Not Life or Death but I still need help

[Brigidt36]

In the 40 years or so that I've had birds I've heard about this and read about this but it has never happened to any of my birds so I need help/advice/ etc.

Larry (BCC) got startled and fell off his play stand. He's not a good flyer. He broke a tail feather, a blood feather, and he's bleeding. Not a lot as long as he's quiet, but it does drip. Larry is my rescue bird who is afraid of hands and it's only been in the last 2 years or so that he has come to trust me and leave his cage. He is acting normally, sitting on his cage door pulling his foot toys out of his toy box and he just ate a nutriberry. I am afraid to towel him to get a closer look at his tail, not because I'm afraid he'll bite me (he will, I'll survive) but because I'm worried I'll break the tentative trust it has taken over 17 years to build. I'm also afraid that by restraining him he'll start fighting and thrashing causing him to bleed more.

Okay, he has stopped playing and climbed onto his favorite high perch in his cage and he seems to be shivering. I am putting up some pics of the broken feather. Any and all help/advice will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Ziggymon]

When Ziggy broke a blood feather, he was squirming around so much that I couldn't get a good look. I just poured cayenne pepper all over the affected area, and that did the trick. He also ended up eating a lot of the pepper - he loved it.

 

[Bokkapooh]

A broken flight or tail feather can cause a bird to bleed to death. Birds have very little blood and depending on how much quil is still in the follicle you may or may not be able to pull it. But it does need attention as its basically an open artery and needs to coagulate and stop bleeding. I would, unfortunately, suggest toweling him and assessing it. Either attempt to pull it or crush the tip of it and use cayenne or even flower, to help stop the flow of blood.

 

[suncoast]

Keep an eye on it. Put cayenne pepper on it if you can. If it doesn't stop bleeding then I would talk to him and explain that he's got a boo boo and because it's still bleeding you are going to have to touch him. If you do need to towel him. YOU need to be calm, firm and supportive and talk him through it. Use your voice and body language to reassure him. Is anyone else home who can help you? Pulling a blood feather is a two person job IMO.

Ginger

 

[Brigidt36]

Thanks Ziggymon, I may try toweling him if he comes back out of his cage and just pouring some on the general area. I didn't even know he broke a blood feather because he didn't look or act hurt. It was when I saw the blood on my arm after he climbed up to my shoulder that made me look for the cause and I found his tail feather under his play stand.

 

[Welshanne]

How is it now Bridgit ? Has it stopped bleeding? Can you get him to a vet to check it over? That way it does not mean you are the one doing the pulling around! then you can save him and not break the trust. Hope all is well anyway. Do let us know.

 

[jmfleish]

I would just keep an eye on it and make sure that it doesn't start bleeding again. You don't have to pull the remainder of the feather because they can clot on their own. You have to be watchful though to make sure that it doesn't start bleeding again.

 

[Brigidt36]

Okay, he decided to come back out of his cage and he's back on his play stand. I've told him that I might have to towel him to look at his tail and that I'm only going to do it because I love him. I am basically home alone, my 21 year old daughter is here, but she got her wisdom teeth removed this morning and she is drugged to the gills.

What do I look for? How do I know if something needs to be pulled out? Can I just try to stop the bleeding and hope it comes out on it's own, like it would have to if he was a bird out in the wild? Should I take him to the vet? Going to put the cayenne pepper on it now....

 

[suncoast]

Is it still bleeding or has it stopped?

Ginger

 

[jmfleish]

As long as there is no blodd dripping, you'll be fine. Try not to excite him, more blood flow in the body may clear the clot and cause more bleeding.

 

[Brigidt36]

Deep breath....I toweled him, took 3 attempts, but was finally able to (note to self....remove lid from cayenne pepper before toweling bird). I didn't get a good look since I was doing this one handed but I did pour a ton of cayenne pepper on him so hopefully it got where it needed to be. He is back on his stand preening and I just changed the newspapers out for white paper towels to keep a look out for droplets. So far so good.

 

[suncoast]

Exactly. As long as it's not still bleeding then I wouldn't do anything. If it is still bleeding then you will need to ask him if you can look at it and explain everything step by step as you go along.

Ginger

 

[Ziggymon]

I didn't try to towel or restrain Ziggy, because I was trying to keep him from getting agitated. I just started pouring the cayenne pepper (I keep one pound containers of it) over the area, and the bleeding stopped. Then I kept a close eye on him the rest of the day, to make sure it didn't start again.

He thought it was great fun.

 

[Wasabisaurus]

He will forgive you. He might be a little hesitant at first, but I think he'll forgive you.

 

[Anne & Gang]

hope it will all be ok

 

[QP4CAG]

everyone gave you EXCELLENT advice!!!!!! How's the little bubba's doing

 

[ncGreyBirdLady]

 

[Brigidt36]

Thanks everyone. He seems to be doing well. He's sitting quietly on his play stand and still no more blood droplets. I'm going to spoil him and give him stuff he loves but normally doesn't get often because it's unhealthy....like mashed potatoes. I made some instant ones for my daughter to eat so I can give her more pain meds so he's gonna get some too. He loves them. I thought I had some gatorade but I don't. I do have frozen cubes of orange juice and I'll give him a cube of that too.

Here are more pics after the toweling and cayenne pepper treatment.

 

[Ziggymon]

He does have a somewhat WTF?! expression on his face. He's beautiful.

 

[mtomes2413]

So glad your fid is doing better.