You know how pet
birds are; we're known for getting into trouble if we are not watched
closely. So let's talk about some special situations, and as time
goes on and I think of more situations, I'll add more items to this
page.
Sticky Fly Traps
You think your bird's wings are clipped well enough, and oops, he
takes wing and becomes entangled in that fly strip you thought was
up and out of the way.......
Now What???
First.......DO NOT PANIC!!! Quickly clip as much of the strip as
you can away to prevent further tangling. Try untangling the remainder
of the fly strip, but you might have to clip away any badly stuck
feathers. DO NOT wet the feathers down right away. Instead, grab
that jar of peanut butter you keep on the shelf, and rub some peanut
butter onto the sticky feathers. Don't be afraid, I know this sounds
rather unusual, but trust me, and don't be too skimpy with the peanut
butter. I mean, really spread it on all affected areas and lightly
rub it in. It will begin to loosen some of the goo. Next grab that
bottle of Dawn Dishwashing Liquid (Yes, it should be Dawn) that
you have been keeping for just such emergencies. Gently rub undiluted
(no water) Dawn Dishwashing Liquid right into the feathers and peanut
butter. Once you have worked it in, gently rinse with water (You
may have to hold your fid under the shower or kitchen sink sprayer
for this job) and the Goo, Peanut Butter and the Dawn Soap should
all rinse out of your fid's feathers. You may aid drying by gently
toweling or by whatever means you would normally dry your fid after
a bath, but be careful to avoid chills. Your bird is probably already
shocked enough from his experience, and you should keep him warm
and out of drafts until he is dry.
Broken Blood Feather
Now our feathers have a rich blood supply when they are growing.
If we somehow break one of those blood feathers, we'll bleed all
over you, and that is not good. We might break one while playing,
or you might clip one too closely while doing a wing-trim, but whatever
the situation, it is potentially dangerous for us to bleed. We have
such a small blood supply to start with, so please do whatever you
can to stop any bleeding.
There are two commonly suggested interventions you can make:
- This is the one that now is being recommended as being the
best. Just grab some plain ole flour or cornstarch and apply
it to the broken end, hoping it will promote clotting. Some
people use styptic powder, but PLEASE, don't use it unless you
Just have to....it hurts a whole bunch. (Next time you cut yourself
try to use it and you'll see what I mean.) You may also try
applying slight pressure, but that is difficult to do on a broken
feather.
- The second method should only be used if the first one doesn't
work! Get a pair of hemostats or small needle-nosed pliers ,
grasp the broken feather as close to the skin as possible. Hold
the skin firmly, then quickly and firmly pull the feather straight
out. (Don't worry it will eventually grow back.) There may be
a small amount of bleeding after pulling the feather, and this
time you can apply light pressure, or if need be repeat the
application of cornstarch or flour.
I was clipping toenails and now they're bleeding!!!!
This happens to the best of slaves on occasion. Try using direct
pressure and flour or cornstarch to stop the bleeding. You might
need to use a Styptic powder, Be sure to rub any of these into the
nail where it is bleeding, you sort of need to *pack* it a bit.
The bleeding should stop without any problems.
If the above methods have NOT worked, this is to be used as a LAST
RESORT!!! This is to be used only if you CAN NOT reach a Vet or
he far enough away you might not make it in time. Strike a wooden
match, blow it out and immediately apply the hot tip to the END
of the nail. It will cauterize the nail. But remember this is The
Last thing to try and only for the situations I stated.
REMEMBER: In the rare event you cannot stop
bleeding by using the above methods, call your Vet immediately.
If I have a serious wound, it may have to be cauterized.
My Parrot just laid an EGG!!!!!!!
First, if you have a mating pair, Congratulations!!!!! You might
become a grandparront!!!
If your Parrot is single, however, don't panic. First: Whether
your baby has been bred or whether she is simply laying eggs, pay
attention to her nutritional requirements. Egg laying can deplete
her body's supply of calcium. Make sure you offer some calcium rich
foods as well as a mineral or calcium block.
Other than that, unless your baby appears to be in some distress,
you basically should do nothing immediately. Do not immediately
remove the eggs. If you do remove them immediately, your baby will
simply keep laying and will wear herself out. Allow her to sit and
tend to the eggs. She should lose interest in them when they fail
to hatch, at which time you can probably safely remove them, one
at a time. It may help to readjust her hormones if you reduce the
hours of light she gets, If for some reason you baby continues to
lay on a regular basis (without being bred) you may want to consult
with your Avian Vet. You should be informed about potential problems
such as egg binding, etc. so you will know what to watch for and
what to do.
NOTE (Again): If your single female starts laying, that does not
mean you should run out and try to find a mate for her. Placing
her in a breeding situation could change her personality and the
way she bonds with you, You could well loose your loving pet.
My Parrot got loose and flew away!!!!
Note: Prevention is worth a pound of cure, and the best prevention
is keeping your fids wings clipped.
If your fid does get loose, try to keep him/her in sight. Send
someone to get some of the fid's favorite treats or toys. You keep
the bird in sight, if possible, and call to your baby. Sometimes,
you can make your baby jealous by hugging, kissing, or playing with
a spouse, child or animal the fid is already jealous of, and he
may come to your rescue, lol.
If you can't talk your bird down, set his cage out in plain view
with his favorite foods and toys on the inside and on the top. Often,
at dusk, they will come to their cage (nest) for "nite-nite".
If the bird has flown and cannot be seen, post fliers all over,
carry pictures of you baby, offer rewards (especially to kids who
might see your bird and come and tell you), call all Vets and animal
shelters in the area, inform all your neighbors, and notify any
local bird clubs. Post notices in stores, pet stores, call radio
and television stations.....In short, do anything you can think
of to get the word out.
Keep watching, especially around dawn and dusk, and hopefully your
bird will get hungry and come home.
Help I got a new Parrot and they fight!!!
First you need to quarantine the new bird for at least 60 days.
Then try using this method:
"IMHO, the Quarantine is the best time to start introducing
them. Not face to face but by sound. When your new bird squawks,
screams or screeches, point it out to the "old" bird.
Make a big deal out of it. Ask the "old" bird if he heard
that and ask what it is. Get his curiosity up.
When Quarantine is over, get each bird soaking wet. I don't mean
a little spritz here and a little spritz there, like you were putting
perfume on..I mean SOAK em down good. (BTW, this is how a bath or
shower should be anyway). Go to a neutral room and throw seeds all
over the floor. Yes SEEDS. This is where you have to figure out
which bird to take in first. I always take the new bird in first
and let him start scrounging for seeds. Then introduce the other
bird. At this writing I have a Jardines, a Lilac Crown Amazon, 3
Parrots...well...4 if you count Paco a breeder that we brought out
to the living room. And this is how I introduced all the birds.
'Cept Nic Nac. She just sorta jumped right in there (didn't have
much choice! LOLOL) Don't get me wrong. There WILL be squabbles.
It has to do with the dominance thing I am sure, but only one bad
one that I had to break up. They all hang out on the same cages
and playgyms."
Help My Cat (or Dog) Got A Hold of My Bird!!!
CALL YOUR VET!!!
Your bird needs to have all the saliva cleaned off and started on
Antibiotics immediately!!! Do NOT delay til the morning or anything,
the saliva is TOXIC. This is a Grade A emergency! Along with the
antibiotics the vet needs to check for any injuries, no matter how
minor.
Help my Bird Died and I don't know why!!!!
As Horrible as this is, you really might want to have the vet necropsy
the bird to find out the cause of death. But a Birds tissues break
down Very Rapidly. To preserve the body to enable you to get it
to the Vet in a state where it can be necropsied, You must either
get it there IMMEDIATELY. If you can't get it there Immediately
(AND I do mean immediately, not in an hour or two...) Here is what
to do to extend the Window up to 12 hours or so. First you must
Wet the bird down with Soapy Water (We are talking of a dead bird,
not just a sick one) until the birds feathers are soaked, then you
need to rapidly chill the body in the refrigerator Not the Freezer.
Keep the Body cold Until you can get it to the Vet 12 hours MAX.
I'm sorry for the Gruesome Topic, but thought it might be helpful
to pass along the information our Vet gave us on this Subject.
help my parakeet pulled his entire wing off hes bleeding what shouldi do
he also hates all of his toys... he acts more like a baby bunny than a bird... i love him and i just need to know if everything is o.k.
thanks,
jesi