budgies feet drying out

Question
QUESTION: i have got a budgie and his feets are drying out it started from his nails first and then fingers.
the nail and fingers are gone red and dry. the top skin is coming off.with his right feet basically there is no fingers left and the redness is keep going up toward his legs. i am worried is he gonna loss his legs. i also want to know if its harmful for my family members or for my pregnant sister to stay around him.

ANSWER: He may have a condition called scaly leg which is caused by a mite infestation.  This is treatable and usually won't cause serious harm if you treat it right away.  Call a vet and have him seen to make sure that this is the problem.  You can buy a powder or spray from them that will clear the mites up and allow the area to heal.

The type of mites that infect birds cannot infect humans.  They can't get through the skin.  Your sister should be fine, but if she touches the bird, make sure that she washes her hands with anti-bacterial soap afterward.  She also shouldn't handle the bird's poop because this can transmit diseases, some of which may pass to the baby.  But I doubt that your sister would want to touch your bird's poop anyway.

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QUESTION: i went to bird clinic and the lady told me that the feet should get cut off otherwise it will go toward his legs which is already happening.
if she will cut his feet he won't be able to walk which is not a good idea. the lady doctor didn't know about any other treatment. do you know how to get those feet better again or stop them from drying before it gets too late.

Answer
If you went to an actual avian clinic, they are probably right.  Sometimes if you take them to a general vet, you may want to get an avian vet's opinion, but since you've already been to one, that's probably the best option.  Do you know if both of them will need to be removed?  Ask her if there's any way to save some of the feet.  Amputation is never considered for anything but a last resort.  Your vet wouldn't recommend it if it weren't necessary.

At this point, it's too late to try other treatments.  Feet problems can be due to gout caused by kidney problems, mites or lice, or cancer and many other conditions.  If there were something else you could do, I'm sure that the vet would have told you.

Another option that you may want to consider is having him put to sleep.  Amputation of both feet is a traumatic thing for a bird, and he may not be able to feed himself properly, fall and injure himself, or die from complications from the surgery.  Ultimately this is your decision.