Starling 15 years old, missing toes, falls

[Cryllc82]

Hi, I have a 15 year old starling Pete, that is missing all but one whole toe (back toe) on his left foot, the missing toes are gone at the middle joint. His other foot is ok. He has gotten old and the last couple of years he can no longer perch so he's been living fine in the bottom of his cage but recently he flips over more and more and can't right himself without help or if he's not near something to grab with his beak. He has a hearty appetite and loves water so I know he wants to stick around longer. I tried making a splint like for splay leg but that didn't help whatsoever. He'll even fall upside down when walking across a washcloth I placed in the corner to see about traction. If anyone has any ideas and advice I'd be so grateful!

[CarolC]

Hi Cryllc82,



The towel sounded like a good idea. Would sheepskin be similar only maybe fluffier so he has more to dig his toes into so he can turn himself back upright? It's washable. They used sheepskin for Charliebird. Here was the post about it.

Hi everyone,

I just found this forum and thought I would post about my pet bird, Charlie! Charlie is a 26 year old Blue Crown Conure that I took in from his former owner after he was completely paralyzed. The owner did not care properly for him all the years he had him; Charlie ate nothing but sunflower seeds, causing severe nutritional deficiencies in calcium among other things.

Eventually, Charlie's nutritional deficiencies left his bones so weak, and his muscles atrophied from lack of use/exercise (he was locked in a small cage for 25 years) that he fell, and not surprisingly broke his back in the lower lumbar area.

Charlie was still alive, though clearly not doing well, but I brought him to a reputable avian certified vet, and they were able to put weight on him and get him the critical care he needed. Charlie had a fighting spirit and wanted to live, so he did!

He lives in a normal bird cage, but it does not have perches; he rests on his keel bone, and I keep the bottom padded with a magnetic therapy pad, fleece and sheepskin to prevent bed sores and pressure to his keel.

I have had him for a year now since his accident, and although he will remain paralyzed in both legs, he is healthy and happy!

Here are some ideas that might help for part of the day. They are too big for a starling, but they might give an idea of how to make a smaller one that would work.

https://web.archive.org/web/20250427024 ... m/id9.html

https://handicappedpet.net/helppets/vie ... 87#p110687

This post has a picture with an idea, and the posts after it have more pictures. Mostly too big for a starling, but sometimes looking at something will give you an inspiration of a way to do it.
https://handicappedpet.net/helppets/vie ... 077#p96077

This one looks pretty comfortable.
https://handicappedpet.net/helppets/vie ... hp?t=21849

This company makes flightsuits for birds. It lets their wings be free to flap. There might be a way to put straps on the back of it to suspend it from an overhead support (from the top of the cage maybe?) sort of like a baby bouncer?

https://avianfashions.com/collections/t ... t%E2%84%A2

There are a number of companies that make birdy booties (shoes for chickens or ducks). If you could find one small enough, maybe it would improve the use of the foot missing toes. It wouldn't give a grip, but possibly having a bigger foot (so to speak) would make a difference. A starling foot and a hen's foot is not exactly the same, so I don't know. Here's an example. It says they're handmade. I wonder if they could make a smaller one on request.
https://crazy-k-farm.myshopify.com/prod ... p4mAKr6A6w

If you come up with something, I hope you will post it! Your solution might help someone else.

[FYI]

https://youtu.be/c1XzaLY7TGk?t=199

[critters]

Wildlife rehabbers here ask bird finders to make a doughnut nest out of a towel or something to put a sick or disabled bird in to hold a bird in the proper position for transport and beyond. Perhaps such might be useful for your bird?