Parrots and Bumblefoot
Just like humans, parrots can come down with a variety of ailments ranging from mildly irritating to severely painful. These include painful bacterial infections, such as Bumblefoot.What is Bumblefoot?
The technical name is Staphylococcus Aureaus. This is a staph infection, and staph infections can affect people and animals in various ways. For parrots, other birds, and even rodents, the staph infection called Bumblefoot affects the feet and toes. It comes from bacteria that gets into damaged or broken skin on the feet and can lead to painful side effects.What are the symptoms of Bumblefoot?
The signs can start out small, making them hard to notice. You may see a small red bump on your parrot’s foot. In fact, it can look so like a callous on your own foot that you may not recognize that it is a problem until it starts to grow into an abscess. As it grows, it can turn into an open abscess that bleeds and releases infection. At this time, you have a fullblown case of the infection on your hands.Is there a treatment for Bumblefoot?
The good news is that once it is recognized, the condition can be easily treated. A combination of antiseptics and antibiotics will be used to heal the infection. If the infection is bad, your parrot may need internal antibiotics, administered through the mouth, and in extreme cases, through an IV. The foot itself will need to be kept clean and disinfected until it is completely healed. You will need to use a quality disinfecting antiseptic to do this.How can I prevent Bumblefoot from ever happening?
The key is to understand how to keep your bird from damaging its feet. You will need to make sure that its cage is always clean and properly disinfected. Avoid any abrasive materials on the cage bottom and choose a soft litter for your parrot to stand on. Additionally, inspect the cage from time to time of loose pieces of metal or damaged toys that could be abrasive or damaging to your bird’s feet. Anytime you see a small bump on your parrot’s foot, immediately inspect it to avoid a serious case of the ailment.Like many other infections and ailments, Bumblefoot can be avoided if you take proper care of your parrot’s cage. However, if it does become ill with the infection, keep in mind the proper course of treatment. The sooner you can detect Bumblefoot, the quicker you can take care of it before your parrot has to suffer from it. Just like humans, parrots do get various infections. However, unlike humans, it will be hard for a parrot to let you know it is sick. You will need to make sure you always have a good idea on your parrot’s health so that you can make sure to avoid developing problems