Broken Leg!

[icchan]

So I have a new baby pacific parrotlet, 3 months old.
And due to a recent cage accident he broke his leg. He cant grab or move the leg at all.

I took him to a aviary vet near where i live (Japan), and i got an x-ray which confirmed it was a broken leg (right shin). The vet then gave me one of those lil hospital cages, but then said the best thing to do is nothing.. just wait 2-3 weeks for it to heal.

I kinda feel like it needs a bandage or a splint or something.. I'm thinking of asking another vet.. but i live in the middle of nowhere in Japan and its hard to find aviary vets. any thoughts on this?

[enborgle]

I think a second opinion is warranted in this situation. It is tough to know what to do since they are so little, but for a bigger bird we would definitely splint it. I think it would be best if you could track down another avian vet and express your concerns. You could always call first and do a bit of a phone consultation before taking him in.

[michiganlet]

My bird broke his leg last year (my fault). I was given three options
1. let it heal by itself which could make it crooked
2. splint it
3. put a pin in it.
I went with splinting it. it was on for 6 weeks and was a constant battle to keep him from picking the bandage covering off. I think we were back at the vets at least once a week. The vet didn't want to put a collar on him. I finally made little cloth collars with velcro and would put them on for a few hours and then remove them.
He learned to hop around on the splint pretty funny but he could move fast. I had to keep him on the bottom of the cage he couldn't be allowed to climb because he could fall and hurt himself even more. You can only give them a cupful of water in the bottom because they could drown if they fall in the water.
Anyhow his leg is perfect now. I am happy with my decision.
The splint cost more than the bird but i love him.
Good luck very hard decision to make.

[michiganlet]

One more thing not all vets can deal with this.

[Jinx n Noodle]

I'm sorry to hear about this. I hope that he has a speedy recovery!

[icchan]

ok, ill try and find another avian vet (the last one is 3hrs away by car.. bleh)

the vet we saw said that its impossible to put a pin in his leg cos he is a baby and his legs are too small. and that its a bad idea to use a split cos he is still growing.. or something.. i didnt really understand cos my Japanese isnt great.

he drew u a digram of the break and explained that it would heal crooked.. but that it would be ok in a few weeks for him to walk on a crooked leg.

[ttoilleecarg]

awh poor little sod, i hope he gets well soon

[icchan]

OK, just a quick update.
I managed to find another Avian vet.. and she basically said that he is fine.. and proceeded to tug at the broken leg to show me it was ok

that was about a week ago.. and now he is doing pretty good.
its not completely healed.. but he can grab things with his broken leg now
looking good =)

Thanks for your help

[Jinx n Noodle]

That's good to hear!

[Flugmeister]

ok, ill try and find another avian vet (the last one is 3hrs away by car.. bleh)

the vet we saw said that its impossible to put a pin in his leg cos he is a baby and his legs are too small. and that its a bad idea to use a split cos he is still growing.. or something.. i didnt really understand cos my Japanese isnt great.

he drew u a digram of the break and explained that it would heal crooked.. but that it would be ok in a few weeks for him to walk on a crooked leg.

Why not get a plastic straw, cut and slice it to make a splint, pad it and then superglue it together once you put it on his leg?

Here are some further tips from a first aid for birds website (http://www.tailfeathersnetwork.com/birdinformation/firstaid.php).

If you suspect a broken leg, you could attempt to make a splint to support it depending on how bad the fracture looks. For a larger bird, secure it in a towel, and clean the area with some anti-bacterial soap. You could use 2 matchsticks (obviously with the heads chopped off!), or even small chop sticks or small garden plant canes cut to size. Place one at either side of the leg, parallel to it, and secure them to the leg with a bandage and some tape. This will provide a little extra support until your bird gets to the vet. For a smaller bird, you could simply use some Elastoplasts to secure the break by sticking two plasters together around his leg. If you have some tissue glue to hand, you could apply this to the plasters to harden them for further support.

Don't get the mistaken idea that somehow veterinarians have some sort of mystical knowledge, they are not wizards of the old magic or something silly like that. Most vets get a very small amount of training in avian medicine, if any at all. Avian care typically is an elective in veterinary school. If you simply cannot find an avian vet, improvise, read, think--you can save this bird. Also, it sounds like the Japanese vet has an open mind. He has access to tools (x-ray, drugs) that can help you if you help him.

Good luck!!!