My bird has hurt itself and is bleeding. What can I do?

This is a serious condition and must be treated straight away!

 

Symptoms: Blood apparent on bird or spattering of blood in area surrounding bird or on perch.

Description: The bird's body does not contain much blood and serious bleeding could be fatal in a short period of time. They do have a good clotting ability and with most minor bleedings (a couple of drops of blood) no action is required. If the bleeding is serious, then you must get rapid control of the bird to properly treat as described below. If the bird moves around frantically, it will most likely loose more blood.

Treatments:

If bleeding is occurring from a nail:

  • Minimize the bird's movement.
  • Apply styptic powder (or gauze dipped in ferric chloride) to the nail and apply pressure for 30 seconds.
  • If no clotting agent is available then apply digital pressure to the end of the nail for approximately 1 minute.

If bleeding is occurring from the beak:

  • Minimize the birds movement
  • Apply styptic powder (or gauze dipped in ferric chloride) to the nail and apply pressure for 30 seconds. Do not allow the bird to ingest the clotting agent.
  • If no clotting agent is available then apply digital pressure to the site of bleeding for approximately 1 minute.

If bleeding is occurring from a quill:

  • Minimize the birds movement
  • Grasp the base of the quill with tweezers and remove it by quickly pulling in the direction of its growth.

If bleeding is occurring from the skin:

  • Minimize the birds movement
  • Carefully pluck feathers from the area of injury
  • Clean wound with warm water or 1% hydrogen peroxide
  • Apply antibiotic powder
  • If stitches are required to close the wound, see your avian veterinarian
  • Apply digital pressure to the site of bleeding for approximately 1 minute.
One of the best blood stoppers most people have at home is pepper. It is better than flour or cornstarch.

Birds can tolerate a 30% loss of the blood volume, 2% of their body weight, before they show subsequent distress. Birds are very efficient in stabilizing their blood pressure after blood loss. They are able to do this by moving fluid from inside tissues (interstial fluid) into vascular spaces (vessels) and arteriolar vasoconstriction (reduction in diameter of vessels).

If in doubt, contact your avian vet. Finding an Avian Vet

Also read: My budgie is bleeding/dying/eggbound/vomiting/etc

 

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