Injured Rainbow Lorikeet - Help Needed

[rick]

A friend found this injured rainbow lorri on the side of the road and brought it to me (Photos attached).

As you can see, his right leg is skewed to a strange angle.. it seems very firm in this spot.. I have given him a thorough inspection and it appears the leg will move back and forward but returns to this angled position. He can hobble along with the help of his wings, but his right leg keeps him back.. it appears he has some movement in the leg, but the toes not so much. I tried splinting it without success.

I have felt for a break in his leg, but to be honest I could not find any particular break.. He seems rather active and he can get along on the floor with his wings and when I took these photos he actually flew a fair distance and did some droppings.

I have been keeping him in a large shoe box lined with sawdust (Bird safe, bought as nesting material) and have placed some paper towels to keep him stable to sleep at night. I have fed him honey with water, Passwells crumbles mixed into a paste and placed water with calcivet in the box for vitamin d/calcium supplement.. All feeding other than the water has been administered with a pharmaceutical dropper.. he is taking to it slowly.

I have placed big holes in the box for ventillation in the top and sides which he has escaped from a few times. I put some seed in there too, but I am not experienced with young birds and I believe this one is too young for that?

The holes in the top he pokes his beak out and head and has a look around and tries to get out occasionally but he needs to stay in the box and not hobble too much.

I've had him in my care for almost 48 hours now and have tried to keep him in a dark, quiet environment - I put him outside during the day as I figure he would appreciate the fresh air and sounds but he is confined to the box for his own protection.

Any guidance to help this lorri back to health would be appreciated.

Attachments:

[avinet]

The bird is a Scaly-brested Lorikeet and not a Rainbow.

From the photos it appears to be a young bird, not long out of the nest and it would appear to have a splayed leg.  This occurs when the hip joint of the bird becomes dislocated.  In parrots th ehip joint is not a ball and socket like ours but a simple groove in the pelvis which the top of the femer sits in, being held in place by tendons and muscle.  In a young bird, particularly one that has a calcium deficiency, a dislocation can occur.  The bird really needs to see an avian vet for the leg to be assessed. 

It may well be that the quality of life the bird can look forward to is bot good and possibly euthanasia is the kindest option.  My criteria for such birds is whether the bird is able to perch and move around a cage in spite of the leg.  If the splayed leg is identified early enough in the nest then it is possible in many cases to rectify the problem and, while it isn't always possible to get it completely right, one can usually get it good enough for the bird to have a good life.  By the time the bird has reached the age this one has it generally cannot be fixed.

Regarding diet - if you are to continue with the bird then it is very important you buy it some proper Lorikeet wet and dry foods.  Lorikeets do not eat seed - or rather they may eat seed but they cannot properly digest it and so become malnurished.  He will also eat fruit - mainly green apples - and also enjoy nectar bearing flowers such as Grevilleas.

Since he is very unlikely to improve mobility beyond what he presently has keeping confined to a box is pointless.  If he cannot survive in a cage then it really is best to  euthanase him.

cheers,

Mike

[rick]

Thanks Mike,

I have taken him to a shelter and was glad to find they have a bird vet there.. not avian, but I believe he is in good hands. Hopefully he will be able to make a recovery, but I was advised he will be euthanised if they cannot fix his leg.