Any advice for my Grey with bone deformity and twisted foot?

[terryspear]

We’ve had our Grey, Corey, for about 20 years.  We found her for sale in an aquarium store where she had been left by her previous owner.  When we brought Corey home, we could tell that her tail was off to one side.  We took her to see an avian vet and he told us that it was likely that whoever hatched Corey did not feed the parents or the chicks an appropriate diet and her bone deformity was likely a result of not getting enough calcium/vitamin D.  These skeletal problems are obvious and even if Corey got a perfect diet going forward, the damage to her bones is permanent.

The reason I am posting now is that she is having a harder time walking and perching.  Normally, Greys have two toes forward and two toes behind.  Recently the smaller, rear toe on her left foot rotated to the front of her foot.  This new development worried me a lot.  I think this is because her twisted spine has caused her left foot to twist so that it is rotated away from being parallel with her other foot.  See photos.   

We took her to see the same avian vet who saw her many years ago.   He did a physical exam on her left leg and determined that the joint right above her foot was “lax” but he did not think that ligament on that leg was out of position and there was no sign of a broken bone.  I am sure that this is a result of the amount of pressure her twisted spine/hip has exerted over the years on this joint.  He did not seem overly concerned about the back toe rotating to the front of her left foot.  He said she might have injured in her left leg recently [we haven’t seen any serious falls for quite some time].  We really didn’t want to have her admitted to his clinic for imaging tests because I didn’t want to leave her there AND I just don’t think it would have told us anything his exam didn’t reveal.  He gave us some pain meds [meloxicam/tramadol] and told us to keep an eye on whether she seems more mobile and comfortable. I was wondering if [when our vet saw the rotated toe] he would recommend removing the toe but that topic never came up.

So here is my question:  has anyone else dealt with this type of problem and was there anything you can recommend?   For years we have tried to remove the perches in her sleeping cage so she can sleep on top of towels but she is just frantic/miserable when we have done that.  We do have a “play box” we put her in for some time during the day that has soft fabric to stand on but she doesn’t want to sleep in this box.  As I am sure everybody understands, I really don’t want to stress her out any more.  Thank you for any ideas. 

Thank you for any advice or insight you may have.  Terry

[Timbersmom]

Poor Corey! Unfortunately, I have no knowledge or advice to offer. Timber has a toe that is deformed (for lack of a better word), but it hasn't affected his ability to perch or get around. A few years ago, he developed a seizure disorder. As a result, the vet recommended that I move him into a smaller cage, switch to flat perches, and keep a towel on the bottom of the cage for cushioning at night. This was all in case he had a seizure since falls can be damaging when they are helpless. I don't know if the flat perches might help Corey or not, They are basically just pieces of wood that are broad and flat. However, I will say that after a time, I noticed Timber sleeping on the towel more and more during the nights. He won't while the lights are on and people are around, but I've caught him sleeping there several time when I've surprise him before daylight. God bless in your quest to keep Corey after and content.

[terryspear]

Hi Timbersmom,

Thank you.  You did have an insight that was very useful for me:  that given time, we might see Corey  accepting a flat place to rest. 

[Greytness]

Could you perhaps rest a rope perch directly on top of her sleep towel to provide her with a soft perch should she wish to grab onto one?

 

[terryspear]

Hi Greytness,

We have been thinking about how we can arrange her cloth perches in her sleep area.  We now have a double cloth/braided perch to more mimic a flat surface.  She clearly wants to be suspended in the air but as Timbersmom wrote:  they can shift to something different.   Thank you.  t

[Greytness]

Please keep us posted.

She looks like such a sweetheart. Her eyes dance!

[LNCAG]

Mine always slept on one foot so perhaps your grey is getting a good night's sleep (and stays balanced) at least at night on a higher perch.

In mine's travel carrier (kitty carrier) I would roll up a small towel for a ground perch -- I taped the two sides of that towel perch on its ends (not the middle where parrot 'perches') to the bottom sides of the carrier with duct tape, making absolutely sure there was no tape lifting where a parrot foot might get caught.  This won't solve the issue of her wanting to perch up higher, but at least, on the bottom of her cage, she would have something for her feet to 'grab' onto.  Maybe something like this taped to a large flat square of cardboard that could be removed/exchanged for cleaning, towel-perch re-taping, etc.. 

Just my way of making a ground perch -- I never even thought of using a rope perch.  But I did tape mine so was stationary -- if my make-shift towel perch had any movement at all, I think my grey would have been nervous.  Yannoe parrots, one scare and they'd avoid it forever.  All my parrots had this rolled up towel ground perch in their travel carriers when we moved 300 miles.  Good for vet visits too.  Dunno know it would work for you or not.  Sorry. 

[terryspear]

Hi LNCAG,

Thank you for your input:  a ground perch!  Who knows, we may have to go to this in the future.  I have been thinking about how to fashion something that allows her foot to slope forward.  She might not have a choice in the future. 

 

I do have to write that she appears more comfortable on the pain med now.  Maybe, if we are lucky, and the sudden drop in her ability to perch and walk was a result of a bad fall [that we didn't see] we can more or less go on as we have been.  Now, Corey doesn't seem so uncomfortable with the daily activities of life.  Thanks for posting! 

[LNCAG]

On 11/25/2023 at 9:24 PM, Greytness said:

Could you perhaps rest a rope perch directly on top of her sleep towel to provide her with a soft perch should she wish to grab onto one?

 

Instead of 'on top of' where it could roll:  I'm thinking, what if this rope perch could be suspended just 2-4 inches or so above cage bottom?  Still not the height a parrot wants, but a fall would simply be more of a 'step off' thingie.  Best of both worlds: low but a real perch.  

My rolled up towel did sit on carrier bottom, but yours could be safely suspended at a very low height. 

I know, I'm thinking and worrying over this too much.  But poor little Corey.

[terryspear]

Hi Everybody and LNCAG,

 

I thought I would provide a bit of an update and it's good news!  Corey seems to have done better these last few days.  I'm not sure if it's the pain meds OR if it's that she is adapting to the rotated toe [to the front of her left foot].  She is much better when she comes to "step up" on our hand .  It's kinda like she can get a better grasp.  And, she seems to be vocalizing more normally and being more of her playful self. 

When we realized that she had a hard time perching [couple of years ago], we modified her sleeping cage and now the perch is only a few inches above a soft layer of newspaper.  She seems to be doing pretty in this cage now. 

As has been pointed out to me, Greys are smart and thus adaptable.  I am much less stressed now that I was a week ago.  Thank you so much, Terry

 

[LNCAG]

@terryspear Happy for the update.  So glad you're less stressed out.  Sending scritches to Corey and glad the meds are helping.  I guess we all adapt (humans and parrots) because we just don't have a choice. Wishing you and Corey the best!!!  

[SRSeedBurners]

Huey has a toe that sits forward instead of back.  I think it bugs me more than him.  I've pulled it back a few times and it goes right back.

 

 

 

He also lost a leg fighting in the trenches during the great war so now he's a peg leg. 🤣

 

[Timbersmom]

Less stressed is always good! Glad something is working, be meds, healing, or prayer

[terryspear]

Wow SRSeedBurners,  Huey looks great!  I had no idea that they could adapt this well.  Thank you for post and especially the photos.  Like you, we've tried to push her back toe where it "belongs" but that doesn't last long. 

 

Corey continues to improve.  She has probably figured out how to adapt to the change in the conformation of her left foot.  We have an easier time of getting her to step-up and she doesn't seem to "ball up" her left foot as much when she moves. 

 

Thanks again, everybody! 

[LNCAG]

7 hours ago, SRSeedBurners said:

Huey has a toe that sits forward instead of back.  I think it bugs me more than him.  I've pulled it back a few times and it goes right back ... He also lost a leg fighting in the trenches during the great war so now he's a peg leg. 🤣

 

I had no idea of what all Huey has been through.  Bless you both!  People (and parrots) definitely adapt.  We adapt or die -- no choice really.   Glad he's doing so well!!!!  Scritches and huggs to Huey too!

[Greytness]

Thanks for the update! So happy to hear she's doing better!

[SRSeedBurners]

Oops....sorry, I though my humor made it through the posting.  I was making fun because he tucked that footy in so tight it couldn't be seen.  Huey has two legs.  He uses both of them to kick my butt when I'm not picking up on his cues that he's thirsty, hungry, tired of me, etc....

 

Here he is showing the excellent workmanship he does

Edited December 1, 2023 by SRSeedBurners

[terryspear]

Funny, SR SeedBurners!  I did think your explanation was "strange" but I didn't get the humor at the time.  And, thanks again for more photos! 

[Greytness]

Haha! I thought so! Great angle shot!

[LNCAG]

Late checking back.  I only caught that the 'great war trenches' part was humor, figured you were making light of the situation because what else could you do.  You're a real stinker!  

I felt so sorry for Huey dealing with so much, and felt so bad I hadn't known his story before on here.

Ack!  Thbbft!

[neoow]

I'm a bit late to the party here and you've already had some great advice. I'm glad to hear Corey is doing better and adapting to the situation. I think Grey's are a bit hardier than they like to let on sometimes!

I follow a parrot rescue/sanctuary based in South Africa on social media and they have a couple of greys (at least) with no feet, just stumpy little legs. I really feel for them whenever I see photos but amazingly they can still get around. I don't think they fly but they can waddle around and can still climb. A lot of the time they are on soft bedding such as towels and blankets.

I'm glad Corey has such an awesome home where she's clearly well looked after!

[KevinD]

I know this is late, but during transport from the Middle East, I was concerned about Sukei’s travel cage as extended confinement and trying to balance during being moved all the time, we made (wish I still had the pictures) a vertical cubby space made out of Tupperware, lined with a really soft fluffy towel and bolted it to the back of the carrier, it was about 5 inches deep and a foot high. We angled it back slightly to act like a standing recliner.

I actually saw him in it when we picked him up at the cargo terminal.

I looked in and didn’t immediately see him, and then he came out and got on the pearch. He had a few choice words LOL, but he looked comfortable.

US Fish and Wildlife didn’t remove it when he got to quarantine, and put him back in the carrier for the final trip so I assume they approved.

It was a temporary setup, but might give you a few ideas.

[terryspear]

That's an interesting idea, Kevin!  Corey might be willing to try something like that. 

Corey's doing OK now.  She's a little wobbly when she's first gets on your hand but if you move her toe back, she's better.

Wow, coming from the Middle East, that's wild.  I'll need to look here on your website to see if I can find some background.  Thanks for your idea! 

 

[KevinD]

"I'll need to look here on your website."

 

I can't take the credit for the site, I just fixed it. The data is all the member's contributions. Thanks though