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Injured Wing, Photos Included

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Hi all, I noticed a few times over the past month fresh blood appear in the aviary. Last weekend I noticed this budgie had some blood on her wing feathers so I caught her and this is the mess under her wing. I wondered if it's a blood feather but with the mess I just am too scared to go pulling any feathers in case it's something else. It looks like bits of scabby skin??? I really cant make it out. She is quite old, I'd say 12 years+. Any ideas? Should I try cleaning it up?

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Edited by coffeegirl

  • Author

oh I was reading this the other day actually and wondered. On this wing in the past she has had growths which resemble a piece of corn. In this spot too. You notice them every now and then sticking out. But it's not there anymore. hhhmmm yes makes sense I should of realized the connection. She has always had these funny growths appear in that spot, they come and go. She has never really been able to fly. It has never ever looked like this though so something has happened to create the bleeding. Maybe it burst or got infected? So given her age and current condition what should I do? She is managing okay, eating and otherwise normal and her breastbone feels fine. Should I just leave her be and keep an eye on her. ? I do have an Avian Vet if necessary but it doesn't sound like they can do much, esp with her age and reinsurance anyway I wouldn't see the point.

Thank you for your help.

Those lumps you saw should have been expressed at the time. They can be excised by a vet so they dont reoccur. Allowing them to stay means the cheesy gunk builds up and virtually explodes causing bleeding and infection. I always express any I see and treat it with an antibiotic or antiseptic. Some eventually dont reoccur, but some birds just get more and more of them.

 

With your bird, I think it would benefit from a warm salted bathing of the area and some antibiotic or iodine applied making sure it goes into the wound.

Edited by **KAZ**

Look like keratin type cysts/tumours. They tend to crop up repeatedly, much like warts have a tendency to do on some people. They will probably re-occur and do more damage each time until she loses function in the wing. At least thats the end result i've observed.

  • Author

Well I've given her a two salt baths and it already seems to be looking cleaner. I caught her yesterday and it looked like a fresh clot of blood there. She is looking quite naked in the area, I think there are a few broken and missing feathers. It also looks like on her body where the wound touches she has some issues but I noticed her pruning in there the other day. I'll have to keep an eye on that. I couldn't get any antibiotics over the counter at the pet supply? I thought you'd be able to get something like that for birds but aparently not. She also has a leg issue going on, bit of lameness with the back claws pushed forward so on that leg she seems to rest on the perch rather than grasp it. I think I'll just salt the wing a few more times and keep an eye on her, I noticed some cheesy gunk today.. She does seem happy enough and is very easy to catch given she cant fly but I know they can mask their unhappiness, so will just see how she goes.

Preening not pruning. Pruning is for trees :)

 

As fas as antibiotics goes....you can use betadine on birds, but there is also a dry anitbiotic powder you can get from chemist shops called Medi Pulv that you puff into wounds too. Some people use that mercurochrome too.

The cheesy gunk cant be allowed to build up. Firm pressure at the base of where it is will push it out and then you medicate the hole where its coming from.

  • Author

lol okay preening.

I remembered I also had some Neotopic cream which is an antibiotic which I was given for the dog's wound and also the guinea pigs/rabbits.Would this be safe to use this stuff on birds? It's a few years out of date though. A Vet once told me out of date didn't really matter, it meant it may not be as effective? Otherwise I will just get some of the other things you mentioned which sound easy options. Thanks heaps. I am so scared to put pressure on the wing though, it looks like there isn't much of the wing with all that gunk and blood I imagine it would be painfully sore. There was a fresh lot of blood after I cleaned her up today, I think she preens ;) it and probably starts the bleeding up again.

  • 4 weeks later...
  • Author

Hi again, I need some more advice. I'm still having problems and it seems worse. I salted and used Betadine a few times around the time I last posted and all seemed well within a few days things were healing up, dried up and looking promising. But since then it's like it doesn't heal completely. I have left her for a few weeks but caught her today as she wasn't looking too good again. There was a huge scab which fell off today when I washed/salted it again. Then put more betadine. All the bleeding seems to of started up if it gets knocked or touched. There is more pus there too. I am so reluctant to put pressure because it looks so painful. She keeps preening it, so it bleeds more. Her face is covered in blood as are her wings. I'm really not sure what to do with her. Is this something she should be euthanased for esp given her age? It looks so sore. She cant fly and when she attempts goes crashing to the bottom of the aviary. I have bought her inside now in a cage and she seems happy enough, I can at least watch her more closely for a few days and perhaps try salt and betadine twice a day for a few days and see if we can get it back to drying up and healing like last time? Do you think it's reasonable to give her a week or two and then if we are still having problems to have her put to sleep? It must be painful? She is missing feathers, there is a gap between her body and wing feather and it's hanging a bit, so it gets caught on perches etc. so this probably doesn't help healing.

Edited by coffeegirl

Pus or cheesy gunk ? There's a huge difference. Photos please ?

 

If its the feather folicle cyst the whole feather follicle can be excised and stitched by a vet.

 

I think its time she saw an avian vet.

  • 1 month later...
  • Author

Hi, just thought I'd do an update on this in case others have the same thing and stumble on this thread. Turns out my bird had a type of cancer. I'm glad I trusted my instinct that it looked extremely painful and didn't go poking or prodding at it. It wasn't healing and kept bleeding at the slightest knock. The appearance of the wound had deteriorated rapidly. The Vet (avian) felt she would of been in pain and I couldn't leave her the way she was. He offered euthanasia or an amputation but at her age it just didn't make sense so I had her put to sleep :bluebudgie::angel:

Edited by coffeegirl

  • Author

That's okay, thank you. She was an old bird I guess and had to die of something.

I wish I had taken her sooner though as she probably could of been put to sleep earlier to avoid suffering. The Vet said she went off to sleep extremely quickly and I bought her home and buried her.

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