Indian Ringneck Broken leg

[dmelnick]

My girlfriend and I bought a six week old Lutino indian ringneck around the fourth of july, he is the sweetest little bird in the world. However, about a month after we got him, we put him to bed as we normally do, and when we went to take him out of his cage, he had broken his leg. The vet mentioned surgery was an option, but instead put him in a cast for two months. Now what scares me is that the vet mentioned that he may never regain nerve function and may have to be put down.

Does nerve function usually get damaged by a broken leg? can a bird still live a happy, comfortable life without the use of his leg?

We have only owned him for over a month but have fallen head-over-heels for our little Marty, it breaks my heart that he may be irreversibly injured so early in life. Does anyone have any advice to help our little tyke

[MissK]

I'd say don't borrow trouble. If the bird loses function of the leg it doesn't mean he MUST be put down. I agree it would put his other leg and foot at risk due to overuse and he may develop trouble due to modifying his balance. Foot problems can become quite dire. His habitat would have to be modified and he might stay on the ground a lot. He would use his tail for balance, and it might get a bit frazzled. I wouldn't casually say it's nothing to worry about either.

If I were choosing a fresh bird, a broken leg or complications of that would put me off, but if it were a bird I already had, I would cross my fingers and swing for the fence. Someone must have a story about a one-legged bird. Maybe they will contribute.

Here's what You Tube had to say about it:
(indian ringneck, doesn't even notice) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0MYd0577vI
(african grey, slow & steady) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ER7zkJMAlzs
(mexican red head amazon, backwards, even!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsWNQqgKW6E
(eclectus, looks worse than it is) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KvN_FVpOe4
(bare-eyed cockatoo, life of the party!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKcZCgmRowY

[Wessel Gordon]

Hi dmelnick

Unless the broken leg poses a serious threat or future threat (such as lingering infection) all is not lost.

I have a 1 year Congo African Grey with a deformed right foot due to an injury while she was in the nest. I'm not sure about the nerve damage and it's consequences but my bird seems to cope fine with the ''disability''. She's able to grip large objects or chunks of food in her deformed foot but as MissK mentioned she will have to learn to compensate by using her beak/tail more for balance. An IRN with a tail considerably longer than an African Grey's it makes sense that she will use that to balance while Banana tends to use her beak more.

Here's what I will suggest: give her cage and surrounding area that she has access to a long, critical look. Any perch she sits on needs to be extra rigid (if it moves more than a millimeter or two fasten or secure it somehow); any surface she will tend to walk on must be ''non-slip'' as far as possible.You might notice her ability to fly is compromised (Banana flies like a rock even with uncut wings) so you have to make sure she can't injure herself whenever she tries and take off and crashes.

Wessel

[dmelnick]

I am also considering getting a second IRN to support little Marty...He is really upset over being kept in a smaller cage...he started acting out and biting for the first time

[sanjays mummi]

He may be biting because of pain, it makes humans crotchety. May I suggest, one Arnica 30c tablet crushed between two teaspoons and diluted with a drop of water, popped into that little mouth once a day, it will help prevent infection, and take any bruising and swelling down. You will find Arnica 30c in your health food shop.

[MissK]

Wait, why is he in a smaller cage? If he's unhappy and unsettled in there, is he not more likely to accidentally injure himself? And what about your relationship suffering by you being so close when he is uncomfortable? Is he fully as tame as you want him to be? How about the natural tendency of animals to pick on the unwell? I'll grant that he may relish a companion, but how will the companion feel? If they love each other more than they love you, could you handle that?

I'm not saying Do or Don't, but there are many things to consider before bringing home a second. The only thing you can count on is extra work, extra time, and extra cost. Personally, I have two, and I love it. HOWEVER, my second was rather less tame than I hoped and I don't expect him to tame as well as the first. Sure, he's progressed, and he'll probably surprise me, and I'm fine with that. I'm also fine if he never makes another step closer to me. Not everyone is able to be truly fine with that situation. Additionally, when both birds are out in the house together, neither one usually acts like he knows I exist. Maybe that's an exaggeration but it's still a little rough on the ego.