First Aid and Emergencies

Every parrot owner will come across an emergency, maybe it is the middle of the night, or you cannot get to your avian vet till the morning. What can you do to aid your bird in such a situation? Firstly the are some basic guidelines that you need to follow to keep your bird stable until you can get the bird to your avian vet.

First of all, make sure the bird is warm, the temperature in the vicinity of a sick bird should be at least 30C (86F), the smaller the bird the higher the temperature should be, small birds can be placed in a hospital cage, larger parrots will benefit from the heat of a infrared lamp, ceramic (dull-emitter) is best. Place the lamp above the cage allowing an area where the bird can move to should he become too warm.

Encourage the bird to drink, it is vital the bird does not become dehydrated, put some glucose in the water if available. If the bird is tame offer something from a spoon, or via a plastic syringe (available from Northern Parrots and the Birdcare Company) such as sweetened hand-feeding formula or baby food. You can also give Poly-aid or Spark, available from the Birdcare Company. If your bird is not used to being handled, you will have to use a towel to wrap the bird in to enable you to administer the liquid or feed.

Keep your bird warm and away from other birds or pets. Place the cage somewhere quiet where there are no disturbances.On no account should you administer antibiotics, if you use the wrong type or overdose it could kill your bird, it would also invalidate any tests the vet will carry out.

Bleeding:-

The three most common sources of bleeding with pet birds is a broken blood feather, a torn toenail or a chipped beak. Owners are always terrified when they see their pet bird bleeding. The first and most important thing to do is remain calm. Our pets sense our anxiety and will bleed more because their blood pressure becomes elevated. Therefore, we need to calmly examine the bird and determine the source of blood.

Nails and beaks occasionally will be torn or chipped. Apply a styptic pencil or household flour to the area. Then apply pressure for 2-3 minutes. The beak will sometimes have a separation between the layers. This is best treated by firmly pushing the flour in between the layers. If the bleeding continues, apply firm pressure to the area for 5 minutes.

Blood feathers are immature feathers that contain a network of blood vessels. Owners should first try filling the broken shaft with flour. If the feather continues to bleed, the owner can grasp the base of the feather and pull it out. They then need to be sure to pinch the follicle (the collar of skin that held the feather) for a full 3-5 minutes. If the shaft of the feather is broken at the follicle or inside the follicle, apply flour and pressure.

Skin lacerations or cuts should be treated slightly differently. Do not apply flour to a cut in the skin. Clean the wound with sterile water and apply pressure for 3-5 minutes. If the laceration is less than ¼ inch, the wound can be cleaned twice a day with hydrogen peroxide until healed. If the laceration is greater than ¼ inch, this should be checked by your veterinarian to see if sutures are required.

In any situation in which bleeding can not be controlled, contact your veterinarian. On the trip to the veterinarian, someone should maintain pressure to the bleeding area. The majority of birds will clot within 5 minutes with pressure applied to the area. Occasionally, a bird will have a problem forming a clot. These birds definitely should be seen by a veterinarian to determine the source of the bleeding disorder

If your bird is bleeding and you need to stem the blood either from the claws or beak try using a styptic pencil first, you can buy these from good pet stores or your avian vet. Apply the pencil to the area required.

If your bird is bleeding elsewhere try using cotton wool or flour and apply this to the wound firmly, but do not apply too much pressure.

Make sure you get your bird to the vet as soon as possible, don't delay the visit, delays could cost your bird its' life.

Useful items to always have at hand:-

Ceramic Infrared Lamp, Small, Sharp Scissors, Thermometer

Styptic Pencil, Small Syringe, Bent Feeding Spoon

'Poly-aid' or 'Spark' from the Birdcare Company or Hand feeding formula

Cotton Wool, Towel - for wrapping and securing your bird

Tweezers - for removing broken blood feathers, and/or splinter

Cotton Buds- for cleaning out small wounds, getting stuff out of a bird's mouth or throat.

Rubbing alcohol and alcohol swabs

Always keep your avian vets telephone number at hand, the last thing you need to panic about is a misplaced phone number!

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