• Welcome to Avian Avenue! To view our forum with less advertisments please register with us.
    Memberships are free and it will just take a moment. Click here
  • This forum is for advice about initial treatment given to your injured/sick bird until a qualified avian veterinarian is available.
    THIS IS NOT MEANT TO REPLACE VET CARE

Accident happened here in the blink of an eye

Status
Not open for further replies.

Zoso

Walking the driveway
Joined
3/21/11
Messages
165
Real Name
Bob
We were putting the birds in their cages for bed tonight. I put Scarlet (catalina macaw) in hers and went for Jack (b&g macaw) next. In the process of getting Jack 3 of the small birds landed on Scarlet's cage. Scarlet didn't pay them too much mind so I finished putting Jack in her cage. I wish I hadn't hesitated, I will regret it for quite a while. Sweety and Howie started biting at Scarlet through the cage bars. Before I could get over there Scarlet bit back and I heard a horrible crunch. Sweety, (Green Cheek Conure), continued to lunge through the bars as if nothing had happened. I scooped her up to find a good part of the side of her lower beak was gone! There was very little blood but I rinsed the beak and put some quick stop to stop the little bleeding that there was. (Maybe one drop total of blood). My wife covered her and held her for a couple of hours before letting her back into her cage. She ran in her hut for a couple more hours before coming out on her own to get a drink of water. (First good sign, she can drink!) I put a few shelled pine nuts in her bowl because they are soft and easily counted so I can see if she is eating. 5 hours after the bite and she is tapping her beak on things and is feeling/scratching her face with her foot. (I checked she hasn't made it bleed so I haven't done anything about that yet). I started her on antibiotics, just to be on the safe side.
If she is having problems eating tomorrow morning I will try and feed some oatmeal and thickened formula. I have some pictures but I thought I would spare you all the gore.
I am looking for any advice anyone has to offer, (besides the obvious take her to a avian vet), which I plan to do Monday. Her other side lower beak and complete front are intact, there is a 1/4" x 1/4" chunk missing on the one side. (She has such a tiny lower beak to start with). I have seen much less injured beaks bleed 100X more so I have high hopes. The little birds pretty much stay away from the big birds when everyone is out of their cages and we have never had so much as a close call before. I guess the little bird saw her chance to bully the big bird and it back fired. We have a new rule that no little birds can be out of their cages when the macaws are inside theirs. What a terrible lesson to have to learn on a otherwise perfect holiday weekend. Cross your fingers for Sweety and please send any advice you might have. I may also be in the market for a cone or similar device to keep her from scratching at her mouth.
 

Wasabisaurus

Cruising the avenue
Avenue Veteran
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
2/2/10
Messages
10,561
Location
Birdsville
Fingers crossed! I have no experience with wounds, but I would take Sweety to the vet sooner than Monday if possible if she has not eaten. I'd probably take her in anyway, since I have no experience. I'd be afraid she'd start to bleed overnight. Can one of you keep watch overnight, maybe in a hospital made bed warmed by a heating blanket or light? Good luck.
 

Zoso

Walking the driveway
Joined
3/21/11
Messages
165
Real Name
Bob
Thanks Terri, We are keeping her warm and have a rotation set up to check on her every hour tonight. She is now acting very normal and is drinking regularly. No sign of bleeding and I think it is very strange that she didn't bleed a lot from a wound like that. (It must be that certain part of the beak because I have seen very small beak wounds bleed a lot in the past). She hasn't tried to eat yet but it is well past her bedtime and this isn't usually a time that she eats normally. (She doesn't normally sleep like the other birds do. If I come downstairs at 4am all the birds will be sound asleep except her. I often wonder if she ever sleeps).
 

Ziggymon

Biking along the boulevard
Avenue Veteran
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
7/2/10
Messages
5,796
Real Name
Heidrun, or Mouse
There are only a few sources of blood supply to the beak, and the injury may be in a spot where there isn't much supply of blood.

It's best to feed her only soft, mushy food until after she's seen the vet, in case the bone has also been injured - you don't want to aggravate the injury.
 

suncoast

Cruising the avenue
Celebirdy of the Month
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
10/16/09
Messages
13,464
Location
Naples Florida
Real Name
Ginger
I would make sure you get an xray to rule out any further damage that is unseen. I would get some pain meds and maybe a antibiotic to keep infection from getting started. Please update us today.

Ginger
 

ncGreyBirdLady

They call Me crazy like its a bad thing!
Administrator
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
10/15/09
Messages
11,676
Location
Feathered Funny Farm USA
Real Name
Bonnie
You have been given good advice:hug8:Your little one will be in My thoughts and prayers:hug8:
 

waterfaller1

Ripping up the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
10/16/09
Messages
26,782
Real Name
carole
Sending healing thoughts and positive energy.:hug8:
 

Anne & Gang

Riding the Skies
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avian Angel
Joined
10/16/09
Messages
1,000,000
Location
Caledon, Ontario, Canada
Real Name
Anne
sending healing energies on the way! :hug8:
 

April

Joyriding the Neighborhood
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
3/21/10
Messages
23,894
Sending many prayers for your little one.
 

Big Blues

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
10/16/09
Messages
3,003
So sorry this has happened to your little Sweety, sounds like you are doing everything you can without knowing more from the vet, hope Sweety is doing better this morning and please let us know what the vet says.
 

CeciliaZ

Biking along the boulevard
Avenue Veteran
Mayor of the Avenue
Joined
11/7/11
Messages
9,146
Location
Mentor, Ohio
Real Name
Cecilia
So sorry...hoping for a full recovery for Sweety.
 

Birdasaurus

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Joined
10/17/09
Messages
4,990
Location
Suburb of Chicago, IL
Real Name
Andrea
My Black-Capped had a big dent put into her upper beak from our Hahns a couple of years ago....she was given some pain meds and ate softer foods for awhile, which was easy because she always liked her pellets soaked in water anyway. Everything turned out fine. I hope the same for you and your little one!
 

Zoso

Walking the driveway
Joined
3/21/11
Messages
165
Real Name
Bob
9am I had to coax her out of her hut. (She had a long night). She immediately went to her water bowl and had a drink. She then went for the soaked roudybush pellets and ate them without any hesitation or wincing like I thought there would be. She had a small piece of fluffy waffle and scarfed it down. So far today she is acting normal, not quite as vocal as usual but she is chirping and making happy noises. I am very surprised with her progress and very happy.
 

BirdyGirl

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Joined
8/20/10
Messages
1,003
Location
Kenosha, WI
Real Name
Erica
I'm so sorry to hear this happened. Something similar happened to my cockatiel, Moe, during the summer of 2010. I'll never forgive myself for it. Moe was inside her cage, with the door shut, and my Meyer's, Scooby, was outside on his own cage, across the room. I stepped out of the room for just a few minutes, and that's all it took. I heard a horrible scream from Moe and ran back in to find Scooby hanging on the side of Moe's cage and Moe hissing at him. I immediately put Scooby back in his cage and went to check on Moe.

She had a little bit of blood coming from her mouth and I couldn't tell if the blood was coming from her beak or inside her mouth. I panicked and rushed her to the overnight emergency avian vet. She seemed fine the whole way there - I drove with the light on b/c I was constantly watching her. When the vet came out and told me that her lower beak was broken, I burst into tears. The vet explained that she wasn't sure of her prognosis... the beak had been broken right where it attaches to the skin. She said they would put her under, clean up the wound and glue her beak back into place. I was to pick her up in the morning and take her to her normal avian vet for further treatment.

I couldn't stop crying - the guilt I felt was horrible (still is, to this day!). Luckily, my little girl is a fighter. Even her normal avian vet is surprised by how well she's done. Moe's beak has never completely healed - it's never reattached to the skin. It grows like crazy and grows up the side (b/c it's not properly lined up anymore). It needs to be groomed every three weeks and she's unable to chew hard foods. I soften her pellets every morning with water and also add puffed rice cereal and crispy rice cereal, as well as Harrison's Adult Mash. This diet seems to work well for her.

For the first month or so after the accident, the only thing Moe would eat with any regularity, was scrambled eggs. She loves those things and I think she actually started to take advantage of the situation, so I eventually had to withhold the eggs which forced her to eat her pellets.

I hope you get good news from the vet tomorrow and everything turns out okay with Sweety. It sounds likes she's doing as well as can be expected after her injury. It's SO scary when these things happen... :hug8:
 

mrstweet

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
1/25/11
Messages
4,233
Location
NW Florida
Real Name
Amanda
Oh goodness gracious, I am so sorry this happened. What did the vet say?
 

ldyae

Strolling the yard
Joined
9/4/11
Messages
124
Real Name
Doris
I hope she continues to get better. Sorry you are going thru this
 

Barb E

Strolling the yard
Avenue Veteran
Joined
6/27/10
Messages
138
Location
Ottawa, Ontario
Real Name
Barb
Wow Erica... I know this is Sweety's thread but your story about Moe's injury got to me. I have an attack Meyers also but those days are probably over for him because he attacked the GW macaw and his wing was broken.

It seems we have too many birds living together - according to the birds. They are so protective of their territory. Also, it seems the Meyers are particularly pushy about chasing away other birds and claiming new territories.

It sounds like Sweety is doing much better but did you ever bring her to the vet? Birds do hide sickness very well. Who knows what kind of pain she feels when eating???? Maybe a vet could advise you and offer some pain meds if necessary.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top