Blood Feather? Something else? Pig is bleeding.

[Pigwigeon]

Today, I took Pig out of her cage. She flew a few feet to the chair, and hit NOTHING on the way there. She dropped a feather on the seat of the chair, which is normal, as she's molting. I picked her and the feather up, the feather was a flight feather, with no quill, and a small-ish amount of dried blood at the end. She started bleeding on me. I don't know what's going on, she had some blood on her left wing. What is it? Should I just treat it like a blood feather? The Vet's is open, but it's kind of a last resort visit as we don't have alot of money. She's not crying, she's been preening her right wing alot.

 

[Pigwigeon]

The feather is four inches long.... As you can see there is no quill.... She has some blood on her beak, she's annoyed at us for trying to towel her so we can't touch her.



I haven't done anything with the cayenne paste yet, but it's there.

 

[suncoast]

It looks like the shaft is still in her. You need to handle her to be able to access where the blood is coming from and how much. If she is still bleeding you need to find out where and get some kind of stop on there ASAP. Cayenne pepper, super clot, corn starch or flour. If that doesn't stop the bleeding because the feather shaft is like a wick then she needs to get to the vet to get it pulled.

Ginger

 

[Birdbabe]

Looks like it broke off at the part thats still soft , the end will need removed or it may start bleeding again. Poor Pig, let her relax and then look at it again. Please keep us updated,

 

[Pigwigeon]

The bleeding seems to have stopped for now... We only have two people at home, and she's horrible with toweling(working on it). I'll try to get my aunt to help me towel her and assess the damage, but she's hesitant to do anything because she thinks if the bleeding has stopped, it's fine. Not many bird people in my family Pig took a little nap, which is normal after a flight(after all, she is still a baby), and now she's eating(I shouldn't really use this as an example of her calming down, because Pig lives up to her name).

 

[Pigwigeon]

Pig keeps sitting at the very bottom of her cage, and going to the back left corner and squatting. It looks like she's laying an egg. She's also making a very small growl/hiss noise, it sounds like she's saying arrgg, she makes it at anything that moves, save for me.

 

[crzybrdldy]

If you are uneasy about pulling the shaft a vet trip may be necessary. This really is a 2 person task and if you aren't careful while doing it you can damage the follicle or even break bones. Not trying to scare you but you need to know what you are in store for.

Good luck!

 

[Bokkapooh]

How old is Pig? Also its very important to see if the broken blood feather has been coagulated and by what. Surrounding feathers or blood?

 

[Pigwigeon]

Pig is about 5 months old. She was a petstore bird(normally I wouldn't go for a petstore bird, but she kind of chose us), so I'm not sure of the exact age. She's in the early middle stages of her first molt. We tried toweling her, and she refused to be toweled so we gave up. She drew blood from my aunt We're due for a vet visit this month so I'll see if we can get in today. Right now she's sleeping. The blood is not actively bleeding.

 

[Pigwigeon]

Pig is sleeping. If we can get her to the vet's tonight, how much would you say it would run to get the shaft removed?

 

[Birdiemarie]

I would call and ask them since prices vary from vet to vet, state to state.

 

[Pigwigeon]

Thanks I'll call them now.

 

[Paula]

Any news about Pig? In my opinion, it really does sound like a vet visit is in order, between the feather and the odd behavior. Here's hoping everything goes well!

 

[Pigwigeon]

Pig is fine, I haven't had the chance to call the vet yet but will to that tonight(no phone, grrr). She's eating her Nutriberries and Spray Millet and climbing around her cage. She took a nap earlier and seems very lively now

 

[Pigwigeon]

Okay, so update: Tonight after another short flight, Pig dropped another one of these feathers. She's not actively bleeding, but upon closer inspection both of the feathers look like they were CHEWED through D: I don't know what to do, I don't have money for a vet, the lowest cost it will be is $70. I just don't know. She won't let me open her wing without me putting massive amounts of stress on her. Please, guys, I don't know why this is happening. The newer feather that dropped had some of the sheath still on it. I think she might be clipping herself. I don't know what happened while she was with the breeder, as she was a petstore bird, so this might be the case.

I'm so scared for my baby, you guys

 

[Vegemite]

Mia, you need to take Pig to the vet and asap by the responses I have read from the experienced members. Couldnt you ring the vet and explain the situation (re: no money but you will pay it off, by the sound of it, this is your vet and you have been before?) Cant you borrow the money from someone, even the minimum for the consult so you can find out what is going on here? Pig is in pain and so are you and the only one that can help you both is an a-vet.

 

[Pigwigeon]

I have an appoint for next week. This is our vet, but it isn't a specifically avian vet, so most people there wouldn't know what to do. We will have the money by then, and the vet will be in. Pig doesn't appear to be in any pain, these feathers dropping are actually the only sign I can see that anything is wrong. She's eating well, she 's playful, not lethargic, she's not fluffed up, she's not having difficulty breathing, and her eyes aren't sunken in, so I don't think there's anything I can do at this point other than wait for the appointment :/

 

[Daisy's Mom]

Aww poor little baby... I'm happy you made a appt to see the vet... Birds hide there illnesses.. Please let us know how the visit goes and what the vet says..

 

[Pigwigeon]

I've looked for every possible sign of illness, but can't find a single one, other than her dropping feathers, but that's normal as she's molting.