[Jaye]

I mean, yes...we see them once in a while...and many other ferals with compromised feet on an almost daily basis.

Ivor found this girl a few days ago, moving poorly. She thought it was just a bad string injury...very swollen and malformed foot. Turned out to be way uglier than that. The foot was completely necrotic...the string (human hair, actually) had cut right thru the "wrist" and the only thing holding the foot to her leg was a tendon. Swelling up the leg as well.

Vet gave me 2 choices:

1) anaesthetize, and amputate not just the foot but the entire legbone up to the "knee" joint.

2) sedate, and clip off the necrotic foot at the "ankle" joint, then aggressively treat bird with antibiotics to hopefully cure the leg swelling.

I went with 2) So she is in a wrap now. The procedure went well. She is on Cipro and Medacam. Seems to be doing pretty well. Alert...confused. Not eating much, so I am veggie-popping.

Question becomes, assuming healing goes as planned.....she'll have a peg-leg.

Would she be releasable ? (she is a feral, after all).

 

[plamenh]

She should be able to do well one footed, as long as healthy. There are plenty of ferals with missing foot out there. I would just keep her for a while until strong enough to compete for food.

 

[Ivor]

I think I'll just take her to the same place that I found her, I feed them mostly every day, sometimes I skip one day a week but not always, I think if I bring her to the same place, she knows where is the food.

Jaye, you are great, and thank you so much for take the bird and bring her to the vet, you are just wonderful.

Ivette

 

[sreeshs]

She should be able to do well one footed, as long as healthy. There are plenty of ferals with missing foot out there. I would just keep her for a while until strong enough to compete for food.

Once she starts eating, drinking by herself and has the ability ti fly, land and perch properly, she should be all well despite the handicap, they adapt much better than we humans

 

[amyable]

Poor little soul, but very lucky to have been found and treated.

I too have seen ferals in town with just stumps and bless them, they do seem to adapt.
As long as it's fully healed before she's released, she'll have a fighting chance, under Ivor's watchful eye.

Good luck to her and well done.

Janet

 

[John_D]

I have a feral who comes to my balcony or who I sometimes feed in the courtyard here. She has two stumps. I have known here for 11 years

John

 

[TerriB]

Jaye, thanks for helping out this little bird. Pigeons are so adaptable, I'm sure she will do just fine. Excellent timing to land in your care during the worst of the weather!

 

[c.hert]

I would not release her--she is a special needs pigeon now. Sure you see them out there but it is very unusual to see them for a long time---more than a few weeks. I would find this one a good home or make her into a very nice pet for yourself. Life presented it to you so now take care of it and place it somewhere nice..Just my opinion.
c.herts

 

[altgirl35]

i'm for releasing as long as she is flying, landing well, if you lived somewhere where it get's brutally cold i would rethink that, but san fran doesn't get too bad, even so they tend to hunker down to rest instead of just standing there like a lot of birds.
i see them all the time also, and have had a few amputee gulls come through here, and seen many over the years, they look fat and happy to me.
release criteria for one legged birds really depends on what kind of bird it is, i would never release a heavy bodied bird like a crow, or a robin that needs to dig at the dirt to find food

 

[pdpbison]

Trouble is...if a medium weight ( such as a Pigeon ) one-Legged Bird in the Wild has one bad landing, or, otherwise strains the usually over-worked/over-loaded remaining Leg...they are likely doomed...and, will be unable to take off again, or, will injure themselves in further attempts of take off and landing, damaging Wings and Keel...respectively.


If a long since healed 'Peg Leg' missing the Foot only, with a good thick callous on the bottom, that can stand weight and forces of landing and take offs...should be fine...

 

[Jay3]

I wouldn't release it either. For the same reasons that c.hert and Phil gave. She will not do as well in competing for food as the others who have two good legs. God knows, they have enough problems out there. I think you would probably be able to find someone to adopt her.