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Urgent Broken Blood Feather

PrettyBirdy

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Hi, my baby G2 Frankie broke an almost fully grown blood feather on the underside of her wing. The bleeding isn't bad, and actually seems to have stopped, but I decided to pull it, so it doesn't start. I toweled her, and tried, and tried again, but she's too big for me to hold her in a towel with one hand and have her wing out and being pulling her feather, without her wriggling away.

I'm not sure what to do. She's very stressed at this point, at some points she started panting so I backed off and gave her treats, but I'm just not sure...

Any tips?
 

faislaq

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If it's stopped bleeding, I'd be more worried about stressing her out by trying to remove it or holding her too tightly trying to towel her :what: but I've never pulled one before.

Some folks with more experience with blood feathers will be by shortly.
@Macawnutz. @iamwhoiam @TheOddFlock

@Birdbabe
 
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Macawnutz

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If it is done bleeding let it be.

I know the internet makes it sounds like a great option but you are pulling that feather out of their bone. It's hurts them and you.
If it is not bleeding I would let it be. Pulling a feather is only an option if I can't get it to stop.
 

iamwhoiam

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If the bleeding has stopped you shouldn't need to pull the feather. Also be sure to recheck because sometimes the bleeding can start again. If it's still bleeding you can try this first: apply pressure and then apply Kwik Stop or cornstarch and apply pressure again. If that doesn't work and it is still bleeding then you need to pull it. Do you have a friend or family member who can help? What were you using to pull it with? If you can't stop the bleeding and can't pull the feather then you need to get to a vet to do it for you.

When I've had to pull I wrap my bird in a towel like a burrito and then open up one side of the towel, spread the wing with one hand while supporting my bird against my body and then I just pull the feather/s with my other hand. It's not the easiest thing to do by yourself as you have discovered.

I had to bring my 'tiel, Kuiper, to the vet once because he broke multiple blood feathers and applying pressure and Kwik Stop didn't work. Wound up pulling the broken feathers but couldn't get to one and it kept bleeding so had to get him to the vet quickly. Hope Frankie is OK.
 
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enigma731

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If the bleeding has stopped you shouldn't need to pull the feather. Also be sure to recheck because sometimes the bleeding can start again. If it's still bleeding you can try this first: apply pressure and then apply Kwik Stop or cornstarch and apply pressure again. If that doesn't work and it is still bleeding then you need to pull it. Do you have a friend or family member who can help? What were you using to pull it with? If you can't stop the bleeding and can't pull the feather then you need to get to a vet to do it for you.

When I've had to pull I wrap my bird in a towel like a burrito and then open up one side of the towel, spread the wing with one hand while supporting my bird against my body and then I just pull the feather/s with my other hand. It's not the easiest thing to do by yourself as you have discovered.
Agreed, when I pull blood feathers on my own, I towel burrito the bird, then hold the bird's body in the crook of my arm (gently of course). Then I use the hand on the arm I'm using to hold the bird to extend the wing, and pull the feather with my other hand. I use a similar technique when I trim nails by myself.
 

Birdbabe

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If its not bleeding now, leave it, and maybe it'll be ok...
 

PrettyBirdy

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Update on everything! I had someone help me after a long debate with myself on what to do. We got the feather out, she's clearly happier, preening, beak grinding, and the feather was pretty bad. It was all split open and I will definitely sleep better tonight. I think it was the right decision at the end of the day, and a huge learning experience. Thanks for all the advice!!
 

enigma731

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Every time you do it, it will get easier! You're learning a really valuable skill, much as it sucks to have these things happen.
 

iamwhoiam

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Update on everything! I had someone help me after a long debate with myself on what to do. We got the feather out, she's clearly happier, preening, beak grinding, and the feather was pretty bad. It was all split open and I will definitely sleep better tonight. I think it was the right decision at the end of the day, and a huge learning experience. Thanks for all the advice!!
Great that you found someone who could help you and also that Frankie is now doing better.
 

Sarahmoluccan

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I'm glad you were able to deal with it. Personally where ever I faced an iffy blood feather situation my rule of thumb was if I could watch it I'd leave it alone. If for some reason I couldn't I'd pull it just in case. Now with Zane because he had history of falling and more likely to break it again I'd usually pull feathers a little more often in iffy situations, especially if it was around his bedtime time and I couldn't keep a close eye it.

I'm kinda of surprise how many people have to towel their birds for these kinds of things. I dunno... I was pretty spoiled with Zane I guess. I never had to towel him when I removed a blood feather. I know it wasn't pleasent for him. @Macawnutz is right it definitely hurts when you do it :(
 
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PrettyBirdy

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It's so helpful hearing everyone's experience! I think that if it hadn't been so close to bed time, my response would have been a bit different, although she was pretty clearly bothered by it.
 
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