# Baby not walking at all please help



## emw121199 (Jul 27, 2009)

Hi everyone,

My tiels just had a baby that is almost 2 weeks old. The baby is struggling to get to its feet but is completely unable to support itself on either leg - they are splayed out on either side. Initially, we thought his belly and crop were too big to support the weight and he would grow into his legs, but now we are really getting worried. This is our first pair and first baby so we don't know what a normal baby is supposed to be doing at this age, but this doesn't seem normal. The baby is able to move and stretch its legs, it just can't stand up. It just started attempting to do so and the legs are fully moving and not paralyzed. 

As I said, its belly and crop are always full, could this be the problem? My vet is not open on the weekend, should the baby go to vet ( he is not an avian specialist but will work with birds)? SOrry to be so ignorant I read several books on tiels after purchasing the pair but they didn't have much to say about baby development. Thanks for any help.

Eileen


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## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

sounds like splayed leg i'm not sure if 2 weeks is too late to fix it or not 

I know i tried fixing it on a 25 day old love bird, BUT he had more internal problems then just splayed leg and died before i found out if it worked. 

here are a few sites that talk about it 
http://www.cagenbird.com/splayed_leg.htm

http://www.silkiechickens.com/splayed_leg_in_chicks.htm


http://theaviary.com/s1295-46.shtml

http://www.geocities.com/bird_angel/splay.html


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

First off what is the surface under the baby and how much of a cushion of bedding is under the baby? This needs to be addressed in addition to helping the baby with it's legs.


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## emw121199 (Jul 27, 2009)

Thank you so very much for the websites, atvchick95, they were extremely helpful. It is apparently a classic case of splay leg and prbably due to the fact that the mother would throw any bedding materials we put in out of the cage. He is slipping and sliding - after reading those wonderful sites, I put him in a small pot so he can brace his legs, which he has no problem doing once there is something he can lean against. I am taking him to the vet next week to see if he can be fitted with a harness as per the websites suggestions; I don't feel capable of doing it myself. One leg seems worse than the other, but he is sleeping comfortably for now. I bought some paper with grit on it to lay on the floorof the cage so when he is out of the pot for exercise he is not sliding around on his belly.

I can't thank you enough for your speedy and helpful reply.

EIleen


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## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

Your very welcome 

I also read recently and i want to think it was on here but can't remember 

that using normal self stick shelf liners in the the bottom of nest boxes Help alot (by normal i mean the kind that look like they're woven not the paper kind )

I know i'm going to invest in some I have some parents who kick All the bedding out, I have one who only leaves a small amount in all 4 corners but even though the bottom of my nests boxes are rough (not rough enough to hurt them but gives them the gripping surface they need) I ended up with a love bird with splayed leg 

the nest he was in I used for 2 years, 1 1/2 years was for budgies the rest was lovebirds and this was the 1st time i ever had it happen


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## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

Isn't there something you can use for now, I forgot what it's called but I seen it somewhere on another site used for a budgie (it was home-made) - it was a piece of foam (or something soft like that) and the girl put 2 holes in it and stuck the budgies legs in and from what I know when I last read about it, it was working for her budgie.


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## emw121199 (Jul 27, 2009)

Hi again.

I have the baby in a small pot and he is doing nicely. One leg is worse than the other, but in the pot he appears quite comfortable. I have it lined with a woven cotten washcloth. I bought some paper at the petstore yesterday with grit on it thinking it would give him some traction, then later realized it would be too abrasive on the baby's belly. WIll continue looking for something similar to what you mention, atvchick95, I am determined to get the baby up and walking. If not, I will try to work to give it the best quality of life it can have. I am taking it to the vet next week....again, my deepest thanks for those websites, I had no idea in the world what was wrong and no idea what search term to google.

Eileen


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## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

your welcome 

Solace, your thinking of a wedged make up sponge thats what I used on my lovebird, but he died before i got a chance to know if it worked or not.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

I had posted this not long ago.
http://s525.photobucket.com/albums/cc331/Mousebirds-and-more/Other%20birds/?action=view&current=Spraddle-leg-illus.jpg

Once the legs are in a closer position you can fashion a small ring for each leg, and use a piece of yarn to loop thru each ring to gradully over a period of pull the legs closer together.


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## emw121199 (Jul 27, 2009)

Thank you for the link, srtiels, it was very helpful. I don't feel confident enough to try one of those home made devices on my own so I am taking the baby to the vet on TUesday to see what he can rig up. One leg is very bad and I fear it is too late to do anything, but perhaps the vet can do something. The baby has great difficulty positioning it, whereas since I have had him in the pot and on my lap, he is able to prop himself up to some degree on the other leg. I'm assuming the bad leg isn't broken??? Baby does not cry out when it is moved, but it is very difficult to get the leg bent in the proper shape. I am just hoping the vet can set up a splint of some kind and that its not too late. I had absolutely no idea this could happen from having no bedding, I feel terrible that I wasn't more prepared. Thanks to all of you so very much, your help is greatly appreciated.

Eileen


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## Tony's Tiels (May 21, 2009)

And if that does not work (my hands would not be able to make that, as good as it looks)
the make-up sponge does seem easy to make.
Also, line the nest box with layers of paper towels, the parents ussually can not take a Whole paper towel out & it gives the chick a soft yet gripable surface for walking.

We use them frequently as the top layers of our nest box.

I fear if you wait for even a few more days the damage may become permanent, 
& would buy some make-up sponges to make that type of splint.


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