foot on broken leg

[kippermom]

I just retrieved an injured pigeon from a good samaritan who found me via this website. The bird is a feral, with some weight loss..probably was left on the ground with broken leg and could not get to food...dunno how long since the initial injury...the right leg seems broken at the femur, the foot is limp and has no "grip"... I have found the instructions for taping the leg and "hip" to the body with masking tape and immobilizing it which I will try this evening..I have two questions 1. does masking tape work better than vet wrap? I do not want to have to do it more than once! and 2. does the fact that the foot is limp present a different diagnosis or would this be common with a broken femur?

[Lovebirds]

Originally Posted by kippermom

I just retrieved an injured pigeon from a good samaritan who found me via this website. The bird is a feral, with some weight loss..probably was left on the ground with broken leg and could not get to food...dunno how long since the initial injury...the right leg seems broken at the femur, the foot is limp and has no "grip"... I have found the instructions for taping the leg and "hip" to the body with masking tape and immobilizing it which I will try this evening..I have two questions 1. does masking tape work better than vet wrap? I do not want to have to do it more than once! and 2. does the fact that the foot is limp present a different diagnosis or would this be common with a broken femur?

Don't know about where your birds legs is broken, but the one that I had come in 3 weeks ago with a broken leg and I mean broke right half in two, couldn't move or feel or use her foot either, but now, 25 days later, she's walking.........still limping slightly, but her foot works just fine.

[Pidgey]

I can't assure you about the tape because it was probably one of my posts that you read in the first place regarding that. As such, I'm not allowed to answer your question. It was my vet that taught me to do that, but it was a broken tibiotarsus at the time.

In response to your other query, though, they normally have a "limp foot" whenever they break a leg just about regardless where.

Pidgey

[spirit wings]

would'nt masking tape be sticky and hard to get off or is it taped on to something else on the leg?

[Pidgey]

Much as I'd like to stay and discuss this, there's an electrical storm starting here that's pretty sharp so I'm going to have to shut the computer down.

Pidgey

[Pidgey]

Originally Posted by spirit wings

would'nt masking tape be sticky and hard to get off or is it taped on to something else on the leg?

Which is why it works so much better than the vet wrap. If a bird will absolutely stay put and not even try to move the offending appendage for a couple of weeks, they can pretty much heal on their own although a femur is kinda' bad. It just depends on what it is.

Pidgey

[kippermom]

The bird is eating well and has poops within normal range..he seems to be resting in a good position, sort of like I would tape him, whenever I go in to check on him, but I know he is moving around a few inches to get to the food and water. Whadayathink...Is that too much movement for the break to heal without taping? He is in a very small confined cage, but can move those few inches to his bowls..and I will have to move him each day to change his papers...thoughts? No band, feisty, definately feral...

[Trees Gray]

I would tape it-it is in the birds' best interest. The leg needs to remain stationery (in the correct position)and not move at all, otherwise it may not set right.

[kippermom]

Well..we taped him up like the picture and placed him in a small cage in a towel doughnut...he was actually quite calm for the procedure, but it did take 4 hands! He is not really staying in the doughnut yet, but I check on him every couple hours and put him back in it. Food and water are within reach if he'd just stay put! From other threads I think he has to stay like this for almost 2 weeks...is that about right? Thanks all. We'll hope for a good outcome. Seems like a really nice bird...

[Pidgey]

Yeah, about two weeks. I will sometimes just double a towel so that the entire bottom of the cage is covered by flat padding if they're going to move around despite the comfort of a towel donut.

Pidgey

[kippermom]

Alright....we'll just keep him fed, watered and clean....and pray...

[Jay3]

Originally Posted by spirit wings

would'nt masking tape be sticky and hard to get off or is it taped on to something else on the leg?

That's what I was wondering.

[kippermom]

I will just have to worry about getting it off in 2 weeks or so...if it does not stay on, he will not heal...others have said vet wrap just is not as good for this use...I'll post the results when we get there!

[Jay3]

Good luck. I'm routing for ya.

[Pidgey]

Just pull what's left of the feathers bit by bit away from the tape instead of trying to pull the tape off of the feathers. That is, you hold the tape kinda' solid, pinch a bit of feather stuck to it and firmly but smoothly pull that tiny clump of feather away. Then another, and another, and... ...you're done.

Pidgey