Help!!! Broken Leg???

[DitsyDaizy]

I just got home from work and my Quaker has absolutely no use of her right leg. She can't walk or stand on it at all. I'm assuming it's broken? She keeps picking at it with her beak. Any suggestions?!?!?!?!?!

Thank you!

[Diane, Clouds assignment]

Can you get her to an Avian Vet? I would try, to prevent her from doing further damage. JMO.

[Uncle]

What you are describing could be a variety of things from a broken leg to other problems including a sprain.

You must get that bird to a vet - NOW!

Keep it calm and warm in the meantime.

[DitsyDaizy]

I've tried calling about 6 avian vets here in town and they are all closed. There are several that I found that are open, but none of them treat birds. I am waiting for a call back from a rescue to see if she can see me.

[Uncle]

Please keep us posted. How is she perching?

Just to share with you, I have a 5 year old female Umbie and when she was less than a year old she exibited the same symptoms. She could not put any weight on her right leg at all. Fortunately I got her into the vet that very morning. The vet checked her and her leg was not broken. The vet worked Baby's leg and massaged it. Soon - while in the vet's office Baby was able to put some weight on her leg. The vet figured it was a sprain.

But that was my experience at that time... not necessarily what is going on with your Quaker... let's hope it is something that simple.

Larry

[DitsyDaizy]

Okay... just got back from the hospital... this is the result.... :tears:

It was definitely a broken leg. It has a little infection from where she was picking at it, so she's on an antibiotic now. Going back to the vet in a week for a check up. He thinks she's going to be okay and make a full recovery.

Thanks for all your help and well wishes...

[Julie]

So very glad you were able to get her into the hospital and seen. Huge loves to you and her.... Try to get some rest, both of you!

[bonnie]

Aw... poor baby. Keep us posted. I'm glad you got her in quickly!

[Chrissy and Flock]

Poor little girl... hope she heals fast and gets back to her normal self...

[lcarle]

Poor baby!!! Sooo glad you found someone to take you in!!! I know what it is like having a bird in those awful collars!! They do not like them and I didn't care for the parenting part of it either. How is he doing with it? I will be praying for you both - quick healing and patience with that collar. Keep us updated!!

[Dot]

I am so glad you were able to find someone. I hope you aren't having problems giving her the meds. Take good care of sweet Daisy.

[FoxersArtist]

Oh Tara! I'm so sorry. I wasn't home when you called and didn't get home until late tonight...I had my own medical issue. How is Pickles doing? Do you have any idea how it happened? Poor thing. In the future, Petroglyph Animal Hospital is very good with birds and open until Midnight. That's where our evening emergencies go. Again, I'm so sorry I wasn't home to help you. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help now.
-Anna

[Anne-Samantha's Mom]

poor little tykey...awwwwww poor girl..hope all goes well..please keep us posted dear...

[too&me]

So sorry it is soooo very scary when our FIDs are hurt or sick. I know you will both do great! They heal very quickly compared to us. Now you will have to double check that cage and try to discover how she managed to hurt herself. Some times you just wonder how they do it. Hugs for you and healing thoughts for her.

[birdie]

I'm glad you got her in and everything is gonna be ok. poor baby, sending her loves.

[Don]

Glad you were able to get him treated by someone who knows what to do - now do you have any idea as to HOW the leg was injured ?

Don

[DitsyDaizy]

I tried calling Petroglyph Anna, but they said they don't have any Avian vets!!! Petroglyph is less than a mile from home, so that was the first place I called. Maybe they all had just left for the evening or something, but this was about 6:00 pm when I called them. I ended up taking her to the VCA off Coors and I-40. I have never heard good things about VCA, but it's the only place I could find that had an avian vet available. Honestly, they were really good to us and I can't say anything bad about them! The doc called this morning to check up on her and make sure she made it through the night okay. She is doing okay for what is expected I guess. She was eating this morning, so that is good. Right now I have her in a plastic bin because she was still trying to climb up the bars in her cage, and she's not supposed to be doing any climbing. Really don't know how it happened. My only guess is that she got it stuck somewhere, twisted it wrong, or maybe had a fright during the day and fell. You're guess is as good as mine. I will keep you all posted. Thanks for the well wishes.

[birdscomefirst]

Hi,

This is a friendly word of caution and I am very happy that the injury will heal.

The friendly word of caution has to do with that collar around the head. Most vets don't use them any more. The bird will have difficulty eating and drinking.

Birds have starved to death or have even gotten the collar caught on something and the birds neck gets broken.

I am not trying to be an alarmist but the collar can do way more harm than good.

The bird will most likely not bother with the foot with the collar off.

Call your vet and ask about this. Then you have to keep an incredibly close eye on how the bird eats and drinks with at thing on. based upon the picture there is no way for the bird to eat.

Thanks,
Bill

[Julie]

I have to use the cone on a regular basis with my cockatoo, but it faces the opposite way for him. it comes down over his wings, like the skirt of a dress would, just sitting on the shoulders. This helps to facilitate eating and drinking. It does ont however allow for wing movement and play....

[DitsyDaizy]

Thanks Bill. That was my biggest concern about the collar as well. The vet originally had it on the opposite way, but she would not stop picking at her bandage, so he had to turn it around. I was watching her this morning and she was eating fine with it on this morning, so I will keep a close eye on her to make sure that continues. We are going back to the vet Saturday morning so he can change the bandages and see if there is any progress. I will keep you all posted.

[birdscomefirst]

OK.. I was just concerned with the collar in that direction.

Please just keep an eye on it. I wouldn't want anything to happen to that little sweet baby.

Bill

[FoxersArtist]

Hi Tara! I hope your little guy is doing well this morning! I'm glad you were able to find a vet that was open. I used to work for the VCA, when I was in my first year of college. Some of their medical staff is good. They did not actually have any cirtified avian vets there when I was workong there but did advertise them as avian vets. They has only a very small understanding of parrots and did not have the equiptment to handle avians but they were able to treat basic things - such as a break. Maybe things have changed since I worked there. Even as the medical staff was pretty good, I would BEG anyone thinking about boarding an animal there to reconsider. What a nightmare.

If you would like, Andy and I would be happy to stop by sometime this weekend and check your cage to see if we can see any place where she could have gotten stuck. I like the idea of turning the cone around the other way. Is it a real cone or did they use x-ray film? Anyhow, let us know if we can help.
-Anna

I tried calling Petroglyph Anna, but they said they don't have any Avian vets!!! Petroglyph is less than a mile from home, so that was the first place I called. Maybe they all had just left for the evening or something, but this was about 6:00 pm when I called them. I ended up taking her to the VCA off Coors and I-40. I have never heard good things about VCA, but it's the only place I could find that had an avian vet available. Honestly, they were really good to us and I can't say anything bad about them! The doc called this morning to check up on her and make sure she made it through the night okay. She is doing okay for what is expected I guess. She was eating this morning, so that is good. Right now I have her in a plastic bin because she was still trying to climb up the bars in her cage, and she's not supposed to be doing any climbing. Really don't know how it happened. My only guess is that she got it stuck somewhere, twisted it wrong, or maybe had a fright during the day and fell. You're guess is as good as mine. I will keep you all posted. Thanks for the well wishes.

[Julie]

Now that you have the proper size for her, a home made collar can easily be fabricated out of a large dog collar from the local pet store. Be sure to file and smooth down all edges and cover with comfy medical wrap, but instead of a cone that is curved a straight one can be made also. Some have a much easier time with this instead.... Good luck, and keep us posted!

[birdscomefirst]

How is the little sweety today?

Thanks,
Bill

[DitsyDaizy]

Just a little update. Took Pickles back to the vet on Saturday to get her leg checked out. The doc said the wound where she was biting her leg and where it got a little bit infected is almost all cleared up. The antibiotics are working great. He is going to keep the cast on her for another 3 weeks probably, and she still has the cone, but she is getting around just fine with it now. She is eating and drinking well and is getting spoiled with extra love from Mama.

[too&me]

Good to hear all is going well and she is healing well, sounds like you are recovering too.

[birdscomefirst]

That sounds GREAT!! Thanks for the update!

[Julie]

Pickles update please....

[DitsyDaizy]

Not much to update... she's still in the cone...still in the cast! I've been helping her preen since she hasn't been able to do much of that lately. So far, she still seems to be lovey dovey with me (I was so afraid her personality was going to change after the torture of the cone)... but she's still very loving to me! I ended up buying her a brand new cage so when she gets her cast off, she'll have a new place to call home. Help her to get rid of the memories from her mean old cage that hurt her leg. She's got about a week and a half left and then hopefully she will get the cast off.

[Julie]

Glad to hear she is doing so well. The cone really does not seem to tramatize them so much, unless you are constantly taking it off and on. That is when they get confused/frustrated. I'm sure she will love her new cage! Thanks for keeping us in the loop!

[DitsyDaizy]

My 5-year old made her a cute little "get well card" right after it happened... I will have to take a picture of it and post it on here.... it's so funny. Will try and get it up tomorrow.

[birdscomefirst]

I am so happy that things are working out well:-) Thanks for the update!