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Re: Help--My Canary keeps chewing/biting one leg
Posted by GreenLady on 1/08/10

Sandpiper it sounds as if your canary may be experiencing leg
mites, which is common for canaries. He doesn't have to be
around other birds to contract them.
Take a small amount of mineral oil or petroleum jelly
(Vaseline) and massage it into the skin of his legs and feet.
If they are mites, this will help suffocate and kill them
safely. Be very careful to keep either of these products off
of his feathers as they will cause the feathers to get oily
and you will have to hand wash him should this happen.
Apply this daily for about a week and you should see marked
improvement in his legs both with the redness and picking.

Another point I would like to suggest is that distilled water
is not really good for any bird as it has everything removed
from it including minerals. Your bird would do better with
spring water or purified water. Other than that, his diet
sounds very good.

Good luck to you.

On 1/08/10, Sandpiper wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I need help/advice for my canary. I purchased him from
> Petco in October 2009. I am not sure of his age, but he
> is not supposed to be very old. He has seemed a very
> healthy and happy bird. He sings all day long and hops
> around his cage. His appetite is very good. He eats seed
> with a tiny bit of egg, and I give him a fresh brocoli
> floret each day. I only give him distilled water to drink.
>
> However, within the last few days, I have noticed him
> chewing/biting up and down one leg. It is the leg with
> the band, but I have never seen him chew/bite the band.
> This morning, the leg is redder than his other leg, and it
> is ever so slightly swollen. It is noticeable mostly due
> to the redder colour. You have to look hard and compare
> both legs to realize one is slightly swollen compared to
> the other one.
>
> He is an only bird and comes into contact with no other
> birds. Although I would be happy to take him to an Avian
> vet, I cannot afford to do so. If anyone has any idea
> what may be wrong, I would appreciate you letting me
> know. Thanks!

Posts on this thread, including this one

• Help--My Canary keeps chewing/biting one leg, 1/08/10, by Sandpiper.
• Re: Help--My Canary keeps chewing/biting one leg, 1/08/10, by GreenLady.
• Re: Help--My Canary keeps chewing/biting one leg, 1/08/10, by Sandpiper.
• Re: Help--My Canary keeps chewing/biting one leg, 1/08/10, by GreenLady.
• Re: Help--My Canary keeps chewing/biting one leg, 1/09/10, by Sandpiper.
• Re: Help--My Canary keeps chewing/biting one leg, 1/09/10, by Sandpiper.
• Re: Help--My Canary keeps chewing/biting one leg, 1/09/10, by GreenLady.
• Re: Help--My Canary keeps chewing/biting one leg, 1/11/10, by Sandpiper.
• Re: Help--My Canary keeps chewing/biting one leg, 2/19/10, by Suzanne.
• Re: Help--My Canary keeps chewing/biting one leg, 2/20/10, by Warning.
• Re: Help--My Canary keeps chewing/biting one leg, 2/20/10, by Sandpiper.