Quaker Parakeet Casting
Orlando, the Quaker Parakeet suffered a broken left leg, which wouldn’t have been half as bad if he hadn’t previously broken his right leg and it never healed quite right. He needed his legs to stand and to hold his food to eat.
Several years prior, Orlando was attacked by a dog and his right leg took the brunt of it. Two of his toes still moved, but they were stiff and couldn’t tighten around a perch. He was used to standing on his good left leg.
He lay on a towel on my lap, his belly facing me, his head resting on my left thigh, his left leg jutting out at an obviously broken angle. He must’ve been very frightened.
I had a tongue depressor split in half lengthwise, tiny strips of soft stretch guaze rolled into little doll-size rolls, and pre-cut strips of self attracting wrap. I asked Orlando to lie still.
“Lay back little buddy, let me see that leg.”
Orlando laid on his back, but when I touched his leg, he bent his neck forward and nibbled at half bandage/ half doctor finger.
I just barely touched my finger to his beak and guided him to lay back, “Just relax, little dude.”
And he did! I applied two bandages to his leg. The first soft cast resembled a bulky, technically correct splint. It looked like it would slip off. I took a look at that handiwork and removed it.
Then I devised a practical lightweight birdie bandage. He relaxed in my lap and let me finish the whole “cast” without interfering at all. He was amazing!
Orlando’s parents helped him stay upright and eat and sure enough, his leg healed against the odds!
P.S. Doc Truli advises everyone to check local laws regarding keeping a Quaker Parakeet. For example, they are considered endangered in New Jersey and you may not own one legally.
