My bird won't use his leg - help?!

**Zyra** · 12-12-2011, 08:49 PM

I'm a little stressed out so I apologize in advance if I'm in the wrong area or the question should've have been posted. :)

I have two lovebirds and a parakeet. Ralph (Male lovebird) is a plucker, and is missing nearly all his feathers because he can't think of anything else but Madam Love (Misses Lovebird) So Madam got tucked in with the parakeet. I've done this before, and while Madam likes to annoy Mr. Keet (Parakeet, my 5 year old named them) she doesn't really attack him. Tonight I came out of the bathroom to find she'd pinned Mr. Keet onto the floor and was eating at his leg/wings/wherever she could reach. I quickly took her out of the cage and put her back in with Ralph, but now Mr. Keet's in bad shape. She's peeled the skin off his leg in several places, and his belly is bleeding over where his leg attaches to his belly. The bleeding stopped by the time I pulled off Madam, but now he won't use his foot. :( He's not finger trained, but I tried pulling him out and setting him on my finger. He won't grab my hand with his foot, and if I move it he doesn't curl it up to protect it like he normally does. When he flies he doesn't use his foot, so he's flying into the sides of his cage, and when he stands he keeps his foot tucked up under him. Is there any way to tell if he's just badly hurt or if Madam managed to break his foot? I have no money at all for a vet visit, and even if I did our only bird vet won't be in until tomorrow at the earliest. What can I do with Mr. Keet in the meantime? I'm really worried he won't be able to eat or will die or something. . . If anybody knows of any other sites that may be able to help please let me know! My daughter is worrying herself sick and won't go to bed until I find out how to take care of Mr. Keet.

**AmberMuffinz** · 12-12-2011, 09:13 PM

This forum is more active than this one - you should try posting there as well. I've never had to deal with this kind of situation so I can only give a little bit of advice. If you can I would try and call an avian vet and see what they would recommend. Some avian vets will also let you pay in payments which is helpful if you don't have enough money right now. I would definitely never put a lovebird and any other species together. I would also put a towel or something on the bottom of his cage in case he falls or is unable to perch, if he stays on the bottom move his food and water down there too so he can access it easily.