Pet Forum / Birds / Parrots / November 2005

Yes, go to the vet and get some medicine to treat the bacterial infection your bird most likely has. Here is some info from a vet.

Pododermatitis, or bumblefoot, is fairly common in birds, and starts off as a penetrating wound of the underside of the foot. It can be caused by flakes of iron oxide rust picked up as the bird walks on a rusty iron grill on the cage floor, or through clinging to rusty bars. This may not apply I this bird's case, as I am sure your parents look after their cockatiel very well if he has lived to 31!

Contributory factors may include a lack of vitamin A in the bird's diet or if a bird is heavy or obese. The main bacteria involved with this are E coli, and Staphylococci but it could also be the affected bird's reaction to the E coli bacteria themselves.

The condition can be progressive, leading to a usually unilateral (one sided) arthritis. The joint is swollen and there is obvious pain. Quite often an affected bird will try and take the weight off the leg, possibly by leaning against the corner of the cage.

If bumblefoot is untreated, it can spread up the leg and the affected bird can go off their food and develop septicaemia. In serious cases, the toes can even drop off due to gangrene.

There are, however, lots of other reasons causing problems with a bird's legs.
These include:

* A space occupying mass in the abdomen can also be associated with lameness and paralysis due to an increased pressure on the nerves to the hind leg or an alteration in the bird's centre of gravity.

* Physical damage

* Nutritional problems affecting the bones, such as calcium deficiency

* Pressure necrosis of the foot

* A parasitic infection that happens sometimes is called scaly face or scaly leg. This is caused by Cnemidocoptes infections, a skin mite. This parasite has its complete life cycle on the host bird, and produce honeycombed lesions on the feet, cere and around the beak base.

* Gout. This is quite commonly seen in psittacine (parrot-like) birds.

As I said, the best thing to do is to get the cockatiel checked up by a vet to see what is the most appropriate treatment.

 I rescued this female cockatiel about 7 years ago.  She has her outings with dad and I and was very active and curious and demanded to be on me.  Recently she began to want to roost in her food dish.  I thought the perches were bad..... they are manzanita, eucaliptus and cloth rope.  So then I thought maybe she was trying to lay an egg...... I felt, nothing there.  Now her feet are swelling and deforming.  Nails are kept at a decent length, I trim them as needed.  When I noticed her feet were changing I put her into a different cage with different perches and feed and water bowls.  More toys etc...... no change.  Is it that she is getting old?  Is it that she has become lazy?  She still loves to be on me, but has a problem hanging on as she did before... she rode me all through the house and would help me clean house and do laundry and dishes etc...  but now she cannot for she cannot stay on.

 I placed a soft cloth over and into a larger feed bowl for her to roost on, hoping it would help her feet.  She is less active but content.  She eats very well, drinks well, still has the interest, but she doesn't move about as she once did.

 I researched Cockatiel swollen feet and got bumble foot.  All her perches are of different sizes and always have been for her health.  Any Clues?