Hello again all, I did something really stupid on the weekend, I cant find anything in past posts so, now I need advice from you guys.

 

As Yumi loves it so much outside I left him on the verandah while I popped inside (i was in the next room!) for 1/2 hour (I dont normally - due to Butcher birds!) After I had left him unattended for a short while I noticed his squawking was longer than his usual excited outbursts.. I turned around to look out the window and a butcher bird flew away from his cage. I raced outside and he was hiding in his eucalypt branches and leaves but it seems the butcher bird got him on the leg.

 

I immediately took him inside and made him warm and covered his cage over to make him feel safe (vets advice). I noticed that he is not using his leg much and it freaks me out because it seems a little crooked and 'loose'. There was blood on his 'elbow' joint and he kept pulling at it with his beak - almost like he is trying to get it to move.. The leg seems to have little mobility (he pulls it up and puts it down on his perch but his foot does not 'grip' his perch) and it almost seems in his way. This morning there is considerable bruising on his foot joint and as far as I can tell swelling and bruising on his 'elbow joint'.

 

He is going to the vet this afternoon because if there is anything I need to do - I want to do it! Apparently they can sling or pin injured legs. My dad thinks I should leave it a couple of days but Im kind of panicky like that..

 

I am absolutely beside myself with remorse as I feel like I have personally injured him. I knew about those bloody butcher birds and I still left him unattended out there because he loves it so much. Does anyone have any similar experience with this sort/or any other sort of leg injury and the best way to deal with it.

 

Is it likely to be broken or (im praying) just bruised and will heal in a week or so. I havent taken him out of his cage for a fly since the injury as I didnt want to hurt him further.

 

An update on his training is that he is learning very fast and loves to come out and play now (very playful boy) and I can hear his little voice starting (very quiet at the moment). He has one of the best personalities I have ever had in a budgie and Im hoping to give him a long comfortable life..

 

Thanks again to everyone in advance, Mandi & Yumi

Perhaps you could splint it , while you wait for the vet appointment, to prevent him from further damaging it. But he may squeal allot. Seeing as you are going to the vet this afternoon you probably won't need to splint it, just take out all his high perches and only have ones near the bottom of the cage, so that if he falls, he won't fall far.

His "elbow" joint is called his ankle and is also known as his hock.

Sounds like a broken leg to me and in urgent need of vet care. One of our members had a budgie with a broken leg....Riebie is her name. Maybe a search on here will find you what you need.

 

 

Here is the link...

http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/index....topic=12279&hl=

Edited June 18, 200717 yr by **KAZ**

Thanks for the feedback, very helpful.

 

Is Reibie still around?? and would it be okay to contact her via this forum? I would be interested to know how lil bobby healed up? and if he has use of his leg now. Yumi is holding his foot the same way as Bobby in the picture.. poor little boy. Unfortunately the avian vet cant fit him in until this afternoon. I will take all his high perches out but there is no way I could splint him. I am such a baby when it comes to giving 'tough love'. Id rather just pay the vet to 'hurt' him .. I'll be in tears as it is anyway.

 

Also Sailorwolf, thanks for the correct term for his 'elbow' or should I say his hock :glare:

 

I will post with the results of his vet visit. But please continue to post if it is relevant. Many thanks as always, Mandi & Yumi

:glare: Bobby healed very well and is back to normal and Reibie is on quite a bit, good luck to you!

:glare: Bobby healed very well and is back to normal and Reibie is on quite a bit, good luck to you!

 

That is AWESOME news!! thank you

Hopefully the vet will be able to splint the leg for you. Are you taking him to an avian vet?

Hopefully the vet will be able to splint the leg for you. Are you taking him to an avian vet?

 

Yes, and apparently he is good too so hopefully Yumi will be okay...

That's good news. :glare:

a small update...

 

Yumi is at the vet until tomorrow, there is a lot of swelling and the possibility of a fracture, if only a small one. He will get put under anesthetic and a splint put on his leg for about two weeks. So guys, a few little budgie prayers for Yumi's safe return home would be appreciated :glare:

 

Apparently, he will be able to do all his normal things with his splint on which is a relief too. The vet said that now he wont heal with a wonky foot and without as much pain in the meantime. I know that you guys are with me that it is money well spent ... I just wont tell my dad!

 

I will post tomorrow when he's back home and I'll include a picture of Yumi in his splint - poor lil bugger.

 

An important lessen for all - If you have Butcher birds in your vicinity - dont leave an unattended budgie (or canaries I am told) for even half an hour - because they make nice convenient meals!!

Thats very good news. All the best for his recovery. You might want to read Riebie's account of how her Bobbie was able to remove his cast and ............be prepared for anything

Butcher Birds are not the only threat to our feather'd friends. I used to have an old aviary at our previous place, open flight, with branches and corrugated sheet iron (for weather shelter) close to the top mesh. The birds used to love running around on the top of the corrugated sheets.

 

Unfortunately the local Goshawks loved them doing that too. It was not until I found the remains of a budgie and talked to the chap over the back fence who kept canaries at the time, that I found out that Goshawks are clever and determined enough to mesmerise their intended prey, skewer them with their talons through the mesh, even cage fronts, and tear them apart through the bars / mesh with their strong beaks. I felt just awful for the poor budgie, all I found was a wing, the head and a gutted torso. I know it's the natural order of things for our wild native birds, but I don't have to like it!

 

Needless to say NONE of my new aviaries has any perch of any sort close to the top of the cage. Which is just as well as the Goshawks hunt around here as well ...

 

Oh, and Magpies will take a cornered budgie too ... but that's another story.

 

All my best wishes for your little Yumi's recovery.

 

Cheers,

KathyW.

best wishes on your little ones recovery....

Hi Mandi, I am glad that Yumi is in the safe hands of an avian vet and will be back with you tomorrow. Poor little thing, he would have had his knees knocking seeing that big bully bird. It will be interesting to see photos of Yumi in his cast.

 

 

Feathers.

How is Yumi ? :rip:

Yes, we do need a Yumi update!

okay - pics tonight (they are still in the camera)

 

an update - Yumi is home and from what I can tell, very annoyed by this big thing on his leg. He's trying to peck it off and the vet said it will probably take him that long to pick it off. He has to go back for removal of splint in two weeks.. it seems like such a long time as it is stressing ME out watching him struggle with his little leg like that.

 

When I went home for lunch today to check on him he was lying on the bottom of his cage. It was weird, not your usual sick puffed up bird. He literally had his chin on the floor. I called the vet, spoke to the receptionist and stated the obvious that it is unusual when they are on the floor. She suggested bringing him back. I initially agreed but have since cancelled the appointment as Im not sure that stressing him out by taking him back and forth to the vet is a good idea. He quite easily got up off the floor and onto a perch when I asked him what he was doing down there. ..

 

Guys, I feel so lost and dont know what to do... I just want the next two weeks to be over and his leg to be better... What do y'all think... keep an eye on him for now and take him back if he starts looking unwell? Or is it advisable to keep taking him back, dont know if there's much they can do at the moment... I will post those photos tonight of Yumi in his cast..

 

He's trying to peck it off and the vet said it will probably take him that long to pick it off. He has to go back for removal of splint in two weeks..

 

sorry just re-read that post and that bit wasnt very clear. The vet said he will peck at it, he has to go back in two weeks for removal and that it would take him about two weeks to peck it off...

 

He literally had his chin on the floor.

 

 

I was wondering if anyone has ever seen a bird do this, perhaps for comfort. Maybe on the floor in that position was the most comfortable position for his leg as it does sort of make him sit wonky

Keep in mind that Yumi was not going to be thrilled with his casting and will act a little weird. Do take him back to the vet for a double check but chances are that he is just really annoyed with it all!! Good luck to you and Yumi!!

Thats very good news. All the best for his recovery. You might want to read Riebie's account of how her Bobbie was able to remove his cast and ............be prepared for anything

 

Will do Kaz, thanks - I read what I thought was her experience but there must be more there for me to learn from.. thanks

Pleased to hear Yumi is home where he belongs

 

As for "his chin on the floor" I have one male budgie that behaves similarly. Chatty and active as anything (especially now he has a girl to impress), but every now and then he'll just lie along the (sloping natural branch) perch and rest his chin on it. First time I saw it I thought he was unwell, he was a new addition from a bird show sale. Now I think it's just his way. They can be characters ...

 

Yumi might be tired from his experience with the a) butcher bird mugging, vet trip and treatment, c) trying to remove said treatment. The cast might also be heavy for a little bird with skinny legs. Would he be better off with the perches removed or just one perch down low for the time being?

 

Good luck and best wishes,

KathyW.

Very good plan Kathy W., one LOW perch to make him comfy!

Thanks EVERYONE who is helping me through this. I have had a run of bad luck with young birds (all stories for another day) and I really think Yumi is the guy for me! He has the best personality of most budgies I have owned and i would hate to lose him. Its strange, because through this forum I feel like I am getting some much needed support - thanks! For anyone that didnt catch Yumi's earlier posts his name is pronounced Yummy (not Yoomi heehee as the vet nurse called him)

 

Here are some pics of the splint ... http://s211.photobucket.com/albums/bb10/ozartist1808/ you can see how he has started to pick at it already please ignore my bad wing clip job also... I just trim the ends off so he cant fly too high (I have REALLY high ceilings) and I chop them quickly so Im not holding him too long.. anyway sorry - I tend to ramble..it looks messy, but its effective.

 

Also notice that he is a little puffed up tonight and not very active, yes Kathy I'm hoping he's just tired etc. I decided to leave it until tomorrow to take him back to the vet if he's no better, if he looks okay I'll just keep an eye on him. I think he'd rather be at home where its nice and warm and not being poked and prodded. I've given him a nice fat low perch and he is eating okay.

 

Hopefully he'll be right. Its just so frustrating and upsetting as Im sure you all can understand, waiting to see if your pet is going to make it through. I really want him to pick that splint off himself in two weeks and then the vet wont have too much to do. I envisage me, coming in to uncover him in the morning and there he is jumping around, chirping loudly and gripping the perch with both feet as the remnants of his cast lay ripped apart and useless on the cage floor... yay!

 

I am reading Riebies thread now thanks... Bobby looks hilarious in his collar!!

 

I am reading Riebies thread now thanks... Bobby looks hilarious in his collar!!

 

 

geez what an ordeal poor riebie went through! I bet there were a LOT of tears The splint the avian vet has put on Yumi appears to be a lot bigger than the one Bobby had but I think that is because he was afraid of a small fracture in his foot joint. I'll keep the forum updated and again, thanks for your help x

 

He has to get better anyway so I can get him out for a nice picture on our profile

Excellent news that he has been splinted. I am sure he will get a bit depressed about his lost mobility, for a few days, so you may have to tempt him to eat. Being able to read about Riebie and Bobbie's experience should be of some help. Best wishes...Karen

Edited June 21, 200717 yr by **KAZ**

awe what a trooper, he looks like my late Pretty. Keep us updated and hang in there

Hi ozartist

 

I have just read about Yumi and seen the photos of his leg in the splint, poor little chap. He looks SUCH a darling in those photos.

 

I really understand how you are feeling as I get so worried and upset when my little Lukie is not well. I also blame myself for doing something wrong, even if I don't know what it is! You really did the right thing going to the avian vet as I am quite sure Yumi would have been in a lot of pain without the splint. As for Yumi being puffed up, he is probably just feeling a little unwell after all he has been through. He should soon get over it especially as you are keeping him warm and safe. You sound like a really caring owner and Yumi is lucky to have you. We all make mistakes and could then kick ourselves for making them. We'd like to be perfect pet owners and never make a mistake, but we are just human. The main thing is you have done all the right things to hasten your little Yumi's recovery.

 

I, too, find that having this forum, especially when you are worried, is fantastic. I find everyone here is so kind and helpful and it really helps to get replies and good wishes. I am sure that the same questions and reassurances are asked for over and over, but the members here always reply.

 

Hope Yumi is soon back to his old self and I will check for any updates on him so please let us know how he is doing.

 

Luv

Vonn