Situations arise that will require you to take immediate, sometimes lifesaving action.
The number one safety precaution in a bird home is to have an avian veterinarian who has seen your bird(s) for a normal wellness exam. You don't want to be calling fellow bird club members or friends at the time of an emergency to find a qualified avian veterinarian. You will waste valuable time that may potentially save your pet from permanent damage or even death.
Handle your bird gently and calmly. Birds feel your stress, so the more stressed you become; the more stressed the bird will also become
Respiratory distress
Signs of laboured breathing (huffing and puffing) may include any or all of the following: open-mouthed breathing, frequent sneezing, wheezing, clicking sounds, tail bobbing (especially budgies and cockatiels) or a constantly outstretched neck. There may also be discharge from the nares and the area around the eyes (the sinuses) may be swollen. The bird may vomit, shiver, be anorexic, have diarrhea, lethargy, weakness, ruffled feathers or swollen abdomen.
What to do?
Any respiratory problem should be considered an emergency and the bird should be taken to the bird-vet immediately. Until you get the bird to the avian-vet, keep it warm and use a vaporizer near the cage so the bird can ingest ward, moist air. Do not wait overnight. An avian veterinarian will know this is an emergency and would never ask you to come the next day. If you notice acute respiratory problems at night or on the weekend and your vet isn't open, you need to get to an emergency vet service immediately.
Anorexia (Loss of Appetite)
A bird's metabolic rate is very high, requiring almost constant intake. If you notice your bird is not eating as much as it normally does, or refuses food altogether, the situation is serious. Your avian veterinarian should exam your small bird if it hasn't eaten for 12 hours. A large bird that has not eaten for 24 hours also should be seen by a bird vet immediately. A longer time frame than that may prove to be fatal.
What to do?
Try feeding the bird anything - safe - just get it to eat. If you have hand feeding formula available, mix some up, keeping it slightly liquid, and try to hand feed. If that doesn't work keep the bird warm and get to the "bird vet nearest me" as soon as possible.
Bleeding
Blood anywhere on the bird or its cage is cause for immediate investigation. Birds do not have a large volume of blood and any blood loss can be detrimental or even fatal to a bird.
What to do?
The first thing to do is find the source of the bleeding. Have styptic powder, cornstarch or flour available. Use gentle pressure to hold the area for two minutes . If its superficial corn flour can help the blood clot. After the bleeding has stopped, a trip to the "bird vet near me" is recommended. If any signs of listlessness, weakness, paralysis or respiratory distress are noted, a bird vet trip is mandatory. If the bleeding continues on the way to the Avian vet, have someone else drive so the passenger can apply pressure to the bleeding area.
Blood feathers
A blood feather is a feather in the process of growing in. It has a nerve and blood supply. Occasionally, a blood feather will break and bleed profusely. These feathers must be pulled out completely or they will continue to bleed and the bird may die from loss of blood and stress.
What to do?
Use sturdy tweezers, or a pair of needle-nosed pliers. Grasp the feather firmly and pull it out, always applying pressure in the direction in which the feather is growing. Take care not to pull out the feather follicle. If you see blood oozing from the feather follicle after pulling out the feather, apply styptic powder or use direct pressure on the site (three minutes, no peeking). Keep the bird quiet and warm. Watch for continued bleeding, as outlined above.
Bite wounds, cuts, abrasions
Bite wounds, cuts, and abrasions are usually a result of trauma, but can also be caused by self-mutilation.
What to do?
Stop the bleeding as referenced above. Clean the area with saline. Keep the bird warm and quiet. Watch for signs of shock or infectiony, see your " avian vet near me". If it is a case of self-mutilation, seeing your bird-vet is mandatory.
Note: One wound, which should always be seen immediately by your avian vet, is a cat bite. Cats transmit a bacterium called Pasteurella. Birds are very susceptible to it and can die within 24 hours of Pasteurella septicemia. Birds will need to be put on antibiotic therapy immediately after the cat bite to ensure the infection does not spread throughout the body.
Blood in the stool
Whether it is bright red or tar-like (black) in color and consistency, blood in the stool always indicates a serious condition. An avian vet should see the bird as soon as possible. Keep the bird warm and quiet until you can get it to your vet.
Burns
Thermal Burns may be caused by flame, electricity, hot grease or hot water.
What to do?
Spray or flush the area with cool water - and then see an Bird vet.
Egg binding
This is a potentially life-threatening situation. If the egg is lodged against the bones of the hen's pelvis, her kidneys could be crushed, causing her to go into shock and die. Another consequence can be that the compression of the outlets of the ureters can lead to the hen not being able to pass urine or feces, also causing the bird's death. Signs of egg binding include weakness, abdominal swelling, squatting and straining, paralysis or weakness in the legs, breathing difficulty, fluffed feathers, visualizing the egg at the outlet of cloaca, red mass of tissue protruding from cloaca (prolapse).
What to do?
Move the bird into a warm, steamy environment. Calcium - Dried milk or ground cuttlebone. If the egg is not been passed in that time, a trip to the bird vet is necessary. Do not try to remove the egg yourself. If the egg cracks while you are trying to remove it, the bird will probably die from septicemia. Removing the egg is a job for the bird vet.
Foreign object in eye
Often a small piece of seed hull or feather chaff may get lodged in a bird's eye.
What to do?
Place a very small amount of sterile ophthalmic ointment or sterile KY Jelly on the eye. It will do an excellent job of soothing irritated tissues and "float" out the object. If the bird has not experienced relief in 2 to 3 hours, a trip to the "avian vet mear me" is necessary.
Fractures
Wrap the bird loosely with soft towelling to prevent movement of wings and legs. Keep the bird warm and quiet. A trip to the bird vet is necessary.
Heatstroke
The ultimate concern in the first aid of heatstroke is to get the bird's body temperature lowered immediately.
What to do?
- Spray the feathers.
- Place the bird in an air-conditioned room or in front of a fan.
- Immerse the bird's feed in cold water or place cold water, a few drops at a time, in the bird's vent with a syringe or dropper to help lower internal temperature rapidly.
- If the bird is conscious, allow it to drink - or give it manually - a few drops of water at a time.
There is always the danger of shock following heatstroke. Water the bird carefully - when its panting has lessened and it appears more alert and comfortable to prevent chills. Keep it quiet and get it to the "bird vet nearest me" immediately.
Leg band problems
If the bird has caught its leg on the cage wire, do not attempt to disentangle it by yourself. Have someone else support the bird while you take a pair of wire cutters, cut off the wire holding the leg band, and immediately transport the bird to the vet to remove the leg band and wire. It is very easy to cut off the bird's leg or foot with the wire cutters. If that happens, the bird will most likely die of shock and pain.
Poisoning
Take the bird immediately to the Bird vet. If you know what the bird got into, take the whole bottle, jar, etc., with you.
Shock
Signs of shock in birds are: Feathers fluffed, listlessness, rapid breathing, weakness, the skin of legs and feet are cool to the touch, unconsciousness.
What to do?
Shock requires immediately attention. Keep the bird warm and quiet. Handle the bird as little as possible. If you can, attempt to get it to take a high-calorie electrolyte solution (Pedialyte or Gatorade are two good ones). Avoid sudden movements while handling the bird. Notify the Bird vet nearby that you are on your way and go to the bird hospital immediately
First Aid and Your Pet Bird
It is a good idea to have a first aid kit put together in case of an emergency These are some of the things we have in our bird first aid kit at C.A.R.E., Inc.
- Eye Irrigation Solution - saline
- Fine Tweezers
- Magnification
- Hemostat
- Needle Nose Pliers
- Human Toenail Clipper
- Cotton Balls
- Q-Tips
- Styptic Powder
- Gauze Squares
- Vet Wrap (self-adhesive wrap you can get from your vet)
- Triple Antibiotic Ointment
- Towel
- Alcohol
It is also a good idea to have a heating pad available and a small aquarium or something similar in case you need to keep the bird warm in a confined area, for instance, if they go into shock or contract a respiratory infection. (Information based on Lori A. Drew, CVT, CAS C.A.R.E., Inc.)