# Cut foot, need help/advice please



## Steph182

My cockatiel has caught her foot in the door.
She's only injured one toe. There's a cut/graze on either side of the toe. She pulled a bit of the loose skin off, but she can walk on it fine. She's still chewing things/wandering around but is obviously sore, when she's sat still she keeps her foot up. There's a bit of blood but it's not excessive, no more than you'd expect for a cut.
Can someone help me with the best way to clean it and go about it?
If needs be obviously I'll take her to the vet in the morning but need to know how to care for it now, the emergancy vets here are useless so it'd be more stress than its worth to take her now.

Are there any natural pain relief methods she could have to take the edge off the pain?

She hates being restrained so this is going to be fun all around.


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## Mentha

Do you have iodine or betadine? Use that on the wound then put some neosporin on it. If you don't have iodine, use hydrogen peroxide. Depending upon how much skin is lost I'd take her to the vet just for precautionary antibiotic and a stich. Birds can go down hill really quick if they have an infection or any amount of blood loss. Use hydrogen peroxide to remove the blood from her perches.


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## nwoodrow

if you have quick-stop or some other blood stopping agent for birds you can put it on the wound, otherwise in a pinch a flour paste can work, as to pain i know that you can crush up childrens tyleno and mix with water but im unsure of the dosage, she should be fine as long as the bleeding stops, if she is still limping and not using that foot i would take her to the vet to confirm she didnt break it. sorry i cant be much more help.


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## Steph182

Mentha said:


> Do you have iodine or betadine? Use that on the wound then put some neosporin on it. If you don't have iodine, use hydrogen peroxide. Depending upon how much skin is lost I'd take her to the vet just for precautionary antibiotic and a stich. Birds can go down hill really quick if they have an infection or any amount of blood loss. Use hydrogen peroxide to remove the blood from her perches.


I have no iodine... What hydrogen peroxide? Bleach?  
I've never had her hurt herself before so don't know what sort of thing to use. 
She's sat preening herself at the moment now.
It's basically a graze on each side, and one side has a little cut on it too. 
There's no blood on her perches, just a few tiny drops on my mothers bed.


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## Steph182

nwoodrow said:


> if you have quick-stop or some other blood stopping agent for birds you can put it on the wound, otherwise in a pinch a flour paste can work, as to pain i know that you can crush up childrens tyleno and mix with water but im unsure of the dosage, she should be fine as long as the bleeding stops, if she is still limping and not using that foot i would take her to the vet to confirm she didnt break it. sorry i cant be much more help.


It's not bleeding much, there's literally a couple of specs of blood on the bedsheet. 
She's not limping as she walks, she's sitting on it ok when she's perched just when she's on flat ground she's lifting it up. Obvious sore, but she's acting ok still so I don't think it's hurting her badly


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## lperry82

A bit of flour will work to stop bleeding  and this is Hydrogen peroxide http://www.chemistdirect.co.uk/hydrogen-peroxide-solution-6-20-vols_1_5555.html


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## Mentha

If you don't have iodine or hydrogen peroxide (found in the first aid section of any pharmacy, it's NOT bleach) wash it with soap and water then dry it and apply antibiotic cream. If it's just a couple scrapes keep an eye on it for redness, it feels warmer than the rest of her skin, or if it gets a puss bubble or a water blister take her to the vet.


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## Steph182

Thanks for the help. Will give it a wash (when I can catch her) and keep an eye on it, but with the intention of getting to the vets tomorrow. 
That will be fun, she's tame in a way, but doesn't like to be overly handled or held down. 

I'll try and get a little first aid kit made up for her too, never thought of it before. 

She's fine in herself at the moment, so that's good. Complete accident, one of my rabbits tried to get into a room she isn't allowed in, so my mam went to shut the door and Willow managed to get in there and catch her toe on the door. Freak accident, poor girl.


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## lperry82

Im the same i keep my rabbits away from my tiels also


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## Steph182

My rabbits and Willow aren't bothered by eachother. They live in the same room but Willow is allowed in all of the upstairs rooms and the bunnys are confined to my room/the landing. They sniff her sometimes but that's it. She stays on my wardrobe/on top of her cage most of the time in my room anyway though!


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## Steph182

You can see here, the darker red bit is the little bit that cut, and the rest is where she's grazed it


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## nwoodrow

ya that looks like it could hurt, i know im a baby when i get a paper cut. but your right it doesnt look serious in the blood department just uncomfortable for that poor little girl, i hope she recovers quickly, and your not the only one who has problems getting the birds to the vets, i warn my vet to wear gloves even when toweling.


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## Steph182

I've never had to take her yet. The only problem I've had with her is when she wore herself out with egg laying once. 
I can't catch her to wash it at the moment, I'm trying but don't want to stress her too much. She's wandering about the floor at the moment and is completly ignoring the cut on her toe now but obviously I'm still gonna give it a clean when I can get her


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## lperry82

She is so adorable i have the same perch and toy


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## Steph182

She's a lot of hard work. She has some behavioural issues which are proving a nightmare to shift. She's been weird since I got her (4 years ago). She was meant to be used as a breeding bird so I'm wondering if it was a poor breeder who has done something wrong in her early life. She has no problem sitting on you, and she isn't aggressive most of the time but she does not like to be touched or held down at all. She won't even have cuddles anymore since she layed her last eggs. She has, on a few occassions, gone in a total mood and attacked me to the point of cutting me and bruising me.

She seems sexually frustrated too, she mates with her perch a lot. I was told to mate her, but I don't know her genetics or anything like that so didn't want to risk it. 
Gone off on a whole different issue now!


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## lperry82

Dont worry my lucky and cookie was all cuddly but now they wont allow me to pet them
but they trust me enough to hold them


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## Steph182

I'm not worried about her, I know she's happy and healthy (minus this cut!) but it's just hard work having a mental bird for your first one!


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## Mentha

She's a white faced split to pied, luckily with hens it's easier to tell their genetics. You can breed her with a pied split to white faced and get some really nice babies.


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## Steph182

Good news is I managed to catch her without stressing her. Took a while but her foots had a good clean and looks better for it. 
So now just keeping an eye on her!

She's in a mood with me now though for pinning her down, can't blame her!


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## MeanneyFids

ive dealt with numerous wounds like that. dally being the victim of 4 of them, tsuka once. tsuka got dallys toe good 2 times, the lovie munch 2 times and munch got tsukas toe too. i put bird salve on them daily until they heal. the worst one ive had looked like yours and dally healed within a week no problems or infection. make sure though because she walks on her feet, keep the cage and perches completely clean, no droppings so she doesnt step on them and get an infection.


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## Steph182

Yeah I cleaned the cage out, and I've took out the wooden perch that isn't in great condition. 
She's still lifting it up a bit but she's fine to walk on it, she's sleeping now


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## MeanneyFids

sounds like she will be ok  cut toes heal very well i find. they hurt, but if properly cleaned and properly watched, they heal quick


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## Steph182

I hope so! I'd rather not have to go to the vets, obviously! It'd be murder getting her in the carry cage, plus I've been quite ill and still not in the best health so it'd be easier all around to not have to go!


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## MeanneyFids

ive yet to need a vet for dally. and the bites have been nasty for her in particular.... ive dealt with quite a bit of injuries with her. when i got her she was clipped before she fledged, so she crash landed hard and scraped her little bum.

see what i mean?
its wet because i had just cleaned it. this was when she was 4 months old









first toe bite... tsuka got this one.


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## Steph182

Poor girl, those look like they were sore! 
I'm hoping Willows will be the same in the morning, so I know it's not getting infected. Going to (try) and give it another clean then too


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## MeanneyFids

tiels will give you grey hair lol if it looks dried out, its starting to heal. thats what mine usually look like after a day and by the third day theyre usually scabbed. that bum scrape on dally took 2 weeks to heal but it was her largest wound shes had. she didnt pick at it or anything. she recently had a nightfright and scraped her wing. healed within 4 days and she picked the dry scab off (yuck)


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## Steph182

I'm sure my various pets are the reason I started going grey young!
It's 4am now (can't sleep!) so as soon as I wake up, I'll check her and see how its doing and decide if she needs the vet or not. Will update here when I check her too


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## Steph182

It still seems sore but she can walk on it with no problem. It's no swollen, it doesn't look any worse and it's still nice and clean so think I'm going to leave her be for now. She's still acting fine in herself


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## Steph182

Well she's had a good shout for attention! She's a bit clumsy when she's climbing but she can still do it, so I think she's going to be fine.
Once I know she is fine and I know I'm not gonna be paying emergancy vet bills, I can treat myself to takeaway! I was going to get one last night till this happened :lol:


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## lperry82

yummy a nice take away lol anything you fancy (making me hungry)


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## Steph182

I want a pizza with a tub of garlic sauce. Wanted it for ages and never get it coz one thing or another pops up :lol:


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## lperry82

I haven't had pizza in a long time but my bf is out to get a kebab to share and i love garlic sauce


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## Steph182

Her foot is healing nicely  The grazed bit has healed over and the cut is healing well too. She's still lifting her foot a little bit but I do think it's getting to be a bit of a habbit as she can climb about perfectly now


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## lperry82

Thats good to hear


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## birdlover4life

Finn hurt his toe similar to that.. his ia all better but his toe is weaker than the others but he gets around just fine... i will attatch a pic of it.. His was bruised and he didnt bend it for a week or so.. I put neosporin on it with a q-tip every day.


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## xxxSpikexxx

Iam glad her toe is starting to get better  I would not put any hydrogen peroxide on anyones cut, it hurts and I heard it can damage your skin more. Here are some links about hormones that might help her aswell http://www.birdchannel.com/bird-beh...d-small-bird-behavior/hormonal-cockatiel.aspx and http://www.birdchannel.com/bird-diet-and-health/bird-care/egg-laying.aspx


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## roxy culver

Alcohol is what hurts and would damage skin, hydrogen peroxide is supposed to be pretty painless, I use it on all my cuts and its never stung. It bubbles which feels weird, but it cleans out the cuts like its supposed to. But I don't know about the skin damage, I've never heard that before! Scary!


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## birdlover4life

I also put hydrogen peroxide on Finns cut with a q-tip.. his skin is fine though..


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## Steph182

birdlover4life said:


> Finn hurt his toe similar to that.. his ia all better but his toe is weaker than the others but he gets around just fine... i will attatch a pic of it.. His was bruised and he didnt bend it for a week or so.. I put neosporin on it with a q-tip every day.


Ouch, that looks worse! Willow was lucky I think, most of hers was a graze where some skin got pulled. 

Willows bending it fine, just keeping it raised while she's sat still at times. I guess it probably feels weird and a bit itchy as its healing. Poor girl, she's happy though


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## birdlover4life

Yeah she should be fine! He wuldnt put pressure on it for a few days.. its amazing how well they heal.. his toe is normal now.. only i would know which one it is.


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## Steph182

Only problem is she doesn't want me to handle her now! She obviously is holding a grudge for me washing her foot.


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## roxy culver

Aw but that's nothing a little bit of love and some millet can't fix!


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## Steph182

Doubtful :lol: She wasn't into being held much anyway.
Just need her to start being willing to sit on my hand again so I can get her in/out of cage when needs be


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## roxy culver

Ah so she's one of those, you can look at me but don't touch me unless I say so, type of girls lol.


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## Steph182

Willows foot has totally healed. No infection, no picking at the scab and no sign of a scar


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## MeanneyFids

congrats! thats usually how it goes with foot injuries


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## Steph182

She has full strength in it too, so all is good 
Sadly I now have a poorly hamster


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## MeanneyFids

oh no  whats going on with your hamster?


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## Steph182

DallyTsuka said:


> oh no  whats going on with your hamster?


She went to the vets 5 days ago for a comacted pouch, vet got it out and all seemed fine, but she's just not been moving. Took her back today and it looks like she now has a womb infection too  So the chances are the pouch was caused by her not feeling well because of this... So she's on antibiotics and needs to go back on Thursday.
It's awful to see, she's young and normally so active but she's just not doing anything but eat and sleep


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## MeanneyFids

i hope she gets better  poor girl. that sounds so horrible. get well soon little hamster

i love seeing people take pets like hamsters to the vets. gives me hope that maybe everyone will one day. glad you do, i really do.


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## Steph182

DallyTsuka said:


> i hope she gets better  poor girl. that sounds so horrible. get well soon little hamster
> 
> i love seeing people take pets like hamsters to the vets. gives me hope that maybe everyone will one day. glad you do, i really do.


I couldn't live with myself if I didn't. The only thing I wish that is my vets were cheaper... The one I use are great, but cost more.
Consultation for me for a hammy is £17 (with no meds or anythings), yet my friend only pays £11 to get her 3 guinea pigs checked over and have their nails cut!

She's on medication now so I'm hoping that it'll work, she's back on Thursday by which time her vets bills will have come to about £70 so far, wouldn't dream of not paying it all


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## MeanneyFids

i think thats a bit much, if youre saying it is... i dont understand foreign money well at all. i can hardly count my own currency lol


our vet charges $63 plus taxes for consultations. she sees avians and exotics (we have birds, chinchillas, and cats) so shes perfect for us


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## Steph182

It is quite a lot. I don't want to change though as they're so good. Plus 7 of my 9 pets are already registered there. Other two haven't had a problem yet (Willow & my new bunny)


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## MeanneyFids

fingers crossed you wont need to bring them


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