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Help! Seasoned Parronts - First Aid Kit

Rain Bow

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Hi!

I'm trying to put together a first aid kit for my Buddy. After a spooked crash right after 2 major holidays it occurred to me that every birdy family should have one. Why didn't we have one????

Every time I've placep an internet order since then, I try to purchase something for it.

Since it's always cheaper to build something like this, I'm asking for a well thought out list of items (include substitute - if known) & purposes.

example: heating pad & towels - for consistent low level heat to warm up any ill bird

Lets assume with this nothings obvious as to purpose. It's not a huge paragraph for purpose/needed unless asked. VIP, this is not a list for removing vet care! This list is to hold injured or ill bird over to get to vet. Feel free to add video & pics, even links.

Thanks in advance!
 

Rain Bow

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Vet tape

purpose & be aware of notes...

adhesive should not be used with our feathered friends. Vet tape sticks to it's self. Great for holding splint or gauze in place to holding broken wing in place. Be sure not to squeeze birds chest or body tightly as you will suffocate them.
 

Lady Jane

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Your vets phone number with a back up for emergencies. I use corn starch to stop bleeding because it does not burn. Hand warmers for power outs. Warms birds if wrapped in vet tape. There are good papers on line you can print for avian first aid. A towel. Syringes and pedialyte solution. Something to make a splint. Scissors.
 

painesgrey

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My first aid kit includes

cornstarch / kwik stop
locking forceps
tweezers
gauze
vet wrap
towel
cotton balls
q-tips
syringes
hand-feeding formula
 

enigma731

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Super Clot, sterile saline (you can use eye drops as long as it's just saline and not other meds), MediHoney, Metacam if your vet is comfortable prescribing some for you to have on hand
 

taxidermynerd

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Here's what I have in mine!

  • Pillowcase (in case of fire/smoke)- I've used these when we tried to make mac'n'cheese and it outgrew the casserole dish. Our whole house was filled with smoke, I took Chirp and put him in his carrier (softsided with mesh on the front and back) and put a pillowcase over it, and popped the window and set him in there. I truly think it saved his life.
  • cotton balls (to wet and smooth aside feathers)
  • Water (drinking, cleaning wounds, etc)
  • q-tips (for applying things)
  • Styptic powder (for stopping bleeding in nails, never use on flesh wounds)
  • All purpose unbleached white flour (for stopping bleeding. You can also use cornstarch)
  • saline solution
  • gauze
  • Syringes (in case of needing to feed/hydrate)
  • Flour sack towels (for toweling)
  • rounded tweezers
  • paper towels (duh)
  • Seagrass mat (this is something I know Chirp will step on to, if he won't let me get him or if he gets loose in a room at the vet. This could be replaced with anything your bird will step on to)
  • Card with my contact info, Chirp's primary vet's info, and Chirp's ER vet info. I keep these in Ziploc bags, and I tape one to the outside of his carrier.
  • Card with Chirp's mash recipe, as well as the ingredients of his seed mix
And now for the human things-

  • Hand sanitizer
  • Band aids (if someone gets bitey and you start bleeding)
  • Nitrile gloves
  • Flashlight
  • Scissors (for cutting bandages/vet wrap/etc)
  • Note cards and pen (for jotting down things)
  • Empty ziploc bags (for used paper towels and such)

I also have a heat pad, vet wrap and extra food on standby in case I need them.

I keep all this in a big flat plastic bin on the shelf under Chirp's cage, so it's right there when I need it.
 

Rain Bow

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These are great!

@Lady Jane ,

I love the warmer concept! I read that if you use a heated perch you should never wrap in vet tape. I don't know why tho. There maybe an issue with the vet wrap melting or gassing off. With the low levels of heat in a warmer it may not be an issue. Have you ever heard about it? If not we can shout out to everyone to find out.

I like syringes to. You're talking about the non-needle ones correct? I remember this type from when my wisdom teeth were removed in the early 90's

31CpbQIIaQL._SX425_.jpg
My vet has given these foe birds liquid meds before.

1mloralsyringe_grande.jpg

I'll try to get back later tonight. I'm fighting a cold & think I can do something & have to stop & rest.


:gbh: Rain
 

taxidermynerd

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I read that if you use a heated perch you should never wrap in vet tape. I don't know why tho. There maybe an issue with the vet wrap melting or gassing off. With the low levels of heat in a warmer it may not be an issue. Have you ever heard about it? If not we can shout out to everyone to find out.
Maybe it's because the vet wrap gets weird and gooey? I know our upstairs room (bird area) gets to 80-90 easily in the worst parts of summer, and the vet wrap gets gooey and gross.

I like syringes to. You're talking about the non-needle ones correct? I remember this type from when my wisdom teeth were removed in the early 90's
Yes. I think some pet stores might sell them (if they have an area with puppy/kitten handfeeding stuff, they might have some) and you can probably get them on amazon or something. Also maybe look in the baby department, by like the medicine droppers?
 

Rain Bow

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@painesgrey .

I just bought rolled gauze 2" wide & 3" wide. I assume you would base width on the area needed for your bird/birds. I was specifically thinking wing & foot when I purchased. Do you know of or can think of a reason for gauze pads? I wasn't even sure of stretch or non-stretch. So my 2" conforms & my 3" was stretch. The choices of vet wrap were
2" , 3" , & 4" @ wally world. I went for 3". My Buddy's a mexican red headed amazon. If I owned a Macaw, I'd bought 4". If I owned a cockatiel or a budgie I'd bought 2". I don't want to assume someone would know as a new owner reading this.

The first lesson of bird ownership was there's a bunch of love in that little feathered area! Second was become skillful @ reading fast because the material was neverending to research. (Third was there's not 1 place with more good quality :coffeescreen:info/advice than AA!) :hehe:

This ? May sound dumb but I don't know can only make some guesses. Hand feeding formula is what you would buy for a baby bird? Does it have a name, brand? I'm pretty sure I know the answer on this one but it's not baby (human) formula? Is this to use with pedialyte or is the pedialyte that @Lady Jane mentioned a substitute for the formula? I ask this as I know about flavored kids pedialyte. Know nothing other than when any animal won't eat or drink you as a pet parent will do anything to get them to eat.

The locking forceps, are for...

Something like holding a feather or maybe a id. ankle cuff to cut/clip from bird?

I found this tweezer set @ wally word. Sorry for the link.


Tweezer Set 3-Piece Professional Stainless Steel Tweezers with Travel Case, Slant Pointed Flat, for Eyebrow, Ingrown Hair, Splinter Removal - Walmart.com

There's 3 types of tweezers here. I hope to never need them but if I do is there a particular tip that would be better? I'm asking because these pics upon closer look maybe not quality/sturdy enough. I'd rather buy a good pair for $10 than spend $7/$8
on 3 pair that will all fail.

Off to rest again.

:hug6: & nice to meet you!
Rain
 

taxidermynerd

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This ? May sound dumb but I don't know can only make some guesses. Hand feeding formula is what you would buy for a baby bird? Does it have a name, brand? I'm pretty sure I know the answer on this one but it's not baby (human) formula? Is this to use with pedialyte or is the pedialyte that @Lady Jane mentioned a substitute for the formula? I ask this as I know about flavored kids pedialyte. Know nothing other than when any animal won't eat or drink you as a pet parent will do anything to get them to eat.
In terms of formula, I think a lot of people use Kaytee Exact, but I've never had baby birds so I'm not sure. The pedialyte is for if they don't drink. I think you use the unflavored kind, though. And powdered, I think.
Tweezer Set 3-Piece Professional Stainless Steel Tweezers with Travel Case, Slant Pointed Flat, for Eyebrow, Ingrown Hair, Splinter Removal - Walmart.com

There's 3 types of tweezers here. I hope to never need them but if I do is there a particular tip that would be better? I'm asking because these pics upon closer look maybe not quality/sturdy enough. I'd rather buy a good pair for $10 than spend $7/$8
on 3 pair that will all fail.
You're looking for blunt tip, a nice round edge. Nothing sharp.
 

rocky'smom

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Never use grape pedialyte, its toxic to birds, unflavored or orange. Pedialyte now comes in packets,1packet to 16oz of water. Remember pedialyte is only good for for 48 hrs after opened, even refrigerate.
Hand warmers must be wrapped in several layers of toweling and vet wrap. Some hand warmers can reach 150°, want keep them warm not cook them. (sorry no other way to put it). A thermometer, like the kind you put on a fish tank, even height with the bird's perch, so you know how warm the cage is.
A paper towel tube that you can cut and wrap with roller gauze and vet wrap to make a collar so they can't pick at a booboo.
Heating pad that keep on all the time are hard to find, most shut off ever 2hours. Meaning you have to get every 2hours to start them up again.
A note book that you can write down every thing that you have for ER vet, pen or pencil.
This website page is pretty concise in the information you may need.
Nursing a Sick Bird - The Parrots Helping Hand
 
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rocky'smom

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In the article I posted above it talks about fluids that you need to give your bird. But our syringes are in ml so lets work out how much we need to give.

Amounts of fluids to give:

Budgies 6 – 10 drops

Cockatiels ¼ teaspoon
=1.232ml

Amazons/Greys 1 – 3 teaspoons =4.292ml -14.787ml

Large Cockatoos/Macaws 1 ½ - 3 tablespoons
= 22.18ml - 43.36ml
Remember to break these amounts down into reasonable amounts all thru the day. And teach your feathered buddy that syringes are not scary. So that means syringe training.
Syringe Training 101 | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum
 
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Mizzely

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I baby food puree in mine too. Its easy to sneak meds into, and is both nutritional as well as hydrating.

 

Rain Bow

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@enigma731 .
I've never heard of super clot. I know styptic pencils or kwik stop powder but when I saw how bad it hurt Buddy when the vet used it on his nails when she cut them too short... I decided corn flour maybe the way to go. Can't use white flour as I'm sensitive to it.

Is super clot like kwik stop? (If so I'm guessing it's just for nails too?) In the event someone else uses this post to make a kit besides me.....

@taxidermynerd .
I've been reading quite a bit about vet wrap.
Things to know... Like true latex masks (halloween masks) & certain types of clothing. Vet wrap should be stored it low/no oxygen areas as ozone wrecks it by breaking it down. No sunlight areas recommended as the light breaks it down but upon further reading so does, as you mentioned, higher heat levels.

I contemplated pulling out the 10 rolls I bought & vacuum sealing them. They're in these little slightly filled with air cellophane packets. What I fear is the total vacuum that my sealer does without me manually fighting with it may compress it in the plastic bag & the constant pressure will make it a mess. I have 1 partial roll I may run a test on. I need to talk to hubby 1st as he's better w/ chemistry & physics stuff. Best to store in cool dry areas with low light like a closet/basement. This based on someone who stores the Halloween masks in walmart type bags in coolest closet & has had them 15-20 some odd years.

Thanks for the info on the formula name & pedialyte. I had a feeling when I saw powdered pedialyte (for a soon to purchase item) that would probably be the route to go. I knew that the expiration on liquid was 3-6 months with it being a never opened item. Not sure how long on the packets take to expire as I did not even know about powdered till 2 nights ago.

:grouphug2: Rain
 

Rain Bow

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@rocky'smom .
That was an excellent page you linked me up to. Thanks for all you self typed too! Especially, the breakdown on the warmer wraps. I was a tad bit confused there. I have to towel Buddy daily, so I'm not worried about that.

I tried to find the excellent link I had/have for doing it & I can't locate it. I even tried re-researching it & to no avail. It clarified a weeks worth of reading & was done by the Aspca or a rescue. I cant find it. There's a bunch online but this was step by step real life pictorial & great for someone like me who got a bird without having time or any experience.

I see I was missing info on blood feathers. I did not realize they get pulled out totally when damaged (may have forgotten). Won't now & I know how to find it if I do. Love the search on this group. I'm trying to use it before posting a question now!

I found this & it explained well the hows & whys of blood feather emergencies. If there's anything this is missing please advise.

What to Do if Your Bird Breaks a Blood Feather

I'm glad that I'm being more pro-active about this then waiting till all our hearts are beating 1,000 miles an hour as there was an emergency & noone knows the answer. It's a holiday weekend on Sunday @ 2am. This is always when it has gotten critical w/ our many cats over the year. Our house is where a stray cat always showed up in the yard, my husband & I would bundle them up, quarantine them & then ultimately we'd adopt them. & back then, I thought the fur babies were very expensive! So I inherited a bird or should I say he adopted me. A month & a half after Buddy we lost our 19 year old fur baby, she was our oldest. :sad2: We lost her sister 6 years earlier. They came to us & we were not even sure they were old enough to be weaned. Wow, sorry for that trip in Mr. Peabody's way back machine! :pinklol2:


Well I'm gonna rest now, try more tomorrow.

:bighug: Rain
 

enigma731

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@Rain Bow Super Clot is a gel and it works much better than either Kwik Stop or corn starch. My birds have never reacted like it hurt them. I had a mutilator who would make herself bleed really badly and it definitely saved her life on more than one occasion.
 

Rain Bow

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@rocky'smom .

Thank you for the info on the breakdown of math on the drops. I may have a chart somewhere in my kitchen to do it, but where in that screaming emergency? Just Much quicker to check the internet for this post.

@Mizzely .

That homemade pedialyte page is (as my 20+ yr old kid would say) the bomb! Thanks for the fast breakdown recipe too! I love the idea of baby food puree. Here's my issue you maybe would have an idea for... You have such great ones. Buddy will not eat off a spoon. Hates things like applesauce, oatmeal. All the good go to foods that I read most fids will eat. I don't have a clue why. Most of the foods we do eat, are fresh or in a solid bar type form, or dehydrated. If we eat warm It's eggs, pasta (that's all I can come up w/ off the top of my head).

I'm gonna buy some baby food & try to gently syringe it, once I buy them. He's usually good for me toweled. I'd just like him to do it when he's feeling good.

@enigma731 .

Super clot sounds like really neat stuff. I wish I'd known about it all the years of cutting my kitties nails! That stuff sounds so much easier compared to the powdered styptic that I had to use when there was a cut, & I thought it was tough to do the hand hog tie to hold them & keep from getting shredded when they freaked. Funny thing is, I'm giggling @ how hard I thought that was! (a cake walk) till the Buddy into the towel & give attempt to give antibiotics... :laughing7: the first few times I really wonder how much of a dose he received. No prep, & I was so overwhelmed :backout: :scared1:

After the vet visit, I blanked, how to hold head/not hold head., After the second visit I realized she didn't show me too much, & she (dang it) got help from her nurse. :lol: I read a few reviews on chewy & it really sounds like magic stuff.

@ All

I'm sorry for any delays in responses. I was sick & it knocked me on my butt. Then we had all those really super cold days & nights. My husband, Buddy & I were living in our bedroom, trying to stay warm & away from (old house) drafts plu,
sleeping in shifts keeping an eye on our precarious heating system & pipes to make sure nothing froze.

Just as an fyi,
I am trying to make this a quick search item since one doesn't exist for "first aid kit" As I purchase & gather items, I'll start posting pictures until I have a complete kit. This was a build as you go kit. The pedialyte recipe I'm gonna pass to my sister & then I may vacuum seal a few packets w/ a note on how to make in the kit. Really don't want to mess around. I've got to be prepared so that this follows him. His life. My daughters like me (in that) as long as she can care for him, she will. My concern is she may not have the time to really research everything like me. I probably go too far sometimes but I don't mind reading in depth when needed. She lives the life of skim reading.

Oh yes, & the vet tape, hubby told me he wasn't sure but vacuum sealing may crush the tape & wreck the structure of the tape but it could have a different effect. I forgot how he worded it but it stuck in my dumb brain as the difference between an explosion & implosion. When you vacuum seal it can make things crush but it can make others expand with the force. He said in something solid like a mason jar (as an example) I could place a roll in & try it. I dont have that attachment for my sealer (going on my birthday list). Anyway, the bag may place pressure on it & by placing it in the jar, it may remove damaging forces. For now, if its an opened roll, I re-bagged in a zip lock bag & am hoping for the best.

Any idea's for a containment holder will be welcomed. I was thinking something large like a plastic file box would hold the heating pad but maybe to large for everything else. I really like it to be as contained as possible.

Oh yes, & for the warmers anyone got any recommendations? I've only purchased an item that contained them once & it was gloves for someone that was out in the snow a bunch. I did some quick research on reusable ones & the reviews were so so. They are making usb powered ones but the charge times on 2 I looked at were really long + not sure if that would help in a no power situation. Will the 1 time ones be cost eff effective or worth it, & do they expire? I know nothing about these.

Hopefully will be able to find good SS tweezers @ the drug store later this week. It's just to difficult to tell online when looking for a good blunt tip.

:grouphug2::grouphug3: Rain
 

Mizzely

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Hmm all my birds eat off a spoon BUT I use plastic baby spoons. Dollar Tree has. 4 pack for $1. The smaller size and maybe color Seems less intimidating than the large shiny spoons. Maybe give that a try?
 

Rain Bow

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I can try. Ive tried wooden ones that I've dyed as toys. He chews them all the time cringe.

Regular, clear disposable plastic, & colored disposable plastic cause... :scared5:


I'll pick some up @ $ tree, when I'm in town this week. Thanks!
 
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