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Bumblefoot
Post Edited by FaeryBee on 7/30/17 to add link:
Symptoms and Treatment of Bumblefoot
Always see an Avian Vet for the proper diagnosis and treatment plan.
Bumblefoot needs expert care, particularly antibiotics to fight infection.
Bumblefoot usually noticeably starts as either swelling of the foot (or both feet) along with what looks like a sore on either the toes, or more commonly, on the bottom of the feet. You may see a little round red or black spot on the very bottom of the foot (that is the area of infection).
There are various causes for Bumblefoot, but most cases will inevitably become severe (and sometimes very quickly) if the infection is not treated.
Perches
Sand perches, rough perches, wire perches, and plastic perches may cause foot problems - especially if that is all the bird has to sit on. The best to use are those perches made of wood styled after 'branches' with irregular or multiple sizes on the same perch. (Make sure they don't have splinters).
A rope perch is especially helpful to give a little relief when when a budgie has foot problems. Just monitor your budgie to ensure he is not chewing on the fibers of the rope as ingesting the fibers can cause impaction of the crop.
Vitamin A
Bumblefoot may be caused or exacerbated by Vitamin A deficiency.
One of the highest Vitamin A content foods that birds enjoy is sweet potatoes. Keep offering mashed sweet potatoes every day until your bird gets used to it
Cleaning
Make extra certain (especially when a bird has infection) - to keep the cage and perches clean. One of the safest and non-toxic ways to clean perches is to take them out and clean them with hot water and pour white vinegar on the perches/toys/cage.
Vet Prescriptions
If you do not have an Avian vet near you, ask your regular vet or a 'bird specialist' if they have one at your local vet office: to prescribe you cephalexin. Mine mixed the antibiotic with some orange flavoring and my bird actually likes the taste! It needs to be refrigerated. You have to very carefully dribble a little drop barely inside of their beak (left side is best). But your vet can show you how to do that.
Holding the bird still
Wrap the bird in one piece of regular paper towel. Kind of wrap them like a burrito and keep them all wrapped up (not overly tight where they can't breathe, but tight enough so they don't have any wiggle room. Wrap them all the way up except leaving their head exposed (and feet also - that is if you are trying to work with their feet at that time). Hold them near the sides of their neck/head, gently, but holding them still if you are trying to give them medicine.
The vet may prescribe a topical ointment to apply on the feet.
Some vets will prescribe TRIZCHLOR wipes which are basically medicated wipes used to help treat many different types of skin problems.
Amazon sells these at a much lower cost than the vet may charge.
Epsom Salt
Dissolve a teaspoon of plain, unscented Espom Salt in very warm water (about a cup). Let cool just a little and then try to hold your bird's feet still in the warm (not hot) water for as long as you can (mine would only do so for about a minute at a time). Repeat twice a day. If you get the salt water all over feathers, wash it off and carefully towel dry the bird by holding gently in a washcloth to get them warm. Remember to use a shallow dish and only soak the feet, nothing higher.
Ointment
Use either Neosporin or Sudocrem
Amazon.com: Sudocrem Antiseptic Healing Cream x 60g: Health & Personal Care
Apply twice a day to the affected areas of the feet. Try to be as careful as [/B]possible to not get on feathers, though inevitably a tiny bit will still get on them. These products don't have a scent and are the safest to use without having a prescription.
Won't drink water?
If a bird is sick and either has little energy to get water or just won't drink water and won't drink for you if you hold up the container for it, buy an empty cheap spray bottle like from the dollar store or walmart (clean and empty - NOT having ever had chemicals or anything in it of course). Fill with a bit of bottled or filtered water and spray multiple times a day - water droplets onto a clean toy that has a mirror on it. Make sure the mirror is hanging near the bird so they can easily reach it without much effort at all. Budgies seem to almost always love to lick the water off the mirrors.
You can also give your budgie millet soaked in electrolyte solution as suggested in the thread linked below
Guardian Angel // Pedialyte // Pedialyte Recipe
Post Edited by FaeryBee on 7/30/17 to add link:
Symptoms and Treatment of Bumblefoot
Always see an Avian Vet for the proper diagnosis and treatment plan.
Bumblefoot needs expert care, particularly antibiotics to fight infection.
Bumblefoot usually noticeably starts as either swelling of the foot (or both feet) along with what looks like a sore on either the toes, or more commonly, on the bottom of the feet. You may see a little round red or black spot on the very bottom of the foot (that is the area of infection).
There are various causes for Bumblefoot, but most cases will inevitably become severe (and sometimes very quickly) if the infection is not treated.
Perches
Sand perches, rough perches, wire perches, and plastic perches may cause foot problems - especially if that is all the bird has to sit on. The best to use are those perches made of wood styled after 'branches' with irregular or multiple sizes on the same perch. (Make sure they don't have splinters).
A rope perch is especially helpful to give a little relief when when a budgie has foot problems. Just monitor your budgie to ensure he is not chewing on the fibers of the rope as ingesting the fibers can cause impaction of the crop.
Vitamin A
Bumblefoot may be caused or exacerbated by Vitamin A deficiency.
One of the highest Vitamin A content foods that birds enjoy is sweet potatoes. Keep offering mashed sweet potatoes every day until your bird gets used to it
Cleaning
Make extra certain (especially when a bird has infection) - to keep the cage and perches clean. One of the safest and non-toxic ways to clean perches is to take them out and clean them with hot water and pour white vinegar on the perches/toys/cage.
Vet Prescriptions
If you do not have an Avian vet near you, ask your regular vet or a 'bird specialist' if they have one at your local vet office: to prescribe you cephalexin. Mine mixed the antibiotic with some orange flavoring and my bird actually likes the taste! It needs to be refrigerated. You have to very carefully dribble a little drop barely inside of their beak (left side is best). But your vet can show you how to do that.
Holding the bird still
Wrap the bird in one piece of regular paper towel. Kind of wrap them like a burrito and keep them all wrapped up (not overly tight where they can't breathe, but tight enough so they don't have any wiggle room. Wrap them all the way up except leaving their head exposed (and feet also - that is if you are trying to work with their feet at that time). Hold them near the sides of their neck/head, gently, but holding them still if you are trying to give them medicine.
The vet may prescribe a topical ointment to apply on the feet.
Some vets will prescribe TRIZCHLOR wipes which are basically medicated wipes used to help treat many different types of skin problems.
Amazon sells these at a much lower cost than the vet may charge.
Epsom Salt
Dissolve a teaspoon of plain, unscented Espom Salt in very warm water (about a cup). Let cool just a little and then try to hold your bird's feet still in the warm (not hot) water for as long as you can (mine would only do so for about a minute at a time). Repeat twice a day. If you get the salt water all over feathers, wash it off and carefully towel dry the bird by holding gently in a washcloth to get them warm. Remember to use a shallow dish and only soak the feet, nothing higher.
Ointment
Use either Neosporin or Sudocrem
Amazon.com: Sudocrem Antiseptic Healing Cream x 60g: Health & Personal Care
Apply twice a day to the affected areas of the feet. Try to be as careful as [/B]possible to not get on feathers, though inevitably a tiny bit will still get on them. These products don't have a scent and are the safest to use without having a prescription.
Won't drink water?
If a bird is sick and either has little energy to get water or just won't drink water and won't drink for you if you hold up the container for it, buy an empty cheap spray bottle like from the dollar store or walmart (clean and empty - NOT having ever had chemicals or anything in it of course). Fill with a bit of bottled or filtered water and spray multiple times a day - water droplets onto a clean toy that has a mirror on it. Make sure the mirror is hanging near the bird so they can easily reach it without much effort at all. Budgies seem to almost always love to lick the water off the mirrors.
You can also give your budgie millet soaked in electrolyte solution as suggested in the thread linked below
Guardian Angel // Pedialyte // Pedialyte Recipe
