HELP! 911

[DayosMom]

Our Conure broke a blood feather completely off.

The question is: do we pull the feather out since it is completely broken off; or do we leave it in. (afraid of bleeding to death)

Thanks

[judygram]

If it is still bleeding, I think it needs to be pulled out. Can you take it to a vet?

[DayosMom]

It doesn't appear to be. I suggested this too.

But he is checking it out, beaking, and ruffeled up more than usual.

[Talon]

DayosMom,

 

read this link there is some good info. for this.

 

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=15&cat=1912&articleid=2691

[DayosMom]

Thanks Talon

Very helpful. I think its broken below the skin. We can't see the tip. He appears to be ok for the moment.

We'll watch and see.

[judygram]

Keep us updated Kim.

[DayosMom]

Ok, Dan is bleeding now (lol) We looked at Jakes wing and it looks like the feather is broken at the skin line.

 

We called three vets, two don't do Parrots at all and the one that does only has one Vet that is out of town until Tuesday. So we are going to just watch for any further bleeding. Jake is in his cage and calm now. We feel better after looking closely at his wing.

 

Whats weird is; Jake didn't do anything to break the feather. He just hopped on the couch to get to the window. No trama involved at all.

 

Anyway, we are calm now, and I need to go tend to Dan. He may need a transfusion,,,,hahaha.

 

Thank you.

 

Post edited by: DayosMom, at: 2007/07/14 21:13<br><br>Post edited by: DayosMom, at: 2007/07/14 21:14

[judygram]

Well you go patch up Dan, I hope he is not too bad, and keep an eye on Jake but I think everything is going to be allright, lets hope anyway. Keep us informed.

[danmcq]

Hi Talon - Thanks for the link! I had styptic ready, needle nose pliers etc. It turned out that there is nothing to get a hold of and it appears to have stopped. Just now he is playing with one of his toys! So we will keep a close eye on him.

 

Judy - Wounds are ok and bleeding stopped on my side :-)

 

Now I'm wondering.....If that was a Grey, I would be missing at least half of two fingers and a large piece of flesh out of the back of my hand. :ohmy:

 

Hopefully, once we get to bring Dayo home, we will get him used to being handled, wings manually folded out while being held etc. But, I am not certain for example, how you would avoid getting a bad bite when you pull a blood feather which would obviously inflect pain?<br><br>Post edited by: danmcq, at: 2007/07/14 21:32

[judygram]

Well that is where a towel comes in handy to wrap them up in to do such things to them. That will be one of your play things to get your grey used to a hand towel. Use it as a hide and seek game or something to get them used to being in it, under it and not be afraid to be in it. Because you never know when you will have to use it for restraint. Of course you could also take it to the vet and have them pull it out, they can do it painlessly.

Glad you weren't hurt too bad and the conure is ok.

[Guest Lidia]

Dan,

 

Welcome to Scar City!

 

I am sure Jake will be fine. This thing is, that even though there can be a lot of blood when a feather breaks, and it is very frightening to see, the blood does clot and unless Jake picks at it, he should be okay.

 

Big kisses to you and Dayo's Mum for tramua relief!

 

XXXXX

[danmcq]

Thanks Judy - Yes, I had him toweled, but in using my other hand to assist Kim in getting a look at his wing and feathers, He got it good a couple of times....I assure you next time I will have one eye on the wing and the other on the bare hand ;-)

 

Lidia - LOL - That was a club I really did not want to join, but knew it was inevitable :-)

 

You words regarding the coagulation are holding true and Jake is eating and playing with his toy on and off.

 

One thought has occurred to me though, in the wild, birds have no one but themselves and blood coagulation to count on for surviving through this. It would seem that, this type of thing would happen more often as they flap off from an animal of prey or through a scraggly tree.

 

You would think that if this was such a life threatening ordeal, that we would observe dead birds all the time....

 

I do know, everything I read online in a 60 second of mad dash web searching. Said to pull the rest of the feather from the socket ensuring you got the ball at the base with it.

[judygram]

Maybe you could wear a glove next time, I haven't been faced with this situation yet so I don't know how I will handle it.

I'm sure in the wild stuff like this happens all the time and the bird either lives with it or dies.

Glad it is all over and you heal up nicely.{Feel-bad-00020080}

[Talon]

Gloves would help, but be for-warned..... Talon goes crazy if she sees a glove on anyone's hand. No matter if you want her to step up, give her a treat, a toy,whatever! Gloves in my house have to be taken off, or it is definitely time to call 911, Josh, the medic!:laugh:

[danmcq]

Hi Talon,

 

Thanks for the advanced warning. :-)

 

I tried to use a glove the first time I was trying to train Jake to step up. He hated the glove more than my hand and attacked it with a fury I have not seen since. Well, except for the medical exam today ;-)

 

I took the glove off and he stepped up for me with just a mild to hard bite on my hand, versus the full out beak attack with razor blades inserted with the Glove on :blink:<br><br>Post edited by: danmcq, at: 2007/07/15 04:18

[judygram]

Yikes!!!!!!!!!!!! maybe no gloves after all, I haven't tried that with Josey, but I'm sure it would get the same response. Ouch!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[danmcq]

If you use gloves, you should get some that look like the huge Gloves Welders use that go up to the mid forearm.

 

I have seen pictures of the Poachers in Africa using heavy duty gloves like that when handling the Greys to get them in the Cages.

 

Anything else would be too then to stop that powerful beak, but it would slow it down a little and lessen the wound.

 

Of course I am just being outlandish, no one would use gloves like that, other than poachers or Hawk handlers.....Judy, don't do it.....I was just teasing ;-)<br><br>Post edited by: danmcq, at: 2007/07/15 04:51

[judygram]

Sounds like a good idea, gloves would have to be pretty thick or heavy duty to stop those beaks.

[Talon]

MY advice to everyone.........is NO GLOVES!! I have never heard of a bird that didn't go after them with vengeance! :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

 

But I could be wrong......sometimes I am! :laugh: :laugh:

 

STOP LAUGHING EVEYONE!!