Hector has a lame foot

[Marianne Marlow]

Hector stepped on my hand a few days go and I noticed that he could not unfurl his toes on one of his feet.

He doesn't seem to have any control over them.

Fearing the worst (a tumour) I examined him and found that the leg joint is a little swollen and the leg and foot are quite warm.
I remembered budgies with tumours before with nerve damage in their leg and I am pretty sure that the foot and leg were cold.

So I am thinking that it's arthritis. The other option is gout, but he doesn't have any white lumps on the leg or foot.

The vet already said that he probably had arthritis in his wings which is why he doesn't fly anymore.

My poor little boy (of 9 years and 4 months old) is still managing to get about and is as cheerful as normal.
I'm checking his leg for sores or pain each day and rubbing a little aloe very on. Also he's sitting with me (on my hand) a fair bit and taking the weight off the bad foot.

Photo from today and video from 3 days ago.

[OP]

Poor Hector. I would guess at arthritis.

[Marianne Marlow]

May 27, 2018 17:11:01 GMT OP said:

Poor Hector. I would guess at arthritis.

Thanks OP, I think that is what it is. When I had budgies with tumours they would fast lose weight and I am sure that because the tumour pressed on the nerve it made the foot and leg cold.

Surely gout is dietary too and they all eat the same things?

[OP]

Yes, I do believe gout is dietary. Much more painful to the touch for the sufferer. Arthritis is inflammatory and it makes the joints difficult to move. It does in my case any way. If you could get some pain killer for him, that may help.

[Hezz]

Like all these things, M, diet is only part of the answer. Yes, it is always the portly man with the red bulbous nose partaking in too much tipple who has the gouty foot, but guessing Hector doesn't drink red wine or port, already has arthritis in his wing it really all points to arthritis. In my opinion, anyway.

[clt80]

Aww poor Hector

[ffiscool]

Maybe the rubbing in will help, it does in some of my knuckles. Does he like baths? Warm water might help too

[samwiseg]

I know this sounds silly but the damp weather can make arthritis flare up and what with the thunderstorms lately could that have brought it on?

I know it does for me

[samwiseg]

Just another thought Marianne Marlow... does anyone know if we are allowed to use ibuprofen on budgies?

[Hezz]

Meloxicam (metacam) for inflamation and pain relief in birds. I wouldn't even consider anything else unless recommended by a vet. I did find this very quickly:

Though relatively safe for people, ibuprofen can be toxic for dogs and has a relatively narrow margin of safety, meaning that it is safe for dogs only within a very narrow dosage range. www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/poisoning-toxicity/c_dg_ibuprofen_advil_poisoning_in_dogs

Even the smallest dog is much bigger than the biggest budgie.

[mintysowner]

Oh, bless his heart! His foot looks exactly how my previous budgie Minty's foot looked. He went years not able to use it but managed to get around the cage, albeit slowly. No vet seemed to know what it was back then. I hope it eases up for little Hector.

[Marianne Marlow]

mintysowner

I wish someone would tell Hector to move about slower. He seems oblivious that he should take it easy!

[Rachael Kellett]

Poor Hector he will soon adapt though, trust me and I know that you'll do everything to make sure that his life continues as happy as usual. My Bobby lost the grip in both of his feet at once, it was very bizarre but I ended up bringing him in from the aviary to live with the house budgies. It's a few months later now and he still has no grip but he gets about just great and has struck up a friendship with one of the other boys, Rocky.
Anyway, my off topic rambling aside haha, my point is that budgies are happy, determined little things and soon adapt x

[samwiseg]

May 28, 2018 19:56:43 GMT Hezz said:

Meloxicam (metacam) for inflamation and pain relief in birds. I wouldn't even consider anything else unless recommended by a vet. I did find this very quickly:

Though relatively safe for people, ibuprofen can be toxic for dogs and has a relatively narrow margin of safety, meaning that it is safe for dogs only within a very narrow dosage range. www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/poisoning-toxicity/c_dg_ibuprofen_advil_poisoning_in_dogs

Even the smallest dog is much bigger than the biggest budgie.

Thanks for that Hezz - I didn't know if we could or couldn't. I do realise that there are some things we can use its just a shame we cant use an anti inflammatory off the shelf for them

[Shirls]

Aw bless! Hector looked so happy in the video and only three days prior to his foot problem. I hope it's nothing too serious and perhaps just arthritis. Aloe is very good for lots of things, so hopefully that will help Marianne. I know you will look after him really well. As you know, Hector is one of my favourites.