She does sleep on one foot, but she switches on and off between them.

Yes, we have been moving around quite a bit- we're finally going home today. Back to her big cage (poor dear has been in her travel cage for 23 days- a record!).

Nope, I don't use cement perches, just the Sandy perches.

I put some Aloe on her this morning, and once I get the Neosporin cream I will put that on as well. Guess I'm finally going to bite the bullet and get a humidifier as well. I've been holding off because I've heard all sorts of stories of nasty things growing in them...

Not right now I don't, but I'm heading back to Manhattan today. However, I'm not sure how they do things during winter break. The vets work for the KSU Veterinary college, so who knows if they're even around right now...

Poor sweet Ollie! Does it seem to hurt? I bet she is just dry and cracking like the rest of us! Maybe she needs a manicure! lol

Poor Ollie, I hope her foot heals soon. My only advice is to remove the sandy perch until the wound heals so that it doesn't irritate her foot.

Let us know how she's doing.

I wouldn't use neosporin only because she may ingest it- birds clean their feet a lot. Best to take a garlic clove, crush and soak it in a bit of olive oil. I would rub the olive oil into her foot at night. In the morning and daytime, I would switch to a spot of aloe. It does look like a harmless crack like what we get in the winter on our fingers. If her droppings seem normal and smell fine, it's probably not yeast.

Camille... I have this EXACT PROBLEM with Tiki

Make sure there are no severly angled perches that ollie may be using regularly. Tiki's feet got the WORST when she had a rope perch with wire in it, that was radically angled up by the end.... turned out she was SLEEPING on that angle!

-REMOVE THE SANDY PERCH it will only make it worse. Tiki has survived without one for years now, and she still only needs trimmed just as much as Red who does have one.

-NEOSPORIN CREAM not ointment. As already suggested. If you rub it in well, she will not ingest any harmful amount of it. Vet recommended this to me.

-If you have an oil filled heater... (one of those ones that look like an old style radiator), simply put a SS bowl of water on top of that heater for humidity. Or, add a fountain. I live in a desert... I run a fountain, with distilled water, all year to keep humidity up in the rooms where the birds spend the most time. It helps.

-TAKE HER TO THE VET immeadiatly if her feet actually crack and seem oozy with blood or liquid at ALL. Infection is nothing to mess around with when it comes to feet.

It looks exactly like dry feet with pressure points. But of course, I'm not a vet, I'm only looking at a picture, try the things above and get her to a vet if it gets worse/changes or she seems sick at all.... which I know you would do anyway....of course.

Neosporin is safe for birds,I have called my vet many times on this,her response is always its safe and if they do injest some its ok its a antibiotic.

Thanks everybody! I will remove her sandy perch right away.

Jessalyn, it doesn't seem to be bothering her at all. She doesn't favor that foot and she doesn't pick at it.

Dana, I will do all you suggested. I was putting a bowl of water in front of my space heater, but I don't think it's doing an incredible amount of good. I'm heading to Walmart tonight to pick up a humidifier. Poor Tiki, but it's good to hear Ollie isn't the only one with this problem!

That's excellent advice, Dana. Good to know about neosporin... because of the base, I thought it might not be good to ingest. I also have those old style radiator heaters, and I keep shallow ss pans atop them. Nobody's skin is cracking, but I know it would be best to get a humidifier. Only thing is the birds are cageless, and I haven't figured out the logistics yet...all those dials, the electric cord, etc., so enticing! But moister air would be so much better for everyone.

That's why the cream (water based) and not ointment (petroleum based) ;-}


Camille - pick up some distilled water for your humidifier, you'll have better luck with the thing not clogging up with black particles. Get a cool misting one rather than a warm mist one.... you'll have less issues with bacteria.