Dealing With a Bleeding Parrot
By Emily McNair
Blood can be well, disgusting to deal with.
Nothing is more heart wrenching or perhaps nerve wracking to find your bird
suddenly has an injury that is bleeding and needs to be dealt with immediately.
If your bird started bleeding right now, would you know what to do? Because
birds are small, a seemingly low amount of blood loss to us can mean a major
loss to them.
When handling a bird to control bleeding, a good restraint technique is
important to ensure that the bird is being immobilized, while not getting
overheated. Holding the bird in a towel or small blanket will help immobilize
and calm the bird.
Bleeding from broken blood feathers:
Breaking a blood feather is not uncommon, especially in the species that tend to
be rough, like caiques. Feathers are delicate when growing in, and because a new
feather does have a blood supply, can bleed quite badly. When trying to stop
bleeding on a blood feather, do not apply silver nitrate or commercial aids like
kwik stop, as these products can actually damage the feather follicle. Apply
pressure to the area and wait. If the bleeding stops, observe the bird
carefully. Depending on the location of the feather, you may want to pull the
feather to prevent future issues. If you are not comfortable with pulling the
feather yourself, take the bird to your local avian vet so they can show you the
proper procedure.
Bleeding from nails:
You can apply a commercial aid such as silver nitrate stick, or kwik stop to the
area with pressure until bleeding has subsides. Silver nitrate and kwik stop are
clotting agents that will help slow the blood flow. If you don't have these
products on hand, you can also apply corn starch or flour to the area, as these
home remedies also will help clot.
Bleeding from beak
It does happen. On more than one occasion my clumsy caique has bonked his beak
on something, cracked the very tip, and caused some blood flow. In this case,
you want to apply pressure, corn starch, or flour. Avoid agents like kwik stop,
as they will cause a burning sensation, and a bird's beak is very sensitive.
Once the bleeding has stopped, apply something like Nu Skin, or another form of
liquid bandage over the area to help protect and seal the wound.
Once the bleeding has stopped and the bird is stable, the bird should be
assessed by your avian vet to see if other precautionary measures need to be
taken. Beak injuries are painful, so offer your bird a soft diet alternative
until the injury has healed and the bird is able to resume a normal diet.
Bleeding from the vent:
In the situation that your bird is bleeding from the vent, rush to your local
vent immediately. Bleeding from the vent can stem from a number of causes
including egg binding, polyp, and ulcer. Keep your bird warm and quiet until you
can see your local veterinarian.
Emily is very active in the avian community participating in numerous websites
and online communities for parrot owners. Emily is also a moderator at http://www.BirdBoard.com.
She is head writer for http://www.BirdToys.com and online shopping portal for
fun and unique bird toys, bird food, cages, and supplies.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Emily_McNair
http://EzineArticles.com/?Dealing-With-a-Bleeding-Parrot&id=2120560