FIRST AID FOR PARROTS

**Get bird to a vet as soon as possible after initial first aid**

BE PREPARED.

a)   Teach the bird (wherever possible) to be used to handling…step up/step down/allow touching of wings, feet, toes, face, beak etc. Also, try and get the bird used to being towelled, and get used to the towelling techniques yourself. (I actually feel that having a fleece blanket handy is even better than using a towel in an emergency, there is less chance of the birds claws getting caught up. So, if at all possible, use a fleece instead of a towel) All this will mean less stress on a bird in an already stressed state.

b)   Teach the bird to accept fruit juices from a syringe. This can help a lot with the administration of liquid medications in the future. (meds can be mixed in with the fruit juice, and the bird will usually accept it quite happily; again, less stress.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT STRESS REDUCTION CAN ACTUALLY REDUCE MORTALITY IN SICK OR INJURED BIRDS.

c)    Have important phone numbers always to hand!!!!!!

  The vets number; and also the number/numbers of willing friends who can come over and help you with handling your bird (they must be comfortable and adept in the handling of birds)  and also someone who is perhaps willing to be the driver and transport you to the vets if needed.

d)   Have a good relationship with your vet. Take any new bird down for a well-bird check, weighing, bloods etc; then if the bird becomes ill, the vet already has a basic history. This can also help with telephone advice from your vet.

e) Always have all your first aid equipment to hand, and in one place.  (Towels, travel cage, hospital cage, basic meds and bandages etc) This will also save YOU a lot of stress in an emergency.

THE EMERGENCY SITUATION

Address the situation and decide what you think the potential causes are, how serious you think it is, whether it can be handled at home or whether the bird needs to be taken immediately to the vet.

Is the bird standing? Is it leaning, hanging it’s head? What organ/body part seems to be affected : respiratory/breathing, lameness, bleeding, just laying there with no real visible clues as to what’s going on? Assessing what part or parts of the bird is affected, will help you decide what you need to do.

BREATHING : Can you smell any alien odours? Neighbours painting, creosoting fences, spraying weed killers? If this is the case, immediately move the bird to a better ventilated room in the house that has not been affected by incoming fumes. If it is an internal (in house) toxin, open windows (KEEP BIRD CAGED!) and get fresh air to it as fast as possible. Often, just getting the bird ventilated with clean air sees the bird returning close to its normal self within about 15 minutes.

It is still advisable to get the bird professionally checked and assessed, as some airborn toxins can have long term affects on the liver, lungs, kidneys etc.

LOW BLOOD SUGAR

This is something you can’t actually see like you can with a physical trauma/bleeding/breathing difficulties.

Causes of low blood sugar can be struggling very hard because the bird has got a foot/toe/wing/beak trapped somehow (often in a toy, or in inadequate cage bar spacing, or in a chain) Sometimes it can be through straining to pass an egg. In these situations, the bird is using up its body stores, and because it cant or wont eat, the blood sugars are being burnt up, but not replaced, so they drop and get too low. If the body starts running low on blood sugar, it’s a bit like a car running low on petrol, things start to shut down, and not work properly.

So, if the bird seems weak, unsteady, unable to stand, and you can see that it has been struggling, then its blood sugar is most likely very depleted.

There should be some kind of sweetener in your first aid box in readiness for such situations. Syrup, or corn syrup is handy for this. You can smear some around the birds mouth and mucous membrains in its mouth, and it will be absorbed into the birds system safely. Giving liquidised sweeteners as the bird could inhale it and choke, especially if it is unable to swallow properly. So syringing liquid sweeteners is probably not the best idea.

Once the sugar is administered, its best to leave the bird alone somewhere quiet and warm to give the birds body time to absorb the sugars. This takes around about 10 minutes for the sugar to start getting well into the system. You will often see a worn, tired, lethargic bird perking up as the sugar is absorbed. The bird not perk up 100%, but it should at least give it enough energy to cope with gentle examination as you search for injuries, damage to feet, toes, claws, wings etc.

If you try to do too much with the bird BEFORE raising its blood sugar levels, like examining it, moving it about too much, that extra bit of stress could be the last straw, and the bird may not be able to cope, and could die.

BLEEDING

Bleeding is usually fairly obvious to the observer.

a)   try and see where the bleeding is coming from.

b)   Try and see if it is STILL bleeding.

c)    Try and estimate how much blood has been lost.

A good way to learn how to do this is by using a syringe and some coloured water. Squirt around one mil haphazardly, and see how much mess it makes, how far it spreads. Do this with 3 mils, 5 mils, 10 mils. With practice, and by practicing on different surfaces, you soon get a good idea on estimating how much blood has been lost in a real situation. This information can help the vet greatly in assessing how much fluids the bird will need, if it is likely to be anaemic etc.

TRANSPORTING YOUR BIRD

If you feel your bird needs to see a vet, call ahead first, even in an emergency if at all possible. This means the vet can have the oxygen on and ready, the incubators warmed up, maybe even prevent the best nurse from going on a break, or going home just before a potential emergency arrival. So it’s a huge advantage to your bird, the vet, and also to you if the vet knows your are coming, the estimated time of your arrival, and the nature of the problem.

It is also very helpful if you are willing to talk to the receptionist. The vet may be in the middle of surgery, but the receptionist can still relay messages to the vet, and pass advice on from the vet back to you, without leaving and endangering the animal currently undergoing surgery. The vet is then also aware and prepared for your arrival. This is so much better than leaving a message with the receptionist and insisting that the vet calls you back. It saves precious time, and that time could mean the difference between your bird surviving, or not.

CARRIERS/TRANSPORT CAGES.

The little plexiglass carriers that are designed for reptiles can be ideal. They are easy for you or the vet to get the bird out of, the bird can’t climb the sides during transport and be put at risk of further injury, the bird is easy to observe whilst your are driving, and they also help maintain the birds body temperature, because of the lack of draughts.

Don’t leave water in the transporter as this usually spills, and the bird could end up wet and chilled. Also, be sure not to have any hanging toys or swings, as these could hit the already traumatised bird during the motion of the journey.

TEMPERATURE.

This is extremely important in any kind of first aid, or in the case of a sick bird. Their body temperature is a few degrees higher than ours, and with any kind of shock, or trauma, or blood loss the temperature drops; so keeping the bird warm is vital. A heating pad under the cage, with a towel on the cage floor for the bird to stand/rest on, helps prevent the risk of the bird getting to hot or even burned should the pad get overheated. A smaller ‘hospital’ cage is also recommended, as it warms up quicker, and most likely, the bird wont be in there for very long anyway.

For bigger birds, a dog crate can be used. A perch can be secured across the cage (low down, because of the risk of falling) and again, the same system with the heating pad. Heat-lamps shining down are ok, but as heat rises, it’s better if the heat source is coming from underneath the cage. If the cage is covered with a blanket, it can get nice and warm quite quickly.

I am NOT an avian vet. All the information I have printed here is simply information that I have learned through studying on the internet, studying books, and listening carefully to my own Avian Vet. Please ensure that you get expert medical guidance from an avian vet if you are in any doubt as to how to treat your bird in an emergency. This is just a guide, basic and simple.

Anne.M.Kenyon