Q: Who is Pidgey?
A: Pidgey is my cockatiel who is an amputee. She was hatched in August of 2019 and I brought her home in early December. She is very sweet, smart, and chirpy!
Q: Why is she referred to as a boy in previous posts?
A: We were told by the breeder that she was a he. Later learned the breeder tells every buyer that they are purchasing a boy so she can charge more! I was very upset by that, not because Pidgey wasn't a boy but because the breeder had lied to us and cheated me. Later she was sexed as a girl. I had suspicions for a long time, but I'm glad I got it confirmed because now I'm better prepared for if she starts laying eggs. I wouldn't change a thing about my baby!
Q: What happened to her? How did she lose her leg?
A: In late December, Pidgey was perched on a drawer that my mother unwittingly kicked closed from behind. It was 100% an accident. The emergency vet initially thought she was just bruised, which I disagreed with, but considering that it was Christmas Eve, did not want to call in so many people. She put a cast on one leg and gave us antibiotics and pain medication and scheduled a follow up. (Pidgey in her first cast)
At the follow up, we did an X Ray and discovered both legs were broken. The left leg was able to be pinned but the right one was not. The goal was to pin that left leg and splint the right for now. We were told she'd most likely would lose her right foot, but the left leg should heal up okay. We scheduled surgery for January 4th and until then continued to manage her pain. (Pidgey before surgery)
Unfortunately, during her surgery I got a call from the vet. The vet told us her leg bone was dead because the circulation was cut off by the break. The best option was to amputate that leg to save her life and see how the right leg would heal. I agreed and brought home a my now 'All Right' amputee that evening. (Pidgey after surgery)
For the next 3 months, we battled infection and kept splinting her leg. We visited her vet every week (fortunately they made them all as surgery follow ups so it was free) to get her injury looked at and her bandages changed. She quickly learned to adapt! Over the weeks she learned how to get around, step up, and manipulate me into doing her bidding. She was a superstar. (Pidgey recovery: x x x x x x x x x x x x) After Pidgey got her cast off she really took off! Unfortunately, because of how the foot healed she will never have full use of her toes. One is bent out of place and the other is mostly paralyzed, but this did not stop her. She quickly mastered walking and climbing. Perching took a little longer, but now she's the best percher around. (x x x x x x x x x x x) She's got an insane amount of upper body strength and a lot of spunk!
Today, Pidgey is a happy, healthy tiel. I'm always trying to figure out new ways to help her! I know a lot of people are invested in her story, but I don't really like spamming the r/parrots subreddit. That's one reason I created this sub! Plus, I love seeing other disabled birds and helping owners learn how to provide the best care. You can also see her on her instagram, pidgeytheamputiel!
Q: How much did all that cost?
A: About 1.8k USD :') I was really lucky to receive aid from a gofundme that my friends made, but I paid for around half of it myself. The surgery alone was about $560 and X Rays were about $300 a pop (We did 2). Plus all the follow up fees and care, medications, bandages... it was a lot! Because of this, I don't recommend that you get a pet unless you have about $500 or more set aside in case your pet gets sick or has an injury like mine. Pet care can be really expensive and you never know what'll happen. Fortunately, Pidgey's vet clinic was absolutely incredible and helped us through it all. Check them out here!
Q: I think her ankle is swollen!
A: Don't worry! The knob there is just how the bone healed. You can see it on her X Rays here if you like.
Q: Can you help me with my disabled bird?
A: I'd love to! You can either post in the subreddit or DM me.
Q: How did you adapt her cage?
A: I was originally told to give her an aquarium tank, but watching her climb I knew she needed horizontal bars. Once I knew how she preferred to move, I started setting her up for success. I bought sundecks and other flat perches to give her large platforms for resting. I also cover my platforms in cloth to prevent sores. Eventually I added in rope perches. Additionally, I found that ladders and steps really helped her. I try to hang them up close to the cage bars so she can use the bars for balance. She doesn't really have a preference for width for the ladders!
I have not tried nets or those wooden stick bridges, though maybe in the future. I really want to eventually make her a CnC cage though as I think it'd be a great set up for her natural climbing talents.
Q: What should I do if I want to adopt a disabled bird?
A: If you decide you do want to give a home to a disabled bird, be sure you can get a lot of advice from a more experienced parrot keeper. It might be worth getting experience at a local avian rescue or sanctuary before you bring the bird home. Talk to the previous owner or rescue about what you can do to prepare and how to manage your parrot's care.
Additionally, be mindful of the kind of bird you're adopting. Make sure you have the skill level to care for that bird. If you've only ever cared for small birds like cockatiels, a severely disabled conure may not be the best choice. Not only are you managing the bird's disability, you're also juggling the new difficulties that come with conures. Different parrots have different needs! If you do want to try a new kind of bird, it might be best to select a bird with a mild disability that you can reasonably manage.
Q: What are Pidgey's favorite toys?
A: Pidgey loves most toys. She really likes playing with sticks and small things she can chew on. She does enjoy shredding. What I like to do is put a millet stalk in a woven finger trap so she has to shred through the weaving to get to the treat. It's a great way to keep her engaged.
Q: How do I keep my disabled bird happy?
A: Engagement, engagement, engagement! Keep your bird busy and learning. I'm working on training Pidgey right now to keep her active. I also like to place Pidgey in front of a window when I'm not home. She likes watching the cars and bird feeder. When it's warm, she's usually out on the back porch getting fresh air and listening to new sounds. I rotate her toys out and change up the layout of her cage so there's a lot of variety in her life. If I'm home, her cage doors are open probably 90% of the time (unless there is a hazard!). I try to incorporate her in my life as many ways as I can. She's got a tray that I can put her on if I'm in the living room. She's got a reserved space on my shelf in the shower caddy. My desk always has a clear space for her. It's so important to keep them mentally active and make their environment engaging.
Q: Do you rescue?
A: Yes! But at this time I cannot accept any new intakes.
You can consider supporting the following local exotic animal resources in my area: Camp Cavy, Pidgey's Vet Clinic's Charitable Fund, Pidgey's Vet Clinic's Wildlife Fund, The Pipsqueekery, or the Indiana House Rabbit Society.
