An injured foot can be quite a painful experience for humans.
When you see your beloved budgie’s foot bleeding, it can be far more harrowing for your birdie as well as for you.
You see, budgies, like most birds, use their feet to stand upon perches throughout the day.
And, in most cases, budgies even use their feet when they are sleeping.
So, any injury on the foot of a budgie can be pretty debilitating for your feathered friend.
If your budgie’s foot is bleeding, the first response is to stop the blood flow.
This can be done using a clean, thin cloth and applying pressure for five minutes upon the wound.
If the bleeding does stop, you can use the time to investigate if your budgie hasn’t sustained any other hurt.
Now, there are several reasons why your budgie’s foot might be shedding blood.
Your budgie might have sustained damage from its cage mate or through something sharp from its environment.
Or, your budgie’s foot might be bleeding as your bird is suffering from bumble-foot.
However, if the bleeding does not stop, then an emergency visit to an avian vet is imperative.
Let’s delve deeper into the matter and find out the reasons for a bleeding foot in a budgie, as well as look into what you can do to help your bird with its injured foot.
What To Do If Your Budgie’s Foot Is Bleeding?
When a bird, even a budgie, is hurt on its foot, it will be in shock.
So, it would help if you worked quickly according to first aid priorities.
You need to halt the blood flow by using a clean, thin cloth and applying pressure on the wound.
In such cases, your budgie might show some resistance; hence, you need to take it easy on your beloved pet.
Also, it would help if you remember that your avian pet is tiny, so don’t use too much pressure upon the injury, or you might aggravate the pain in your bird’s foot.
The next step is to determine whether the bleeding has stopped.
If the blood flow has ceased, give your bird some time to recover from the shock.
Many reputed avian vets suggest that keeping your budgie in a semi-dark, warm, and quiet environment goes a long way in calming birds.
It is advised that keeping your bird warm will significantly relax your pet.
Place a clean, soft cloth at the bottom of the cage to prevent any further wounds.
Place a small hot water bottle filled with warm water covered in a damp cloth close to your bird and give your winged bird at least four to five hours to settle down.
Once your bird is relatively pacified, look for other signs of damage.
Any deformity, lameness, or unusual wing positions will tell you a lot about your bird’s current state.
Feeling the body of your bird, particularly the breast (keel) bone and breast (pectoral) muscles for wounds.
Head bobbing, head tilting, and long periods of eye closing indicate severe illness or underlying disease.
Unequal pupil size suggests head trauma.
Drooping wings generally show wing injury or dislocation.
Missing feathers from the wing or other body parts can mean underlying wounds.
Labored breathing can indicate a respiratory infection.
First-time pet parents are recommended to give basic first aid and head straight for the vet.
You see, budgies are sturdy creatures, but in the case of injuries or excessive bleeding, it’s best to put your beloved pet’s care into the hands of a professional.
Basic first aid can involve using a roll of micropore for tapping the wings and an avian sticky tape for tapping snapping beaks during the examination.
You can even use antiseptic powder or liquid such as savlon liquid to ensure that any open wound doesn’t get infected.
While your bird is still in shock or intense pain, it’s best to avoid trying to feed your budgie food or water.
Possible Causes Of Bleeding From The Foot
Birds are quite alert creatures and they have swift reflexes towards any impending harm from their environment or predators.
But, if your bird is unresponsive or has its eye closed, sitting in the corner of its cage, then you should know that your bird must be suffering a lot of pain.
A bleeding foot of a budgie can mean many things and can result from a fight with a cage mate or an underlying infection.
If you’ve recently introduced a new budgie into your current pet’s cage, a fight might be the cause of a bleeding foot.
In most cases, budgies are social birds, but a budgie in a new environment can show aggression to the existing cage mate.
However, budgies, cockatiels, and other captive birds sometimes suffer from pododermatitis ( foot inflammation), bumblefoot.
It is an infection of the weight-bearing surface of the foot and can cause swelling, painful feet, and trouble standing.
If the condition isn’t treated, it can lead to septicemia and even death.
There are times when a budgie’s foot starts to bleed due to the infection.
Early detection of bumblefoot involves treatment with antibiotics.
If the infection is allowed to spread to the bones or joints, there might be a need for surgery.
If you do witness your budgie’s foot bleeding, it is recommended that you make use of first aid to stop the blood flow and book a consultation with an avian vet after your bird’s shock is under control.
Wrapping Up
As mentioned earlier, budgies are amazingly resilient animals.
However, it isn’t the nature of your bird to show weakness, and if you do see labored breathing, eye closing for prolonged periods, lameness, and agitation in your bird, then it can only signify that your bird is in intense pain.
Under such circumstances, you should attempt to halt the bleeding and show your winged friend to a vet, avian or otherwise.
