Sick Bird Update

It has been a while since I have updated everyone about my bird who had a stroke the end of August. She is still hanging in there, we are just challenged because she still has not regained the use of her legs from below the knees. The one foot that had been closed did fully open, so we thought that she was regaining the use of that leg and foot.

Unfortnuately, the sum total of that improvement is that her foot is now open, but she cannot move it and grasp anything at will. Her other foot, has now become more useless. The good news is that the toenail that she almost yanked out of her foot has healed and did not completely fall off. It is starting to grow again, so I will be forced in the near future to figure out a way to file her nails down without getting her seriously stressed out. I have tried clipping her nails in the past, and she DOES NOT like that. We then went to grinding the nails (when she was healthy) which left a better shape and no rough edges. The problem is still that she HATES anyone fiddling with her feet and toes.

Now that her feet are pretty much useless, I can fiddle a little more with her feet, but she can SEE what I am doing and doesn't like me messing with her feet, even though it does not appear that she can't feel a thing.

I am also happy to report that she is continuing to gain weight. Her chest is getting fuller again, there is a lot less bone (her keel) showing, so she is recovering. Right now my major challenge is figuring out a way to keep her elevated from her feces. This is my biggest problem. Since she cannot lift her body up and is forced to drag herself around using her "knees: and wings, she gets pretty messed up quickly. I have been soaking her butt weekly, but do not want to bathe her too often, especially since the days are much shorter and cooler.

If any of you have any ideas how I can elevate her in some kind of sling, but still allow her the ability to move around her cage, I would be grateful. I have thought about creating some kind of hammock, but again, it is centered in one place, all she has to do is to let go, and she will swing back to center. Not a bad idea, but I can't imagine that she is going to enjoy that too much. I don't know that a track system would be any more effective, the cage is about 2' x 2'. Also, she does periodically like to stretch her wings out, and with the hammock/sling I was thinking about, that would trap her wings against her body.

Currently I have various phone books in her cage for two reasons. One reason is so she has something to tear when she has her temper tantrums. The other reason for some phone books is so that her cage floor is not entirely flat. This way she can kind of prop her body up and not always be lying flat on the floor. Unfortunately, she has not learned to poop over the edge of the phone book, so trying to teach that isn't working too well either. The good news is that she has not fouled her food, so she is aware somewhat of when she goes to the bathroom.

Her appetite is great, she is eating almost everything I present to her. I think she eats better than I do. She gets bits of my regular food along with her regular food. Since I have been working to have her gain weight, I have not been careful about the types of food provided, I wanted her to gain weight. Once she gains a few more grams, I will start monitoring her diet closer, but until I feel she is back to a good weight, she gets whatever her little heart desires.

So, overall, my sick "Parrotpalegic" is doing pretty darn well. Her eyes are bright, she periodically sings, and dances to the best of her ability (now it just consists of her spinning her head back and forth - she used to dance in circles when spinning her head). I will continue to keep her as clean as possible and continue searching for some way to keep her off her fecal matter. I do not want to put a grate down for fear that she will catch up her feet and do herself more damage.

Tomorrow will be our Weekly Fun facts...I am a bit off on schedule, but am at least catching up...

Until tomorrow...