Good health, when it comes to your budgie or anything else, is of the utmost importance, overall health includes good foot health as well.
If you want to look out for possible foot health issues that your baby budgie may have then this article is for you.
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Baby budgie feet problems:
Feet care is important, budgies use their feet all the time, and issues with the bird’s feet can negatively affect the bird’s way of life.
Here are some issues that your baby budgie may have with its feet:
Spraddle leg:
One issue that may affect your little budgie is a condition called spraddle leg, also called splayed leg.
A young budgie’s legs are malleable and aren’t as stiff or as strong as they will be when the bird gets older.
For this reason, these legs can easily take on an odd shape.
Your young budgies’ legs can’t support the bird’s body weight when walking on a slippery floor.
If your baby bird walks on a slippery nest floor this can cause the bird’s legs to spread out to the side.
This spreading of the legs is known as spraddle leg.
The legs may spread out so much that the bird’s body will lay flat and the legs will lay flat on the ground
What to do:
Roughing up the nest box floor will help to keep your bird’s condition from getting worse.
You can use wood shavings to do this. Avoid using sawdust in the bird’s nest box
You can treat the affected bird using vet tape. To do this, stand the bird upright and wrap the bird’s legs using this tape.
The bird’s legs will strengthen in this position as time passes.
You can also use cosmetic makeup pads to help the bird stand upright.
Poke two holes in the makeup pad and stand the bird in the pad.
Curly toe paralysis:
Another condition that you may see in your budgie chicks is a condition called curly toe paralysis.
Curly toe paralysis is caused by a vitamin B2 deficiency (riboflavin) in the bird’s diet
The affected bird’s toes will turn inwards curling and this will impair the young bird’s ability to walk.
Because a bird who is affected with curly toe paralysis can’t walk, it will usually be seen resting on its hocks and walking on its hocks.
If this condition is not treated then the bird will slowly lose its ability to walk and will become paralyzed
What to do:
Supplementing vitamin B2 into your baby budgies’ diet will help to get the bird back to normal.
To keep this bird from being picked on by other birds in the cage it is recommended that you isolate it.
Give your baby budgie its own food and water while in isolation.
Giving the bird physical therapy will also help the bird’s toes get back to normal.
You can make sandals for your budgie, and have the bird wear them as a form of physical therapy.
Create sandals by placing the bird’s extended foot on a piece of cardboard and trading around the foot shape.
Cut this piece of cardboard out, and with the bird standing on the cardboard, tape the foot onto the cardboard.
Make sure that the bird’s toes are aligned when you tape.
Leave the sandals on the bird’s feet for 24 to 72 hours checking the bird’s progress every 24 hours.
This combination of physical therapy and vitamin supplementation should help the bird’s legs get stronger
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other bird related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: My Budgie Is Not Playful, Why Is My Budgie Suddenly Scared Of Me, Why Does My Budgie Keep Looking Up, Parakeet Not Using One Foot, Why Does My Budgie Keep Calling?, Budgie Is Sick But Still Eating, Why Is My Budgie Quiet And Sleepy