Diseases of the paws in parrots
The paws of parrots are the weakest point. Therefore, it is not surprising that almost every owner of these funny pets sooner or later has to deal with various kinds of paw pathologies in their feathered friend. In order to effectively counter such problems, it is necessary to understand the root causes that lead to this type of ailment.
Symptoms and possible causes of the disease
Most common among parrots mechanical injuries of the pelvic limbs. Moreover, it does not matter at all whether the bird is closed in a cage or moves freely around the house. Due to its mobility, a feathered friend can get tangled or stuck, both, for example, in the bars of his own cage, and in furniture elements. Sometimes even the owner of the animal himself can accidentally injure his pet, for example, by imprudently closing a window or interior door. The paws of parrots also suffer from thermal burns that birds can get by accidentally flying into the kitchen. If other pets live in the house besides the parrot, for example, cats or dogs, then the owner should be especially careful and not leave the bird unattended for a long time.
If the parrot, despite all the precautions, still received an injury to the limb, then it should immediately be shown to the veterinarian. Categorically, you should not treat the bird yourself, since the degree of damage can only be detected by x-ray examination. If a specialist diagnoses a fracture, then the bone fragments will have to be fixed with a metal structure. Unfortunately, such methods of immobilizing an injured joint as a splint or a tight bandage in relation to birds are unacceptable, since they lead to disruption of normal blood circulation, which is fraught with the occurrence of stagnant processes and necrosis.
Parasites can become the cause of pathological processes in the legs of parrots. Most often, parts of the body of a bird deprived of a feather are affected by ticks. The owner of a parrot can judge the occurrence of such a problem by the appearance of ugly growths on the pelvic limbs of his pet. Such neoplasms are usually shapeless with a loose structure. After examining the bird and making a diagnosis, the veterinarian conducts antiparasitic treatment, after which a full recovery occurs.
Hygiene and care
In case of violation of the rules of zoohygiene and irrational feeding ornamental birds quite often develop arthrosis and arthritis. In addition, these pathologies can be provoked by illiterate cell equipment, for example, a perch of too small diameter. Only a veterinarian can identify joint problems, based on the results of an examination of a parrot and X-ray data. Treatment is conservative, with the use of hormonal and anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as antibiotics.
If the clinical picture of the pathology of the limbs of a parrot manifests itself in the form of metamorphoses of the joints and bones, then we can talk about the presence of an infectious disease. This pathology develops under the influence of Staphylococcus aureus and manifests itself in the form of yellowish-white glandular growths on the paws of birds. For successful treatment, the owner of the bird should immediately contact the veterinary clinic, where, after carrying out specific laboratory tests, the veterinarian will be able to make a diagnosis and prescribe an effective treatment. In this case, antibiotics are prescribed. If necessary, anti-inflammatory and wound healing drugs can be prescribed in parallel.
Food
As mentioned above, problems with the legs of parrots may appear due to malnutrition. Birds are especially affected by a lack of calcium in the diet. Many owners of ornamental birds, especially beginners, do not even suspect that their pet should have unhindered access to mineral supplements around the clock. Only in this case, you can be sure that the parrot receives the minerals it needs in full.
If the bird experiences a lack of macro- and microelements, then after a while it becomes difficult for her to control her pelvic limbs, which will externally manifest itself as a tremor. Young birds are especially susceptible to this pathology. Without correction of the diet, the disease will progress. Soon it will be difficult for your feathered friend to even bring his paws together, therefore, sitting on a perch, he will widely spread his limbs to the sides. After enrichment of the bird’s diet with microelements, recovery occurs quite quickly. Parrots can have congenital leg pathologies. This often happens as a result of mistakes made by the bird breeder. Of the most common congenital diseases, one can note the absence of phalanges of the fingers and the abnormal structure of the pelvic limbs.
If, due to a metabolic disorder, uric acid begins to be poorly removed from the tissues of the bird, then we are talking about the occurrence of a pathology called gout. This disease affects not only the serous membranes of organs, but also the joints of the pelvic limbs of parrots. The clinical picture of gout is represented by swelling of the paws and pain during movement. However, to make a definitive diagnosis, a complete blood count and X-ray examination should be performed.
The success of poultry treatment will largely depend on an integrated approach, including not only the use of hormonal and anti-inflammatory drugs, but also a strict diet.
