Big beaks CAN mean big damage

[luvmytooo]

Oh my , I just looked at the picture ! You poor thing !!!
I really hope you dont end up with nerve damage honey. That's a really bad bite.
But like you said , it goes with the territory. I do hope you get full mobility and feeling back in your thumb....that is a important digit .

 

[ShreddedOakAviary]

The top of my thumb just above the bird bite feels like it's full of lidocane. I can feel pressure, but not sharp, hot, or cold. It's really weird. The bending improves daily, I make a point to bend it as far as possible and then some several times a day. The stitches have already been removed, and it's healing nicely (at least from the way it looks). I'll have another scar to add to my already strange collection.

 

[luvmytooo]

The top of my thumb just above the bird bite feels like it's full of lidocane. I can feel pressure, but not sharp, hot, or cold. It's really weird. The bending improves daily, I make a point to bend it as far as possible and then some several times a day. The stitches have already been removed, and it's healing nicely (at least from the way it looks). I'll have another scar to add to my already strange collection.

Hopefully the feeling will come back in a few days. The pressure she used was tremendous to have cut off that feeling. Like you dont know that , but in a few days ( HOPEFULLY ) you will start having pins and needle sensations it it , then your feeling will come back.

 

[ShreddedOakAviary]

I want to point one thing out though... Most people are afraid of a macaws beak... which unless it's a breeding pair (like mine), isn't really necessary. macaws are naturally very gentle and sweet, and like I said in 20 years this is the first time I've seen a macaw use anything near full force. Additionally, I'd also like to point out that I'm glad I got bit by a greenwing macaw rather than a moluccan cockatoo... cockatoo bites are by far the worst bites I've encountered, and a moluccan would have done a great deal more damage. The slice in my thumb is from her BOTTOM beak (in an attempt to open my knuckle like a nut), and that fear of a macaw beak is not the answer. respect the animals for what they are.... not a domestic dog. try and understand the warnings (pepper gave me PLENTY of warning that I was making her angry being so close to her box) in a pet environment I'd have never had a macaw that angry or aggressive...

 

[mnkeastman]

Sorry this happened, glad your healing ok.

 

[Rio Mom]

Glad you're healing. Ouch! That certainly looks painful, and on a knuckle even worse. My hubby thought his punctures from our Pepper were bad. I showed him your picture. I imagine the "before stiches" picture is much scarier.

 

[MikeyTN]

I want to point one thing out though... Most people are afraid of a macaws beak... which unless it's a breeding pair (like mine), isn't really necessary. macaws are naturally very gentle and sweet, and like I said in 20 years this is the first time I've seen a macaw use anything near full force. Additionally, I'd also like to point out that I'm glad I got bit by a greenwing macaw rather than a moluccan cockatoo... cockatoo bites are by far the worst bites I've encountered, and a moluccan would have done a great deal more damage. The slice in my thumb is from her BOTTOM beak (in an attempt to open my knuckle like a nut), and that fear of a macaw beak is not the answer. respect the animals for what they are.... not a domestic dog. try and understand the warnings (pepper gave me PLENTY of warning that I was making her angry being so close to her box) in a pet environment I'd have never had a macaw that angry or aggressive...

My worst bite came from a Cockatoo...my macaw could do more damage if he wanted to but he didn't, the first time he's ever bit me in 8 years because he had hormone issue and he wants the dog instead of me....lol....Now his hormone is over, MUCH BETTER!

 

[antoinette]

EINA THAT LOOKS PRETTY BAD AND SORE

I have never judge a bird by it's beak, whether it would be a bigger eina if the bird was bigger.
To be honest, Mishka's passed girlfriend, Jessie, bit me on the lip about a week before she died. Just a small nip, took a bit of skin off the bottom lip. Took a week to heal. She had never ever bitten anyone ever, we put it down to her serious illness, which actually ended her life.

LoL my worst bite was from Linky's Ringneck Sterretjie. I was holding her, she suddenly lunged at my hand, caught my pointer finger and held on for dear life. It seemed like eternity..... I never shook her free, just waited for her to let go, (and screamed silently) Sterretjie took a chunk of flesh off my finger. It was so painful and took about a month to heal.
Just look how small that beak is, yet it did so much damage......

PS.......... when Barbara, Jessie guardian sees me now, she teases me about my
"love bite" which Jessie gave me, (dent in my lip now) and tells me I will always have Jessie on my lips.

 

[roxynoodle]

I'm so sorry this happened to you. My worst bite ever was from a large cockatoo of some kind. I was about 12 years old, and it jumped onto my shoulder in a pet store. I put my hand up to try to get it on my hand to put it back on the perch and it grabbed one of my fingers and crunched down. Not so much a laceration as a huge, black and blue finger that took weeks to heal. I guess that was my first lesson in a parrot on the shoulder that thinks it's dominant.

If it is any consolation, I had a very similar injury to my left thumb, from a saw. The blade went in between the 2 bones at my knuckle. I also could not bend it for weeks, and have some nerve damage, but it did heal pretty well, and I was eventually able to bend it again. These days all I have to show for it is the scar, and basically have full use of it again. I really hope that will be true for you as well.

 

[luvmytooo]

IMO , Cockatoo bites are much more painful. I know when my Rosie bit me , I saw stars ! It's almost like they have serrated edges on their beaks.... whatever it is , it freakin hurts like crazy :11:

Ive been thinking of reasons why I HAVE to go to Nebraska to visit ShreddedOaks....

I need to look and see if there are any agility trials going on there , that can be one reason.
And the onlyother one I can think of is the baby Goffins NEED me

Its only a short plane ride from NY , right ? Sort of a hop ,skip and a jump , lolol.

 

[Jerakk]

Some people unfortunately fall in to a sense of false security when they've been around their birds for a long period of time. They need to always remember that any bird (or dog or cat or what have you) can and probably will bite. 99% of the time it will always be the owner's fault. Your actions, lack of action, mood change, inflection of your voice, etc.. can trigger an urge for them to defend themselves. This is one of the reasons why it's never a good idea to allow any parrot near your face. I never allow mine to get up on my shoulder for any reason. They know that your face is a great place to strike if they ended up being frightened or angry about anything. My brother found out about it the hard way... actually 3 times.


My cockatoo was a family pet. Before moving out and taking her with me she had picked my brother as a mate. While he was out of the house she'd be docile and well mannered but if he was around she only wanted to be near him and nobody else. She'd allow him to pick her up, wrestle a bit, just sit on his chest while he was laying down watching tv etc... well one day he brought his g/f over and well Suki wouldn't have any of that. As soon as he walked by her cage he jumped off and bit his ear requiring several stitches. Several months later he didn't bother acknowledging her for almost a full day. So infuriated that her advances had gone unnoticed she did it again. The third time she was sitting on his chest while he was watching TV.. my mother had walked by and stopped to talk to him.. once again suki got jealous that he stopped giving her attention and bit straight through his cheek requiring even more stitches.

This story isn't meant to frighten owners or potential owners.. but to let you know that birds are still wild and very emotional creatures and no matter how sweet they are, no matter how much trust you have in them.. you need to always be careful and try to reduce the chances of being bit.. and please go easy on them when it happens because the odds are you're the blame for it.

 

[luvmytooo]

You cant take the wild out of them regardless of how you raise it.

 

[mele]

Wow, Ouch
I'm not sure how you were able to take that bite without the urge to yank back. I know what you did is the right thing to do. When my scarlet got a hold of my thumb, I did the exact opposit. I screamed bloody murder and yanked my thumb back. I didn't get stiches but I did lose feeling along the length of the side. I agree macaws are about the sweetest things but when they want to they will bite or worst pinch.

My cockatoo has only bitten me once. I was trying to put him in his cage because a storm was getting bad. Once the lightning started, I lost all controll and he ran up my arm and started attacking me. Poor thing was so scared he bit me behind my neck and I thought I was going to pass out. Worst bite ever!!!

 

[Mare Miller]

I'm so sorry you got chomped Shredded Oaks and hope the healing goes fast for you, did you get cut on the other side as well? I went to my closest town today, that has birds, because I needed some extra food bowls for Amigo's cages. When my daughter and I walked in, I immediately saw this woman, pushing a cart with her umbrella cockatoo in it. The bird was sitting on top of a travel cage. I told my daughter that I've got to check this out. By the time I got up to the woman, she had the bird cuddling against her chest and giving it kisses while walking down the aisle. We talked for a bit, I knew better than to try and pet the bird but when I was standing in line at the check out stand, she had allowed the bird to walk around the counter and there were young kids very close by, their heads just above counter height. Sure scared me, for them! I just know how unpredictable these birds can be, in certain situations. I don't know if I'm just paranoid or the fact that this bird was only three years old and they can't be aggressive at that age. This woman had only owned her for 7 weeks.

 

[luvmytooo]

Some people just dont understand that birds arent dogs or cats and that they have their own unique social behaviours and temperments.
The woman at the pet shop with the Too obviously doesnt know what these birds are capable of or much about their social behaviours.
Or she would never have let the Too anywhere near those children .
I dont think you were paranoid Mare Miller , just experienced .

 

[Mare Miller]

This is what I've read about cockatoo bites. They have those two points on each edge of their bottom beak, right? Well, when they bite, that bottom jaw moves side to side like a razor saw, so fast that you can't see it. That's what I read...but in my words.

 

[luvmytooo]

This is what I've read about cockatoo bites. They have those two points on each edge of their bottom beak, right? Well, when they bite, that bottom jaw moves side to side like a razor saw, so fast that you can't see it. That's what I read...but in my words.

Feels exactly like your description , lolol.

 

[luvmytooo]

Wow, Ouch
I'm not sure how you were able to take that bite without the urge to yank back. I know what you did is the right thing to do. When my scarlet got a hold of my thumb, I did the exact opposit. I screamed bloody murder and yanked my thumb back. I didn't get stiches but I did lose feeling along the length of the side. I agree macaws are about the sweetest things but when they want to they will bite or worst pinch.

My cockatoo has only bitten me once. I was trying to put him in his cage because a storm was getting bad. Once the lightning started, I lost all controll and he ran up my arm and started attacking me. Poor thing was so scared he bit me behind my neck and I thought I was going to pass out. Worst bite ever!!!

Just thinking of your bite is giving me chills Mele ! Owwww !
OMG :11:

 

[roxynoodle]

When I was at the vet yesterday with Merlin, she was cuddled up against my chest. Being an avian vet, she knew better of course than to just approach a bird with it's owner. She actually asked me if she could come in. I just said, "Well, she has not bitten me yet and doesn't seem possessive of me."

 

[JJones1719]

Yes, Green wings can give a nasty bite, My Neleno Male GW at 6 months old bit through my right ring finger all the way through but missing all nerves and veins. i was very lucky he did not take my finger off. I received 7 stitches. He is a real sweetheart now but he was a very nasty baby.lol. best of luck and be aware of their beaks. Joe