Finch not using leg

[wilkifam]

I have a juvenile society finch who suddenly is not using one leg. I did not witness him having any kind of accident, but assume he must have gotten it caught in the cage somehow. It is not obviously broken, there is a small red mark right where the leg bends. He is not using the leg or foot. He is able to perch on one leg.

I've moved him to a small cage for now.

Any suggestions as to what to do for him?

[wilkifam]

Anyone?

[cindy]

a heat lamp, check him for cuts, see if anything is constricting him, like a hair. Is it an open wound or just red?

If it is a soft tissue injury it will take a few days to heal, the heat lamp will help.

[Sally]

I agree with Cindy, a heat lamp and wait it out. I recently had a Purple Grenadier male that was hung up in a nest for who knows how long. Once freed, one leg stuck straight out behind him, and he was not able to use it. I put food and water on the bottom of the cage with a heat lamp. The next day, the leg was still sticking straight out behind him, and all he could do was hop around the bottom of the cage. The day after that, he was on the perch, using the leg, with no sign that anything was ever wrong with him.

[wilkifam]

Thanks, will do. I did separate him out into a small cage and did put food on the bottom, and water everywhere I thought he might be able to get to. Will add the heat lamp and hope for the best. He was sitting in the food hopper this morning and eating.