Cockatiel toe injury

Question
My daughter has two Cockatiel, a male & a female.  Somehow the other night, some kind of pink thread was found wrapped around both of their feet, entwining them together.  (we suspect the two year old sister was "feeding" them. Won't happen again, I assure you.)We held them still & together were able to get it off.  It had dug into the female's foot pretty deep, & had turned purple.  Within an hour the color had begun to go back into the injured toe, so we decided we would watch her closely.  It's been two days, & she's been perching but not always gripping with the injured toe.  She keeps pecking & chewing at it until it bleeds.  I wrapped it and taped it gently last night to keep her from chewing it so much, & when I checked it this morning it looked slightly swollen at the toenail.  She immediately chewed it until it bled.  I want to help the bird, but a Vet bill is something I cannot afford at this moment, having lost my job recently.  Help!  These birds are my twelve year old daughter's EVERYTHING!

Answer
Hello,
Honestly, the only thing I can think of is for you to continue what your doing. Just leave the bird alone, and do not put anything around the injury. Just leave it be. I would try and rinse it with warn water though, holding your cockatiel carefully.

The same thing is what caused my Ringneck Dove's death a while ago. My father lost his job, and we were not able to take the bird to the vet, resulting in 2 of my long gone doves..You should always make sure you have enough money to care for birds. Even if it costs you not having one at all. Try saving money in a separate bank account containing at least $500 before you even purchase your pet. That way, if something does come up, you will be able to use your "pet money" to save your animal's life. It stinks that a bird will become sick or injured very easily.


Hope this helps,
and good luck!