I came home from school tonight, and went to check on Scooter like I usually do, and I noticed he had a bit of blood on his forehead. I thought he may have just bumped something in his cage while he was flying, but then I noticed that all my DVDs had been knocked off my shelf, which meant one thing. The cat got in my room. Usually my family is pretty good about making sure the door to my room stays shut so she can't get in, but apparently she sneaked by this time. So I figured that must've cause a flying fit. But then I noticed him preening his right wing quite a bit, and once he lifted it, I saw a good deal of blood on the underside of his wing. One of his flight feathers had been pulled out (I found it on the bottom of his cage). I don't know how it happened cause the cat can't get her paws through the cage.

 

He seems okay. There is not any blood anywhere in the cage so I don't think he lost much, and the wound seems to have clotted cause there is only dry blood there now. I gave him some millet to make him feel better, and he's currently singing and playing with his bells like always. Is there anything I should do as far as the wound goes? Should I put something on it too make sure it doesn't bleed anymore? Should I not let him out to fly for a few days? This has never happened before so I'm not sure what I should do. Thanks for the help.

He sounds like he will be okay. If you want to stop any further bleeding that could occur, use cornflour and just blot it onto the wound. I would not let him out for a few days, just incase flying aggravates his wing. If you are worried about him take him to an avian vet.

Edited January 25, 200718 yr by Sailorwolf

:ausb: Poor Scooter, I am sure he will recover from this unfortunate incident. Perhaps you should let him carry on with his regular routine and if you see anything amiss, get him to your vet pronto! :greenb:

Oh no - bad news. Sorry to hear this and hope he's okay. My vet told me of a story where a bird was bitten by a cat and within 24hrs he was really sick. The treatment was antibiotics and hospitalisation. It's apparently due to the bacteria in the cat saliva. The owners nearly lost the bird, but he pulled through fortunately.

 

Not sure about what happens in relation to a cat scratch (sounds like a scratch), but it did make me this of this story, so thought I better mention.

 

So best take him straight away to the vet and mention the cat incident if you suspect any bite. If you're absolutely sure he hasn't been bitten, there may be no need to worry (although a vet check would be a good idea if you are able to).

 

Could you dab some natural "antiseptic" stuff - maybe even saltwater on his wounds to make sure they are bacteria free? Betadine is good too, but it will stain his feathers, so not a great idea unless you don't mind a red budgie. Although you could dab bits on with a cotton bud to limit the mess. Maybe even a few times a day in the first 48hrs. Just a thought. I wouldn't think creams will work with the feathers. The oil in creams may ruin them.

 

Although best to be sure that the blood has clotted. You don't want to start a bleed again in a place like the wing... You can buy a styptic pencil from chemists to stop this. Have used on my birds in the past for a slight toenail overcut... (just dab it on the end and blood clots like magic)

 

Best of luck with little scootie. Turbs.

 

 

I came home from school tonight, and went to check on Scooter like I usually do, and I noticed he had a bit of blood on his forehead. I thought he may have just bumped something in his cage while he was flying, but then I noticed that all my DVDs had been knocked off my shelf, which meant one thing. The cat got in my room. Usually my family is pretty good about making sure the door to my room stays shut so she can't get in, but apparently she sneaked by this time. So I figured that must've cause a flying fit. But then I noticed him preening his right wing quite a bit, and once he lifted it, I saw a good deal of blood on the underside of his wing. One of his flight feathers had been pulled out (I found it on the bottom of his cage). I don't know how it happened cause the cat can't get her paws through the cage.

 

He seems okay. There is not any blood anywhere in the cage so I don't think he lost much, and the wound seems to have clotted cause there is only dry blood there now. I gave him some millet to make him feel better, and he's currently singing and playing with his bells like always. Is there anything I should do as far as the wound goes? Should I put something on it too make sure it doesn't bleed anymore? Should I not let him out to fly for a few days? This has never happened before so I'm not sure what I should do. Thanks for the help.

Turbs is right, a cat bite or scratch is very dangerous to a budgie. There is bacteria present in cat saliva that is not present in the budgie's system so when introduced, it can be fatal. Cats lick all over their body, including their paws/claws and they also spend time in litter boxes so it's a serious concern. Anytime a bird is attacked by a cat it should be seen and treated with antibiotics right away. I hope everything goes okay!

just to point out this is true for humans where if they get scratched deep enough I believe it is called some cat scratch fever. Really any bite from a dog or cat is serious because of the bacteria. Good luck and keep us updated.

Hi guys! Thanks for all the advice and help. He seems to be doing fine today. I don't believe it was a bite or scratch. It just looked like the feather was yanked out some how, and caused the bleeding. But the bleeding has stopped, he's eating well, and acting like his normal happy self. He is favoring the wing a bit by not flying more than a short distance. It's probably just a little sore. But I think he's going to be okay.

good to hear

Hi Scooters Mummy, Good news - but best keep an eye on the little guy. Take care. Turbs.

 

Hi guys! Thanks for all the advice and help. He seems to be doing fine today. I don't believe it was a bite or scratch. It just looked like the feather was yanked out some how, and caused the bleeding. But the bleeding has stopped, he's eating well, and acting like his normal happy self. He is favoring the wing a bit by not flying more than a short distance. It's probably just a little sore. But I think he's going to be okay.

Good news about Scooter, I had no idea that a cat's saliva was so deadly (not around cats a lot as I am really allergic to them). :greenb:

It's very possible the cat didn't get Scooter at all, that he just knocked the feathers from all the frenzied flapping around the cage I'm sure he was doing. He could have gotten a wing caught up in a toy or the bars of the cage and the damage was caused as he extricated himself from being stuck. Hopefully all the racket is what scared the cat off and Scooter was never touched. I'm glad he seems to be acting normally. I would take a glance at the wound for the next day or so just to make sure it does not appear to be getting infected.