Cockatiel swallowed earring backing and I don’t know what to do.

[aaa]

Hi! I’m a new cockatiel owner and need help with what to do. I think my cockatiel just swallowed an earring backing. I heard a noise drop when I tried to get her, but I can’t find the earring backing anywhere and I’m hoping it fell down a vent which is why I can’t find it. She seems to be doing fine… she’s grinding her beak, asking for pets, eats, and drinks like normal. She’s 2 months and I’m almost certain she’s a girl based on her tail pattern and light colored cheeks.
I need help with some direction on how I can help her get out the earring backing (if it’s in there). I’ve called vets in my area and there’s only one I can go to and they’re too expensive.
I’ve attached a picture of what the earring backing looks like.

 

[Xoetix]

Hello and welcome!

I had to go get an earring backing to see the size, and while I could really very well be wrong, I'm not sure a cockatiel could swallow it... Is it a standard size backing or one of the really tiny ones, like for Itty bitty earrings?

 

[aaa]

Thank you for your response! And it’s a standard sized backing from Kohl’s.

 

[Zara]

Get the handheld attachment for the hoover (vacuum) and cover the end with a pair of tights (pantyhose?), fix in place with a bobble or elastic band and hoover up to look for the backing. It will stick to the material and not pass into the hoover .
See if you can find it, if you can't, personally I would visit the vet to be on the safe side.

 

[aaa]

Thank you for your suggestion! I will try that. And I would take her in a heartbeat but I cannot afford the vet bills at the moment which makes me more concerned. If we were in a different season, I would have for it.

 

[aaa]

Update: I FOUND THE EARRING BACKING! Oh, I’m so relieved… I was worried all day hoping I would find the earring backing.
Thank you guys for helping me and giving me suggestions I appreciate it!

 

[sb sigmund]

Glad you found it!!

 

[Zara]

Fantastic update! Panic over

 

[WikiWaz]

What a relief!

 

[Pixiebeak]

Awesome!!

 

[Nhan_Dxo]

I know this isn't a "whats my birdies sex" post but saw you say you think its a female. Idk what mutation you have but generally all cockatiels are born looking like females with the tail barring and light face but their dimorphic characteristics show up after the first molt. Or you could dna test it (its like 15 for a kit on the internet).

Anyways glad to hear the birds alright! Nothing scarier then a bird eating something by accident.

 

[aaa]

Ohh I see that makes sense. I think I have a pied cockatiel. I’ve attached a picture
I met an experienced cockatiel breeder say she’s definitely a girl because of the pattern under its tail and the cheeks are very light. She also mentioned it could changed but she doubted it would change that drastically after the bird molts. But what you shared makes a lot of sense. I would love to get a dna test done and will look into getting a kit. Thank you for the suggestion!