Lady Gouldian Finch Cora Foot Problem(?)

[RobertandCora]

Good morning, Finch Friends,

This week, we noticed that Cora, our Lady Gouldian Finch, has been sitting "low" on the bar perches and often holding her right leg under her. She is eating and drinking, preens, and flies around the cage, but does favor that one foot. In case it's relevant, she recently began molting.

On closer examination, I noticed that one of the toe joints on her right foot appears to be black. In May, both she and Robert had a check-up as well as a preventive treatment for mites.

I've send photographs and a description to the vet, but probably won't hear anything from him until Monday. Meanwhile, any suggestions on what we can do to help the situation?

I'm posting a few pictures to show her sitting "low" on the perch, the spot on her foot, and how she is not completely engaging her claws when she perches on her foot cup.

Many thanks for any advice!

Matthew

[cindy]

typically when a toe is black it is either constricted or broken.. most likely constricted.... remove her from the cage and with a mangnifying glass look at the toe carefully, hair or string may be wound around the toe... even a fiber from cotton nesting material has little fibers that easily can get wrapped around toes and constrict the blood supply.(do not recommend hair, lint, cotton as nesting material). if using silks check for areas where they can get caught up in and areas where they shredded the silks, pulling strings out...trim those up.

If the toe is black it will eventually drop off and she will be able to function fine.

If you have Hibiclens you can wash her foot in that.... if not an antiseptic soap to wash the foot, loosen and string or hair...it will make it easier to remove. you can vet wrap the perches to make it softer for her to stand on.

I have also seen birds get toes caught in between the sides of cage walls where they meet, it could also be enough of a trauma to compromise the toe. Check you sides of the cage for gaps...you can use zip ties to close up those gaps.

[RobertandCora]

Thank you, Cindy!

[Ricardo Ronsini]

I would change these perches for natural ones, they seem too big in diameter, her feet can not grab them whole, they also seem slippery.

[cindy]

if you choose to use branches wait until the foot is heal... be sure to soak the branches in bleach and water, scrub well to rid the branches of pests, mites and pathogens, disease from outdoor birds... soak for 15 to 30 minutes, rinse well and sun dry completely... wood doweling is fine just get different diameters. For now until she heals vet wrap the perches.

the black tip of the toe is not due to perches, it is due to an injury or it is constricted.

[RobertandCora]

Thank you Ricardo and Cindy!