Broken leg :(

[Corkysgirl]

KarenB, Sounds perfect! Praying for continued healing so she can get back together with her man!

[KarenB]

Well, I have shyed away from making updates about Annie, but I finally feel like she has rounded the corner and is going to heal. Hoot has never left her side. I finally put in a shallow plastic cup nest with a felt liner because he was going crazy one day trying to get to one of the wicker nests that I have as an extra hanging outside the flight cage next to theirs. I just have it hanging there as an extra, and he was clinging to the side of his and Annie's cage trying to get to it. It was kind of sad. I thought the shallow nest would be better since Annie wouldn't have to maneuver into a hole of some sort with her broken leg. They only sleep in it at night. It only has the felt liner and nothing else.

About the broken leg. The foot died first, and the break just below the knee never healed, and then the leg finally fell off at the break. I think there was lack of blood supply. She now has a little stump that she balances on. She leans over to her right side onto her good leg and uses the stump as a leverage. She is getting really good at balancing with it, but it still needs some healing on the tip. Since it is at her knee, it has like a little bulb on the end, which I think makes it better to balance on. She doesn't seem to be in any pain anymore.

I stopped the antibiotics after I had given them for two weeks. I had honey in the water to make it more palatable, but then Hoot always tried to bathe in it, as it was the only source of water they had, to force her to get some meds into her. Obviously, Hoot had to be medicated as well, but it didn't seem to harm him any, and I know that Annie really needed him around.

I haven't tried to get any photos, because they are so skittish any time I get near the cage with the camera, and I don't want to stress them out any more than I have to. They finally got to where they didn't freak out every time I fed them, which is good, but they hate the camera coming at them, so I just don't bother.

Anyway, for those who were wondering about Annie, that is the latest. She is a very tough girl, and I am so glad she made it through this whole ordeal. And Hoot has been wonderful for her, and I think has helped a great deal to pull her through this. It still breaks my heart that she had to endure all this, and I felt so helpless. It was really depressing me, and I really didn't want to talk about it. I don't know if they will ever have another clutch together, but at this point it does not matter. She is still alive and is making the best of it all, and that is my comfort.

[wildbird]

Both of you have been through a lot. Best wishes for Annie's continued improvement.

[MiaCarter]

KarenB -- Yay for Hoot and Annie!!

So happy to hear she's doing well!

I'm happy to hear the foot and leg fell off without trouble. That seems to be when they're at the highest risk.
I think it's really a blessing as I know how much a healed break can ache.

That's so lovely that Hoot stayed with her! Reminds me of my Elvis and Priscilla. It really seems to help when they have a mate there to help with morale.
I'd have given them a nest too. Anything to help with stress, you know?

[Corkysgirl]

KarenB That's great news about Annie. I know what you mean about the honey in the water and bathing. Makes for sticky business. It may have helped with her foot healing though because it's a natural antibiotic. Wow, she's a strong little girl! I'm happy to hear a happy update!

[monotwine]

Karen I'm sorry that it went that way, but you know what some of the old timers say that a handicapped hen makes for one of the best brooders, so you may yet have many young mouths. Its usually more of a problem if the male is handicapped.
I had a Cuban hen that was also missing half her leg. She managed just fine and is doing very well. She is still flirting with boys and having clutches so don't lose hope on that front.

The birds are resilient and once she figures out her new groove you might not feel she is handicapped at all. The only thing I remember Peggy liking is a flat surface (little shelf or flat stick) to occasionally rest on instead of perch.

[MiaCarter]

monotwine -- Well said!
If there's one thing I've learned working with disabled and special needs animals over the years, it's that they don't know or care that they're different!

They don't face the mental struggles that a human endures; they just deal with it and adapt. It's incredible, really!

[KarenB]

monotwine, Animals can be amazingly resilient, and of that I am completely in awe. I think Hoot is ready for her to move along, too. They are being quite vocal and calling and talking to each other, which is great to hear, because for so long they were so quiet. I am glad that I moved them in next to the other birds, as well, because they were pretty depressed in the room all by themselves.

@Corkysgirl, I can't wait to be able to move them out of that cage so I can wash the sticky out of it!!

[MiaCarter]

....I can't wait to be able to move them out of that cage so I can wash the sticky out of it!!

I know that feeling!
I just moved Priscilla out of her sick cage and sent her back home and it's disgustingly sticky!
She's moulting so there are feathers are all stuck to the wire in the area next to the water bowl. LOL
It seems she tried to do a mini bath in the medicine water, so her little chin and chest are all sticky and icky!

Do Hoot and Annie have the stickies? Or have they managed to preen it off? I imagine it's nice that they can each other, whereas Priscilla was alone. But Elvis is hard at work trying to clean her up! LOL

[finchandlovebird]

Yikes .... what blessings. I am vacationing at my daughter's in San Antonio & have lots of time on my hands. Just read all about Annie and am totally amazed at the strength of the bird & your fortitude and skill, Karen. Wow

[KarenB]

finchandlovebird, Thanks! Well, I'm not sure about my skill, because she ended up losing her leg. I can't help but wonder if I had done things a bit differently, would I have had a better outcome. Annie is incredible, though. I admire her.

[KarenB]

Here they are, Hoot and Annie. I finally got a couple of pics while I was giving them fresh water this evening. For once they stayed put on the perch and were patient until I finished clicking.

[Corkysgirl]

Such sweet pictures! She looks great! I'm so happy for you that she's fine now. Awww he loves her!

[wildbird]

Great pictures! Beautiful birds!

[KarenB]

MiaCarter, Ya know, I know he, at least, bathed in the honey water, and I did expect him to look sticky, but he never did. Curious. After that, I put their water in a small little travel cup in the shape of a flower, and he still insisted on trying to bathe in it. He couldn't have gotten more than his belly in it. Silly bird. I haven't seen Annie bathe at all. If she has, it's been during the day when I'm not there. I expect she will once her stump is completely healed.