I think my lovebird has a deformed foot...?

-I bought a 3 month old lovebird from a guy yesterday. I've noticed that it looks as though he's missing some feathers underneath his beak and also one of his feet looks deformed. I can't get a picture because he's not fully tame yet and doesn't like me handling him yet. One of his feet has two toes forward and one toe back, but the other has all 3 toes forward and one of the claws on one if facing upwards. It also looks like he has an 'extra' toe without a claw?

I noticed that he can stand on perches but does seem to have trouble moving about his cage, but I think that might be because he's in a new cage. Is their anything I can do for him? I don't think a vets could help or anything?



Thanks xHi there. He can probably survive with this problem and I hope you did not pay much for him.



I have treated birds with these problems. I use surgical tape cut in a tiny strip to move the errant toe into the correct position. I taped a canary's toe that was forward with the other 3 toes and upside down.

I taped the tiny toe, left a 16th of an inch between the toe and ankle and taped to the ankle. I waited 12 days and removed it and he is fine now.



I am sorry you bought a not hand fed and hand raised bird if you wanted a pet. I hand raise my baby lovebirds and would NEVER sell one with a deformed foot.



Email me off list and I will walk you through this. Do you live near New Mexico where I am? I would drive to you.

Also I would remove any dowel perches and cut a couple small tree branches for him as they are more natural and easier to grasp.Parrots (lovebirds included) are supposed to have 4 toes on each foot, 2 facing forward and 2 facing backward and they should move freely about as the bird is climbing, foraging, and doing other things birds do. The toe that appears deformed could have been broken early on and healed wrong, or the bird may have been attacked by another bird.



If the foot has healed there isn't much that can be done about the deformity unless the actual deformity is causing rubbing or irritation to the skin or other areas of the foot. We've taken in birds who needed amputations of their toes because they broke and healed wrong, especially the back toes. We have one bird who got her toe caught in a cage door in her previous home and ended up chewing it off and she's adjusted well. Provided they are kept healthy, have a good clean SAFE environment and have properly fitted perches to maintain good foot health, they usually do okay.



Only a visit to your avian vet will reveal the extent of the damage and what you're options are with the bird though, so schedule a visit as soon as you can.
As long as he can perch and is eating drink ok there is nothig to worry about. I had a rescue budgie that had been keep in a cage on shop bought wooden perches that were all the same width instead of different widths of perches and fruit tree branches for most of his life till i got him . After a few years his earlier life caught up with him and his feet became frozen in to like clench fists there was nothing the vet could do and they didn't seem to bother him or cause him any pain and it but it didn't stop him from getting around the aviary and perching .