Canary injured toe

[silverstar]

Hi there everyone. It looks like I encountered a bit of an accident with my male canary. A few minutes ago, I was trying to trim his nails, as they were getting a little long. My aim must have slipped for a bit, because next thing I knew there was some blood coming from the middle of one toe ! I immediately used a kwik stop powder to control the bleeding, and that seems to be working. I'm worried because the toe juts out at an unusual angle, and appears to be a little paler than the rest of the toe. It doesn't seem to straighten out normally, but this could be because of the pain.

The closest avian vet is 30 mins away, so as soon as they open I'll call. Since the foot is so small, I don't know if it would be possible to attach a splint, or if something else could be done. At the very least, if it does turn out to be a break I'll want to make sure the little guy gets medicine to help with the pain. I hope that overnight it will adjust enough for me to assess the damage further. Please send healing thoughts our way!

[Stuart whiting]

silverstar hi there this is probably a question for cindy but having trimmed many birds claws of many different species over a good number of years I'd onestly say that yer bird will most probably be fine,

The straightened toe in such circumstances I can't really answer as I've never experienced this before but I'm just wandering that are you definitely sure this has happened after the claw was trimmed,

The bird may of had a bit of a straight toe before you caught the bird up and not necessarily noticed it

I've at times put a splint on a birds leg and also tapped up the hind due claw loosely to the shank of a birds leg when they are young because some birds slip the hind due claw and this basically folds underneath the birds foot,

If the straightened toe of yer canary is the front toe unfortunately through experience there won't be an awful lot you can do with it,
I doubt it very much that it will affect the bird in any such way.

Incidentally if you ever cut the birds nails and it starts to bleed again and you've got no powder IE if you run out etc,

The easiest way to stop it from bleeding is to light a match quickly blow the match out and immediately apply the head of the hot match to the cut toe, this will quarterise it, you can also do the same with the end of a cigarette but needs to literally dab it for a split second and no longer, yes the bird will possibly flinch but is a certain way of stopping the bleed,

This method is a very old school method but does work as a last resort

[lem2bert]

Silverstar

Sending healing thought you little birds way !!!

[cindy]

Can you get a picture of the toe, top and underside.... typically nicking a nail is not an issue. Perhaps there is something else going on, maybe a possible infection.

Cornstarch or flour are good standby's if you do not have the blood stop powder.

[silverstar]

Thank you for all your replies. Yes, I am sure that the this particular toe was not crooked before the nail clipping. For it to be the exact same toe that started bleeding would have been rare. In case I did not specify, it is not the nail itself that started bleeding, it was the actual skin of the toe.

After a few hours of rest, the injury is a bit easier to make out. I don't know how deep the cut was, but I did not see any exposed muscle or bone. The site of injury is dark red, like blood directly under the surface. Oddly, I don't see any swelling, the toe actually appears to narrow at the wound. He is putting full weight on the toe, and it still has the grasping reflex!

Let me try uploading a picture I took recently, tell me if this link works.

http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/o57 ... /image.jpg

[cindy]

Best thing to do is to wash the foot in an antiseptic wash or if you can get chlorhexidine (feed stores usually carry it, dilute it as instructed) and wash the foot a few times a day. Here in the states we have an over the counter product called Hibiclens (chlorhexidine is the main ingredient. Dilute 1 tablespoon to 1 gallon of water, you can make smaller batches. Wash the foot in that. Keep everything clean in the cage

Ointment... Neosporin. You do not want to glob it on since it can get in the feathers, instead take a little and rub the ointment (not cream) between your fingers then apply.

It is important to keep the wound, foot clean as well as the cage to keep bacteria, staph or fungal from getting into the wound....wash/disinfect your cage grate down and the perches. You can use virkon s or hydrogen peroxide wipes or you can use diluted hydrogen peroxide to wipe the perches with, vet wrap your perches and change that often, it will help cushion the foot.

If the foot feels hot or get really red you may need a broad spectrum antibiotic/see a vet. He may or may not loose the tip of that toe.

[lem2bert]

SilverStar

What a beautiful little canary !!!

[silverstar]

Hello everyone, I have an update on my canary's condition. As it turns out, my regular vet is out of town for a conference for the next few days. I was able to find a vet that might be able to examine my bird this evening, but forgot that I didn't have transportation. Taking a bus would have taken over two hours, and by the time I would have gotten there, the clinic would have closed long ago.

Upon examining the injury, I noticed that the nail no longer appears to have a blood supply, which means that that is the same for the front of the toe. At this point, I realized that the toe will most likely fall off in a few days. Not counting the nail, approximately 1/4 of the toe could be lost, although it without the nail it'll appear even shorter.

My plan so far is to keep an eye on when the necrosis develops, and ensure that it does not spread upwards. There might still be a nerve attached, so I am hesitant to perform any amputation. I have some oral antibiotics on hand from another bird (medicine was obtained a month ago), so I'll start medicating tonight.

Luckily, my bird is eating and drinking well, is using his crippled foot normally, is very active, and does not appear to be in much pain. I won't be able to get to a vet until Monday, and at that point, I don't think there's much they can do that couldn't be done at home. I do have a first aid kit I can use for severe problems, and the foot has been cleaned with hydrogen peroxide and bacitracin ointment. If anyone has further advice, please let me know. Thank you!

[cindy]

Hydrogen peroxide is rather drying, did the vet recommend that? If not try the chlorhexidine or Hibiclens, it will keep the bacteria and fungal, staph down.

[silverstar]

Cindy, that was the only antiseptic I had available at the time of injury. I wanted to provide at least some form of cleansing right away rather than wait. I haven't been able to pick up a different cleansing wash yet, but am planning on picking some up in a short while. Are there any other medical supplies you can think of that I might need?

[cindy]

you can vet wrap the perches, it may make it more comfortable to stand on

[Sally]

If the tip of the toe is turning black, it usually will simply dry up and fall off. I've had that happen with birds, and they do fine.

[Stuart whiting]

Sally I'm inclined to agree, very true

[silverstar]

Thankfully, my canary seems to be adapting well, and still has mostly normal behavior. Sometimes he'll tuck the foot into his feathers, though he is just as capable of perching with both feet for extended periods of time. The tip of the toe is pale and withered, and barely hanging on by a thread. The healthy part of the toe is slightly swollen on close inspection, but there is no sign of infection.

I've been applying an antiseptic wash and antibiotic ointment to the scab at least twice a day. Oral antibiotics are also administered every twelve hours. I'll continue this regimen for a week or two more. Once the scab falls off, I'm hoping he'll be mostly recovered. At first I was worried sick about my poor little bird, partly because I was responsible for his pain. Yet it looks like he'll be able to still live a normal life, which is a great relief! I'll be sure to update as he heals.