# Olive Thrush Help/Advice needed



## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

I found this little fellow in my back garden this morning. It is olive trush.
He has badly deformed leg (already healed) and damaged feathers (tail feathers missing).
No visible injuries. Watery diarrhea almost no faecal material. It has energy, hopping around on one leg and gave me bit chasing to get him in. He will not survive outside because of the cats, otherwise he can forage for food.
I need advice on feeding and treatment.

















Any advice is appreciated


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

I don't know about thrushes in Africa, but in the U.S. I feed thrushes Hill's prescription diet a/d, and small bite puppy food soaked in hot water, so that its puffed up and soft. I raised an American Robin (from 1 day old) on this, and he lived with me for 13 years.


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

Msfreebird said:


> I don't know about thrushes in Africa, but in the U.S. I feed thrushes Hill's prescription diet a/d, and small bite puppy food soaked in hot water, so that its puffed up and soft. I raised an American Robin (from 1 day old) on this, and he lived with me for 13 years.


Is this daily diet, any supplements? Hand feeding suggestions?
this is adult bird, I see them often on my dog's bowl so I guess they are no different in feeding habits from their US cousins.


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

plamenh said:


> Is this daily diet, any supplements? Hand feeding suggestions?
> this is adult bird, I see them often on my dog's bowl so I guess they are no different in feeding habits from their US cousins.


I feed my 2 unreleasable birds (adults) small bite puppy kibble as a steady diet. I soak about 1 cup of it in hot water, after it "puffs" I refrigerate it and that's enough for a couple days. They eat it right out of the dish. With a good brand of puppy food I've never added supplements and had no problems. They'll get treats like chopped up apple.
But I hand raised them on Hill's a/d with a dropper - and they gaped so it was easy. a/d is nutritionally complete so you don't need to add anything to it. It's a "recovery" diet for sick dogs and cats. It can only be bought at a veterinarian's office.


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

I bought Mynah and Softbill pellets and puppy chow. Placed in separate dishes and added cooked rice and chopped fruits bowl. 
It went fairly well after several attempts to bite off my fingers (his beak is bit stronger than pigeon’s) it swallowed one of each treats. By the end of the day it was eating mostly Mynah pellets and started pooping bit softer, but normal poop. I heard also his voice, its quite loud for such a small birdy. 
Thank you for the help and advice.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

You can also treat the bird with hard boiled chopped egg and bits of cheese. I would think the bird would enjoy meal worms too.


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## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

yes soaked dog kibble, even a little game crumble or pellets, hard boiled egg, berries, like blueberries or anything native that grows around your area, bits of apple(no apple seeds)
mealworms, wax worms, even composting worms he would love.
very pretty little guy


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

plamenh said:


> I bought Mynah and Softbill pellets and puppy chow. Placed in separate dishes and added cooked rice and chopped fruits bowl.
> It went fairly well* after several attempts to bite off my fingers* (his beak is bit stronger than pigeon’s) it swallowed one of each treats. By the end of the day it was eating mostly Mynah pellets and started pooping bit softer, but normal poop. I heard also his voice, its quite loud for such a small birdy.
> Thank you for the help and advice.


LOL, very strong beaks! They'll try to stab you also  ouch


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

I'll keep on experimenting tomorrow. The most important is that he is eating. Mynah & Softbill pellets are formulated for insectivores so it should provide him for the begining.


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

plamenh said:


> I'll keep on experimenting tomorrow. The most important is that he is eating. Mynah & Softbill pellets are formulated for insectivores so it should provide him for the begining.


As long as it is formulated for insectivores, it will be fine.
I also buy, canned crickets, mealworms and grasshoppers at the pet store. 
Their in the reptile section.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

plamenh said:


> I'll keep on experimenting tomorrow. The most important is that he is eating. Mynah & Softbill pellets are formulated for insectivores so it should provide him for the begining.


Im so sure you will do a great job with him, your really fantastic with everthing else.


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## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

how the thrush doin


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

He is fine, eating and pooping. I placed a flat perch in the cage, he managed to perch despite bad leg, so I believe he is feeling more secure on it.










I wish I could do something about his bad leg, but it is allready healed and there is no way I could break bones and start all over again.


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

He sounds like he's doing GRRRREAT, Plamenh!! 

I've seen pijies around who have a leg/foot like that and they seem to get around quite well...'course they fly too.

Look forward to Francois' further adventures!! I have this funny feelin' that he is gonna be one spoiled birdie! 

Sending Love, Hugs and Scritches

Shi and the gang


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## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

you might be able to put a shoe on that foot, does he have any pain response in the toes and foot?can he put any weight on it?


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

altgirl35 said:


> you might be able to put a shoe on that foot, does he have any pain response in the toes and foot?can he put any weight on it?


I was thinking along this way, but it is an old injury and toes are curled without movement in them. I saw im hobbling in my garden several months ago, but he was flying ine then.
He is still using leg for support and balance, one of the toes is deformed as he places weight on knuckle.
He can perch nicely and eats well so far.


















I can post better picture of the leg if you like.


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## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

u still may be able to flatten out his foot with a shoe, so he will have better use of it even if some of the toes are not working, yes post a better pick so i can see


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## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

i did it with a crow this summer who also had and old break 
her foot wasn't a 100% when done, but she was able to perch and hang on with 2 of her toes, and her landing was perfect.
she wasn't disable enough to prevent her from being released, she's now out flying free with the local murder
done with many little guys like your thrush here


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

Francois - mad at me that I cought him for examination








Broken leg and deformed toes








Toes again









Not the best pictures, but this is what I managed to get


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## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

ooo, i can't see!
toes look dark, are they dying?
how about pain sensation, does he feel them?


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

Toes are just dirty with caked poop on them. I tried to clean them, but won't get off after soaking in the water. Flesh is healthy and there is a blood circulation and warmth in them. He can feel them as it was pulling his leg when I was cleaning him, but no movement in the toes so far.


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## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

i think you should defiantly try the shoe then, it's really worth it if it works.
take all the perches out while he has it on.
find some kind of thin plastic that is easy to cut and light weight, needs to be a little stiff.
tape each toe down in the proper position with paper tape, then go over the top of the paper tape with a good waterproof tape.
only give him a small diameter bowl to drink, so hopefully he wont be in it.
here's a very crude drawing of a shoe, but hopefully you get the idea


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## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

leave it on for 10 days and you may need to do for another 10 if it curls back up.
but hopefully not, if you have any metacam it might be good to give him some for the first few days, it's going to be uncomfortable for him getting all those muscles and tendons stretched out


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## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

oh, and you can measure where to cut by standing him on his good foot to make a template


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

Thank you, I'll do it using plastic from mans shirt collar it should be light enough and flexible, but stiff at the same time.


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

Oh, the poor little guy 
My American Robin had a deformed foot. All the toes (on one foot) were intertwined, and the rear toe curled up underneath coming up thru the front, making his foot a tight "ball". He could perch but his landings were always a little rough.


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## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

ive had a lot of robins with feet like that at least 6 in the last 3 yrs, seems to be the most common bird i get with clenched foot, the shoe worked every time.
the crow was different, it was because of a break, his was more floppy and useless and he would rest on his knuckles, like our thrush here, i hope it works, you could see the gratitude on the crows face once i took that shoe off and she could stand normally, she was so excited to be able to hop around and perch with her adoptive brother


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

He is eating like there is no tomorrow. I added puppy chow small pellets and yesterday he were cleaning one dish for a day, today is trying to finish both dishes. Full of energy, hopping around and chiriping. I'll get him shoed on saturday as he will need propper leg cleaning and fixing and I will have more time to check on him this first day.


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

Sure hope the "shoe" works, Plamenh!! 

We will all be waiting anxiously for updates...

Even if his foot remains in the same position, Francois can still have a wonderful long life with you! Sounds like he is doing quite well! 

Love, Hugs and Scritches

Shi


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

Today he almost got me. I cleaned his cage as bellow his favorite place on the perch was poop structure similar in shape and size to Cheops Pyramid.
I noticed his poop runny after that and started worrying. Before I went medicine happy, I had some other things to do. When I came back in the loft, his poop was back to normal. Diarrhea was just because of excitement when changing newspapers on the cage floor.
(Or just allergy reaction on me being so close)


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