Please help - I think I need to splint toes

[stella]

Hello friends,

Last week I managed to capture a pigeon with "string" injuries. I use quotes around the word string, because actually it was fake hair. My neighbor had the disgusting habit of combing out her extensions and throwing the hair into the wind. I'm happy she moved.

The poor baby pigeon walks with both feet but limps, and the toes on the less injured foot are curled under in the position they were tied. The toes are mobile, and are not swollen, discolored or cut; I'm wondering if I should splint them. If yes, would someone here please instruct me?

Thank you.

[bigbird]

I would think that if you opened each toe and rolled some bandage tape around the toe, making it sort of straight, and left this for a few days, the toes might take a set into the correct position. The bird will not like this.
Consider also the degree of caution you will need to take when removing the bandage.
Carl

[Lin Hansen]

Hi,

Don't know if this will help, but I tried to copy and paste a previous post concerning splinting toes....hope this works and if it does, hope it helps you.



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Hi Robert,

Here is some information that Helen compiled regarding splinting broken toes. You can see the pictures at http://community.webshots.com/user/jujubear29

Terry
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to splint the foot which is bent, give a calcium and vit supplement and hope things turn out ok for the bird, which they usually do.

Here's a series of photos I took of the splinting procedure. At no time will you see both hands in the piccy as I did the job single handedly and took the photo in the process.

This first one shows how to prepare a splint from an ice lolly stick. Cut a notch in one end and fit the hind toe into the groove. Measure the length of lolly stick required and cut off.

Prepare finished splint by cutting a notch in the other end then sand paper smooth, not forgetting to sand in the grooves
fit hind and middle foretoe in the grooves and tape down firmly with micropore

Line up the two outer toes alongside the taped middle toe and tape them firmly to the stick.

should be a perfect splint on which the bird can stand and walk. This can be left on for anything up to a week.


[This message has been edited by TAWhatley (edited March 01, 2004).]


Okay, think it worked....good luck

Linda

[Jerry]

I don't know if this is considered an approved way of "fixing" curled toes, but I guess if it works...it works. I had a bird with front toes curling under the pad of his foot. I cut a tiny "footprint" out of a gallon plastic milk jug then wrapped vet wrap (sticks to itself) around the toes individually, then around the whole foot. Finally, I used medical adhesive tape over that (to give it extra strength and keep it more impervious to all the poop he would be walking in). He got around well and even flew with no problem. I left it on for 14 days (probably overkill) but when I removed it he had perfectly straight toes and still does to this day over 3 months later.

[cyro51]

Another alternative: as Jerry say, if it works...

I took a badly injured young wood pigeon in the other day. He had one foot curled up in a claw and the people that brought him to me thought it was a congenital deformity, but he had grip in the toes.

Because he was so badly injured I didn’t want to stress him too much with splinting, so I streched his foot out on a piece of self adhesive support bandage, folded the other piece over and pressed the bits together between his toes, then I cut it down to size. The effect was a soft splint.

I only left it on for three days and when I took it off to examine the foot was normal again and has remained normal.

Cynthia

[stella]

Thank you all for your help. I used Cyro's method as the bird she spoke of reminded me of my bird - he has grip in the toes. I will take it off in three days to see how it is progressing.

I am going to practice all of the methods mentioned here on a plaster duck (it was a gift it has realistic feet).

Thanks again for all of the responses.