I recently noticed that my umbrella cockatoo's feet look strange. The skin under the nails looks like warts. Is this normal? My macaw's feet are soft to the touch.

-- Velda Gilham, Kent, Wash.

My 18-year-old cockatiel had a strange swelling on the bottom of his foot. It was large and didn't seem to have a hard texture like a callus or cancer. Using properly sterilized needles I drained it and a lot of blood came out, but no fluid or pus. I held a light up to it to see if there were veins in it like a vascular tumor's but it looked empty. It could be bumblefoot because of his old perches. It doesn't seem to bother him too much.

-- Anne, Chilliwack, B.C.

SOME BIRDS as they mature and age simply develop thickened skin on the toes and feet. However, wartlike lesions are not normal and may be caused by a type of herpes virus that seems to strike cockatoos more often than other species of parrots. Your veterinarian will need to perform a biopsy to know for sure. An anti-herpes ointment can help.

Lesions on the bottom of the foot often result from pressure from an unclean or improper size of perch. Like humans, birds can develop "corns" and bunion-like sores. A veterinarian should always evaluate a swollen foot. Don't try to drain the area yourself. These types of sores are often infected, which means a veterinarian needs to obtain a sample and culture it in order to prescribe the correct antibiotic.

Good sanitation and proper perches are vital for preventing foot problems. One-legged birds eventually develop arthritis because they must continually stand on one foot and can't shift their weight to relieve the pressure. In some cases where there has been extensive tissue damage or formation of scar tissue, surgery and long-term follow-up care may be necessary. Bumblefoot is the common name for septic arthritis in birds, which can infect and destroy both soft tissue and bones of the foot.

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