them anything but that.

Re the thread or fibre, it may be helpful to catch him up and use a magnifying glass to check his feet, toes and leg to ensure 100% there is nothing. Some fibres can be very thin and hard to see without a magnifying glass.

Now you know, I would hate to see that happen with another finch keeper and I offer shredded papertowel, tissue, krinkle cut paper, dried grass, and strips of paper bag. I foun this to be a cheap, and good way! I do offer coco fibers sometimes

L in Ontario wrote:Re the thread or fibre, it may be helpful to catch him up and use a magnifying glass to check his feet, toes and leg to ensure 100% there is nothing. Some fibres can be very thin and hard to see without a magnifying glass.

Yes, I agree with Liz. I probaly would have lost a second bird if I did not get a good lok. It is just somethhing you never suspect.

I forgot to mention... Just checked on him less than a minute ago. Seems like the redness has slowly started to fade away. However, the vein is still bright red and prominent. I'm thinking the bath he took helped to alleviate the irritation. I also used Harrion's soothing aloe spray as best as I could get it around the area without him flying away from the mist. Hopefully he'll be completely recovered by tomorrow.

I plan on giving my local avian vet a call tomorrow just to be safe and explaining to her how I clipped mistakenly a tiny bit into the quick and have her figure what might be causing the vein prominence and the redness.

Does the leg feel hot?