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My poor Beau....

8K views 56 replies 9 participants last post by  MeanneyFids 
#1 ·
I will be making a vet appiontment for my 2 1/2 yr old male budgie today, he has a paralyzed foot. When it was first noticed 1 1/2 weeks or so ago he was limping a bit, he is clipped and we thought he had a bad landing and hurt his ankle . We kept an eye on him for a few days and he seemed to improve. He has been in an HQ flight cage with his mate and their 4 - 11 month old chicks. Of course a lot of pushing and squabling go on in a flock and he ended up on the bottom of the cage a few times and his leg got worse, he was limping so bad he could not put his weight on his foot, but otherwise seemed fine... and his foot worked... he could open and close it normally. I put him in a seperate cage figuring a week or two by himself would allow it to rest and heal without being shoved around and reinjuring it . Now I am not so sure... he has been in his own cage since fri night... and he is much worse. He now cannot use his foot at all and a lot of the time his toes hang limp... He walks on his hock ( elbow?) joint or tries to hop on one foot... I no longer think it is a sprain type injury. I am afraid it may be much worse... he also does not seem right in the head sometimes as of yesterday, he started chewing the bare dowel perch and the edge of the food dish... now chewing is a normal budgie behaviour , but not normal for him... and he just started it yesterday... I don't know if it is a pain reaction or what.. he is eating on a seed treat stick , millet and hemp seeds that are all within an inch of his perch along with water... Hubby and I have talked about him and have both decided that if it is a tumour we will be sending him to the rainbow bridge.... he has gone downhill so much in just 2-3 days and at first seemed to ba very happy with just a sore foot... now he seems withdrawn and unhappy... and in pain... I cannot stand to see him suffer! I will be calling the vet as soon as their office opens... thanks for listening.
 
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#2 ·
I let my Boo's foot go so long that he no longer used it at all - I feel bad about that. But when I took him to the vet the xray showed that it wasn't broken, just sprained. She gave him some "birdy motrin" and within 5 days he was using it like normal. Good luck at the vet! Let us know what they say.
 
#4 ·
i hope its nothing serious!! i hope he gets well soon!!
 
#5 · (Edited)
Thanks guys... I have called the vet and left a message... just waiting for them to call back now. As I was writing this I noticed he was down on the lower perch in the cage and trying to climb the bars back up to the higher perch ( only about 5 inches from the bottom cuz he would not stay low in the cage), I went over to help him and if i hold my hand out palm up he will crawl into my hand for a lift... when He did I noticed he is not using his foot at all anymore and it feels very cold... like dead cold.. he seems alert this morning and is eating a little. He also has his tail on the one side ( bad foot side ) spread but not on the good foot side... never seen that before this morning... not sure what it means. Here is a pic of his foot.
 

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#6 ·
he's most likely using his tail for balance to compensate for his bad foot.


he is a male budgie, sometimes if there is swelling inside (most likely his testicles) the swelling can press against the nerve of his leg and cause paralysis. it could be a tumour, it could just be something less threatening. because he is a male budgie, male budgies are prone to testicular cancer. and one of the symptoms of something wrong with his boy parts is often paralysis of one or both legs.

i am praying for you that it is not testicular cancer
 
#8 ·
Thanks everyone... Casey I did know male budgies are prone to tumours and testicular cancer... and that is one of the reasons I am so worried about him... I did not know he might spread half his tail for balance... thanks... I just finished cleaning his cage and put him in his travel cage so I did not spook him and make him flap around... he is a pretty tame little guy to begin with so that was an easy task. While I held him I had a feel on his keel bone and he feels rather thin to me... not sure how much keel I should feel but he is definitely not skin and bones. I have talked to the vets office already and the avian vet is not in today and she does not think the vet that is in deals in birds... so she is going to talk to the vet there and see what to do and call me back... the waiting is hard... there is no other vet that deals with birds within a large radius and I am not going to put him thru a 2-3 hour car drive in the winter... I am hoping that the avian vet will be in tomorrow and he can go in then... he is still eating and I have been giving him whatever he wants to eat... he will not eat his fresh food and will not go down to his food dish so I have a treat stick and large spray of millet and a dish of hemp seed right beside him... he ate a few hemp seeds this morning... I also have a dish of water up near him so he does not have to move far to eat and drink... I just feel so bad seeing him like that and hope i can get him in soon!
 
#9 · (Edited)
we all have our fingers crossed for him, just be sure he eats, keep him warm, make sure his energy stays up. spray millet is awesome for sick birds as it is easily digested, its nutritious and offers lots of energy. so even if thats all he will eat, then feed him as much as he wants. also, if he wont drink, you can offer some soaked lettuce in the cage, he may not eat it but he may lick off some of the moisture.


all you can do is wait for the vet to come in and keep him as comfortable and as well fed as you can :)
 
#11 ·
Thank you all for your concern and prayers!! They are much appreciated !! Still no call from the vet and all I can assume is they are waiting to talk to the avian vet... He did take a drink of water and I know he has been eating millet , hemp and been nibbling the treat stick, he keeps preening the limp foot. I know my hubby has nerve damage in one arm that leaves his hand numb and it drives him crazy.. I wonder if that is similar in Beau and he chews at it trying to make it feel right... so far he has not done any damage to it , He also is preening his bottom on that side a lot.. only on the left side... I do wish they would call....
 
#13 ·
Well I spent the whole day trying to get an appointment... the receptionist told me we could get in on thursday evening... I asked for earlier ... she said hold on I call you back in a few minutes... that was at 4 and she never called back, now I don't even know if I have the thursday appointment and have to call back in the morning to see what is going on... soo disappointed in this vet , but is the only avian vet in the area. My poor Beau is still eating and drinking an if he can he jumps on one foot... if he gets stuck and I offer him a hand he lays right in my hand for help... he is such a sweetie and I feel so bad for him... I don't think this is going to be good... I just don't want him to suffer!!!
 
#14 ·
OH GOD! How frustrating! I know you feel so bad for your baby! He sounds like such a sweetie. I'd call them in the morning, first thing, and make SURE you get in asap, even if you have to sit and wait until the vet has a spare minute. The vets usually don't know what the front office people are doing, so be persistent.

Good luck! I'll say some special prayers for him tonight.
 
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#16 ·
:hug:

if he is eating and drinking, then he has the energy for now, hes doing pretty good, and with some luck, he will get in soon!
 
#19 ·
how is he doing today?
 
#23 ·
it may not be a tumour

if hes been breeding lately or has been hormonal, it could just be swelling from his boy parts, and thats not as bad as a tumour. ive been told males sometimes who get sexually frustrated can have this happen to them
 
#24 ·
Thank you everyone....Casey he hasn't bred since last year this time... his chicks were hatched last feb. Him and one of his sons have bonded and are VERY close... he is in with him now and it is so sweet to see his son loving on him... kissing him and trying to feed him... Beau is still weak , puffy and lame , but looks much happier with Sprout in with him.. he has someone to cuddle with. Fingers crossed for tomorrows vet visit.
 
#26 ·
just throwing that out there as a possibility :)

i do hope he is ok, we are all here for you!
 
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