“Common things occur commonly…”, this was a favourite saying of an old Professor of mine when I was at University.

Recently I had two conures bought in - both with a very swollen foot. It was obvious that their rings had become too tight and cut off circulation to the foot. The swelling was so extensive that saving the foot was going to be very difficult.

Each bird was anaesthetised and the ring opened with small pliers – in both cases the bone of the leg was already devitalised (another word for dead!) and all the tissues around the ring site were not viable (were never going to live!).

There was no option but to amputate the foot on each bird. Amputation was very easy because the blood supply had already been stopped and the bone already broken. All we did was to cut off the foot, remove and dead tissue from the stump and sew the skin over the end of the leg. The birds each had some antibiotics and a small bandage applied.

The birds came back in a week for a check and it was amazing how well they had coped with the removal of a leg.

The moral of this story is eternal vigilance and early action.

The normal aluminium split rings, are cheap, readily available and easily applied. The down side is they are not very strong and it only takes minimal effort for a bird to squeeze the ring in so it rubs on the leg. Once the irritation starts the leg swells, the circulation is affected and then the foot swells – end of foot!

I don’t have any magic solution – birds need to be rung. In fact I put rings on them when I surgically sex – but as a birdkeeper you must watch them closely.

If you notice a bird favouring a leg, or hopping when it walks don’t wait for it to get better – catch the bird up and have a look. If you get them early then removing the ring will most certainly save the bird’s leg.