I wanted to make up a budgie first aid kit. What would people suggest go in it? Also, simple instructions for basics that could be printed out and put in eg pulling out a broken feather - believe it or not I have never done it! I just figure that if an emergency happens, I'd like everything in the one spot!

Well some of those cotton bud sticks would be handy and some tweezers and corn flour. I can't say i've ever had to pull out a broken blood feather either but i think there's a certain way to pull it.

The best way to pull a broken feather is pull it the way it grows, that way the bird'll have minimal pain, then quickly cover with cornflour. The first few seconds of blood cleanse the wound, after that it should clot very quickly.

 

If the wound gets pus-sy, wash it as best you can, put a tiny bit of antiseptic on it, then run for the vet.

This is good, if there ins't anything like this around as of yet I will pin thiss, so every one add your budgie first aid needs.

 

Egg white- it's a good way to 'splint' a leg, just brush it on and let it get hard. Really easy to remove as well just add water.

Egg white- it's a good way to 'splint' a leg, just brush it on and let it get hard. Really easy to remove as well just add water.

 

Oh wow, I didn't know that! Any other little jewels of information?

Believe it or not I use eye make up remover cotton wool pads for wiping wounds or messy vents, they they are less messy and soft for the birdies and a huge pack over here only costs around 70p.

budgie antiseptic?

Like bird safe iodine

*Tweezers

*Cornflour

*Cotton Wool Balls/pads

*Cotton buds

*General vitamin supplement (ACEhigh or Avimix)

*Syringe

*Emergency syringe feeding formula (for birds to sick to eat, until you can get them to a vet) Eg. Poly-Aid.

Bandages: to wrap splints to legs or hold broken wings down onto the body.

Saline - for washing wounds out (and cleaning eyes, but only if it is 0.9% (also called normal saline) solution otherwise it is too strong)

Iceblock sticks - for splinting wings and legs and can be easily broken to the right length

Tea towel - for swaddling the budgie, this stops it thrashing around and hurting itself further (a bath towel would be too heavy for a budgie, but would be okay for other birds)

Iodine - for sterilising

Cotton buds - cleaning (take care not to leave fluff in the wound)

Dish - for putting saline in.

Scissors (Iris scissors are best) - cutting badages etc.

Sticky tape - for holding bandages together etc.

Blunt nosed tweezers - (it might be a good idea to have needle nosed ones as well for those trickier situations.

Sterri-strips - these are like stiches but you stick them on instead

Little cardboard box for putting the budgie in when carrying it to the vet.

Cornflour - to clot blood

Eye dropper - for feeding or applying saline to the eye etc.

:ygbudgie: :budgiedance:

 

Combine soft absorbent cotton pads - to absorb body fluids and apply to wounds

Honey :budgiedance:

all of these are good for a budgie 1st aid kit but i found instead of corn flour use potato flour as it is finer and works alot faster and is more sterile, also instead of having rearing formula u should had some packets of gastrolyte because there is no use in force feeding a bird that has no crop reaction because the food will become soure in the crop where as gastrolyte is like pure rehydration being absorbed into the body. honey is also good if warmed and mixedwith the gastrolyte because it gives the bird energy to fight with.

only resort to force feeding and administration as a last resort but give sick birds a warm dark area with clean water and feed first if the bird goes down hill then try the force feeding, but remember to administer down the right side of the bird as that is the crops side where as the left side is the wind pipe for the bird to breath, if liquid gets in here the bird could drown. hope this helps people with their problems

 

Sco-tie,

Good advice everyone. Reminds me, I should restock mine.

 

I'd like to add to your post Sco-tie. The oesophagus which leads to the crop is located at the back of the throat. When you tube a bird you should go along the sides of the mouth, avoiding the floor and tongue. Holding the bird in your left hand, feed into the bird's right side, ie go over and across the tongue from the bird's left to right. (You can reverse the directions if left-handed, I don't think there is a wrong or right side of the throat to go down. Where did you hear about going to the right side?).

The opening to the trachea (windpipe) is on the floor of the mouth, at the base of the tongue. As long as you do not stick the needle straight down onto the tongue in the centre, you will avoid it and end up in the oesophagus. The crop is located just above the keel (breast bone). If you are not sure if you are in the right tube, feel along the bird's neck, you should be able to feel the tip of the crop needle just under the skin. If you are in the trachea you will not be able to feel it.

 

Hope this was helpful.

Edited November 25, 200618 yr by Chrysocome

I am combining these ideas and making a new post for the FAQ section and I can also add here.