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African Grey Fracture and Foreign Body Removal for Long Island Patient at Long Island Bird & Exotics Veterinary Clinic

  • Shachar Malka
  • Dec 22, 2025
  • 2 min read

African Grey Fracture & Foreign Body Removal


Species: Congo African Grey Parrot (Age 2)


Location: Long Island, NY


African Grey Fracture and Foreign Body Removal for Long Island Patient at Long Island Bird & Exotics Veterinary Clinic


African Grey parrots are renowned for their intelligence, but this curiosity can sometimes lead them into trouble. The Congo African Grey Parrot, a young 2-year-old patient, was brought to Long Island Bird & Exotics Veterinary Clinic for a second opinion regarding a healing leg fracture.


What we found highlights exactly why pet owners from Long Island and the five boroughs of NYC trust us with complex cases: we dig deeper. A standard check-up for a broken leg revealed a hidden, life-threatening issue inside the patient's stomach.


The Patient: A Second Opinion


The Congo African Grey Parrot presented with a weakness in the right leg. The patient had a history of a tibiotarsal fracture (lower leg bone) that was healing but causing issues. The previous bloodwork showed some abnormalities (hypocalcemia), but the current exam was largely unremarkable aside from the limb weakness.


The Diagnosis: The "CT Scan" Difference


To fully evaluate the fracture and ensure the bone was healing correctly, we recommended a CT Scan. The findings were unexpected:

  1. Foreign Body: There was a foreign object lodged inside the patient's proventriculus (stomach).

  2. Fracture Malunion: The leg bone had healed in a distorted way, affecting the muscles and nerves.

  3. Heart Disease: Surprisingly for a bird this young, we found mild atherosclerosis and signs of early cardiomyopathy (heart disease).

The Treatment: Endoscopy & Cardiac Care


The discovery of the foreign body changed the priority immediately.

  • Endoscopy: We sedated the patient and successfully removed the foreign object from the stomach using a flexible endoscope, avoiding invasive surgery.

  • Cardiac Workup: We performed an Echocardiogram to assess the heart function further.

  • Management: The Congo African Grey Parrot is now on a monitoring plan for the heart and leg.

Recovery


The patient recovered well from the procedure. By using advanced imaging, we treated a "silent" problem (the foreign body) before it became a fatal obstruction.


FAQs

  • Why do African Greys get heart disease? Atherosclerosis is unfortunately common in Greys. Diet plays a huge role; we recommend high-quality pellets and limited seeds/nuts.

  • What is Endoscopy? It is a minimally invasive procedure using a small camera to see inside the body (or remove objects) without making large incisions.

Contact Long Island Bird & Exotics Veterinary Clinic:

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