Avian Medical Case of the Day: Since most birds spend almost every moment of their lives on their feet, foot sores (also called bumblefoot) can be agonizing. The first photo is a parakeet with deep, painful wounds on both feet as a result of kidney disease that led to gout (deposits of crystals in the joints). Since there was nothing we could do to get rid of the gout that was already present, we had to put him to sleep to end his suffering. The second photo is a duck that was kept on a gravel surface. Water fowl must have soft footing and water to swim in or their feet will develop these wounds. Even healthy birds can develop bumblefoot if they have only one size perch or if they spend too much time on abrasive sandy or concrete perches. Make sure your bird has a variety of sizes and textures of perching surfaces. If your bird has foot problems, try including rope perches, platforms, or even wooden perches wrapped with several layers of a soft thick towel to ease the pressure on his tender feet.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Nov 2014 19:35:59 +0000
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