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Urgent Bird bitten by dog

somtos

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This is my first post here so please do apologize for any mistakes. My lovebird, Basil, was just bitten by my grandparents' dog. I don't even have any idea how the dog got to my room as there is normally a baby gate blocking it, but he must have hidden under the bed and jumped at Basil when he saw him. I noticed a small cut on his wing (about the size of the tip of your pinky fingernail), not bleeding much but I did notice blood at the surface of the wound, and I cleaned it out with hydrogen peroxide and gave him a bath to wash off any dog saliva there might be on him. I know birds can hide being sick/injured well but he's not tail bobbing or having any struggle breathing; he's also puffed up preening his feathers and acting very playful like normal. I am struggling with money right now and I know how expensive vets can be, along with them being a bit far away from my grandparents' house as they live right by the woods and I wouldn't want to stress out Basil anymore with a car ride. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 

April

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I'd definitely err on the side of caution and get to a vet. When it comes to wounds from predatory animals such as dogs or cats its really best to be seen by a medical professional. Since their mouths are so full of bacteria especially when you know they've punctured the skin and drawn blood.
Best case scenario its "just" a surface wound and there's no farther complications but unfortunately no one can really know outside of a vet if antibiotics are needed in your case or not. And the risk of him passing away from an infection is unfortunately there without the proper medical intervention.

At the least would you be able to call your vet clinic and ask to speak with a vet or a senior technician to get their opinion on what course of action needs to be taken?
I sincerely hope your little one will be ok,please keep us updated.
 

somtos

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I'd definitely err on the side of caution and get to a vet. When it comes to wounds from predatory animals such as dogs or cats its really best to be seen by a medical professional. Since their mouths are so full of bacteria especially when you know they've punctured the skin and drawn blood.
Best case scenario its "just" a surface wound and there's no farther complications but unfortunately no one can really know outside of a vet if antibiotics are needed in your case or not. And the risk of him passing away from an infection is unfortunately there without the proper medical intervention.

At the least would you be able to call your vet clinic and ask to speak with a vet or a senior technician to get their opinion on what course of action needs to be taken?
I sincerely hope your little one will be ok,please keep us updated.
Thank you so much, I've called his vet who he is familiar with but he is out until tomorrow, tried a couple more places but most are closed or the avian vet is out for the day. I'll be monitoring him for the rest of the day until I get any notice of the avian vet being available.
 

Mizzely

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You've done great first aid! I agree with others though that a vet visit is important if you can swing it. The bacteria in dog mouths can cause sepsis and death within days.
 

Pixiebeak

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You've done great first aid! I agree with others though that a vet visit is important if you can swing it. The bacteria in dog mouths can cause sepsis and death within days.
Agree with Mizzely! Great job in cleaning.
And one of the bacteria carried in a dog's mouth can even make them sick in hours.
Its better to put thrm on antibiotics to prevent an infection than waiting to let one get hold. Most times vets will want antibiotics with animal wounds. My vet did when an escapee was rescued from a cat.
 

MommyBird

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geez, auto correct.... I mean "wound" both times above.
 

Macawnutz

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Do some googling about use of hydrogen peroxide for would care.
Most doctors now discourage it as it damages cells and actually delays healing of the would.
It's not something you want to use on birds if you have other things.
 

somtos

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Do some googling about use of hydrogen peroxide for would care.
Most doctors now discourage it as it damages cells and actually delays healing of the would.
Thank you for the advice. When I used it I tried not to use much and watered it down slightly. It was the only thing I had at hand though and I wanted to make sure the least amount of bacteria would have any chance of staying. I will make sure to find an alternative if Basil ends up getting wounded again. When his vet is available I'll make sure to ask about it
 

rocky'smom

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Get into a avian vet asap. I keep saline wound care in my bird first aid kit. Keep him quiet warm enough feed and hydrated.
 

somtos

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This is my first post here so please do apologize for any mistakes. My lovebird, Basil, was just bitten by my grandparents' dog. I don't even have any idea how the dog got to my room as there is normally a baby gate blocking it, but he must have hidden under the bed and jumped at Basil when he saw him. I noticed a small cut on his wing (about the size of the tip of your pinky fingernail), not bleeding much but I did notice blood at the surface of the wound, and I cleaned it out with hydrogen peroxide and gave him a bath to wash off any dog saliva there might be on him. I know birds can hide being sick/injured well but he's not tail bobbing or having any struggle breathing; he's also puffed up preening his feathers and acting very playful like normal. I am struggling with money right now and I know how expensive vets can be, along with them being a bit far away from my grandparents' house as they live right by the woods and I wouldn't want to stress out Basil anymore with a car ride. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
UPDATE ON THE SITUATION
Thank you so much for all the help. Basil just came back from the vet and thankfully there was no major trauma. He now has antibiotics and anti-inflammatories. Hopefully, he'll do okay and despite all the stuff he's been through in the past to days he's still being very cheerful (and a bit bratty). Thank you so much for all the help and advice.
 

Mizzely

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Awesome! :heart:
 

April

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UPDATE ON THE SITUATION

Thank you so much for all the help. Basil just came back from the vet and thankfully there was no major trauma. He now has antibiotics and anti-inflammatories. Hopefully, he'll do okay and despite all the stuff he's been through in the past to days he's still being very cheerful (and a bit bratty). Thank you so much for all the help and advice.
What a fabulous update! Thank you so much for letting us know :)
 

Mark & Da Boyz

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Great news. :heart:
 

Tiel Feathers

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Excellent news, and good for you for taking him to the vet!
 
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