Pododermatitis

What is pododermatitis? It’s an affection of the skin beneath the bird’s feet. The cause of this affection is generally due to obesity or inappropriate perches. Your parrot’s perches are extremely important. They must be of an irregular dimension and shape and ideally made of wood. By doing so, this will help prevent arthritis as well as, pododermatitis, two frequent affections in companion birds.

Birds that live in captivity, that have been fed a fatty diet with very little variety as well as, lacking exercise, may suffer from obesity, thereby frequently causing pododermatitis. In order to have a good diagnosis, a visit with your veterinarian is necessary. Depending of the cause, he can give you advice to remedy the situation. Sometimes, the cause may be of a bacterial nature and your bird should receive antibiotics given by the beak.

The application of a self-sticking bandage, like Vetrap, on the perches helps. This sponge-like bandage is very comfortable for your bird’s feet and accelerates healing. Furthermore, you can apply, with your veterinarian’s instructions, the product “Soother tropical spray” directly underneath the feet, twice a day until they have healed. This aloe and distilled water based product is non-toxic and easy to apply. An improvement is quickly noticed after daily applications.

Preventing pododermatitis in our companion birds is relatively easy by providing perches of irregular diameters and by avoiding excess weight. Regularly monitor the bottom of the feet. If you see redness, it’s best to quickly consult your veterinarian.