# Lost toe - advice needed!



## Danielle (Aug 15, 2008)

Well, I always cautioned my pets not to go on top of Hyde's cage or they'd lose a toe, and tonight Harley did.

I was feeding the boys and I dropped their food bowl while I was taking it out to feed them. It clattered on the tiles and Harley - flying for the very first time since I got him - freaked out a little and flew straight out of the bird cage and on top of the wire cage of my resident companion ship rat.
Hyde bit him, and I don't blame him - he is a prey animal after all, and he saw Harley as a predator trying to take him away - and he took off a large chunk of his toe, including the entire nail.

If we had a 24 hour vet near us I'd take him there right now for antibiotics and pain relief, but unfortunately that's not a possibility. So first thing tomorrow I'm taking him to my vet, who might not be an avian specialist but is an amazing practitioner who knows the rat in question and won't freak out that he was attacked by a wild rat.

Poor Harley's doing okay; he won't put any weight on his foot but I was very quick to stop the bleeding with some pressure and then some cornstarch, he bleeds more when he damages blood feathers than he did losing the toe. 

Any advice on what I can do to help relieve the pain in the mean time? I've been keeping him warm and calm and I'm pretty sure that if he were going to go into shock he'd have done it by now, since it happened about an hour ago.

The really sad part is that I was looking at his wings earlier today and thinking 'they've really grown back in, I should clip him', but I chickened out at the last minute. If I'd have clipped them then it never would have happened, he couldn't have reached Hyde's cage.


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## JaspersMomma (Dec 11, 2008)

Ouch...sounds like quite a day. Well if you could run out and buy styptic powder for birds (Kwik Stop I believe) I would recommend that, though I just looked and it said it shouldn't be used on deep wounds or serious cuts..so.... While flower, cornstarch etc stops the bleeding, Styptic powder has some type of pain relief agent in it.

I did some research and apparently you can use something like Neosporin on your bird if you have any in your house. But take a look at this page: http://www.cockatielcottage.net/medical

It's my favorite website and may give you some ideas of other things to do IF you need it. In a list of a first aid kit she does have "Topical Antibiotic Cream" Which is like Neosporin right? So I suppose you can try it, but I've never used it before and is only a suggestion, and I think even Neosporin says not to use on deep wounds/cuts so I guess to your discretion if it is a deep wound? I hope I helped, even slightly! And I hope Harley gets better!


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

So sorry that happened to poor Harley but you were right not to clip him right away. He really needs to learn to fly well before he is clipped.


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## Cannuck2007 (Feb 29, 2008)

I really don't like the styptic powder myself. It does work but it causes more pain than the cornstarch does. Toes are tricky on little birds. The thing you really need to worry about is infection! Try to keep him from walking in his "dirt". Keep his perches lowered so he can stay comfy (a rope perch is great), lline the cage bottom with paper towel or white paper so you can monitor poops and blood. Try to relax a bit and not worry (I know easier said than done). I am sure he will be fine.


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

Ouch poor Harley. I would line his cage with white paper towel to monitor any bleeding aswell. Hopefully your vet will have some antibiotics he can take. I wish Harley a speedy recovery, keep us updated.


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## Danielle (Aug 15, 2008)

I ended up letting him sleep on a pillow next to me last night (I know, I know, I'm such a sucker). I took him in this morning, and fortunately it's not as bad as I thought it was when I posted last night. I noticed a little while after (when I'd given his foot a gentle soak in mild saltwater to clean it up) that he still had a little of his nailbed and hadn't lost any bone.

The vet examined him and agreed with me that he hadn't suffered from a fracture and he had a scrap of nailbed. He's not sure if the nail will be able to grow back, but at least it's essentially a flesh wound.

I basically have to monitor him and make sure the wound is clean and doesn't show signs of redness or swelling. He was pretty quiet last night and this morning, but he's perked up a lot now so clearly the pain relief has kicked in.


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## kimmikefids (Aug 2, 2008)

aww poor Harley...im glad he's alright tho!!! must have been scary for u!!


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

> styptic powder for birds (Kwik Stop I believe) I would recommend that, though I just looked and it said it shouldn't be used on deep wounds or serious cuts.


Styptic powder is best used on bleeding nails only. It's fine for that purpose but it can cause chemical burns on a flesh wound. You don't have to worry about tissue damage with cornstarch or flour.


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

Iam glad it was not as bad as you thought. I wonder if the nail will grow back, only time will tell.


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## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

I use flour to stop the bleeding - mainly only because well I never have corn starch lol

but I actually have several birds missing toes, Some came to me that way others Well like your's wouldn't listen and landed on lovebirds cage, or Quakers cage (mainly lovebirds)

So i started covering the lovebirds cage with a dish towel, That worked for puglsey but not Roxy I had to get a piece of plywood the size of her cage and lay over top She just bit through the towels to get their toes 

however they were all back to their normal selfs in about a day - Some less some a little more, none have problems getting around, or perching , Actually unless you look really hard No one knows any are missing toes.


as for the nail growing back, I can say with mine none have, Once the nail is bit off its gone I have at least one that on one toe only has half a nail (came to me that way) I have some their nails grew upwards instead of outwards and down (again came to me that way) I don't know if its a birth defect, or just a fluke though


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## colorado4bjh (Dec 2, 2008)

I am so glad that things are working out okay and feeling better. I was horrified for you. I will keep you both in my thoughts!


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## Cannuck2007 (Feb 29, 2008)

Glad that he is doing better! It should heal fast! He prpbably won't learn though


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