Clumsy ripped a nail :(

[tfw]

So another day, another injury. Poor Kass with her lopsided feathers on her wings has become so clumsy! This time she caught her nail on a toy. The toy is not ragged or anything. It was the metal rod where I had just refilled with cardboard and wood for chewing. She didn't fall but I saw her dangling before she reached for the perch to save herself. And when I checked, her one nail was gushing!

The bleeding stopped on its own and we took her to the vet. He gave her some pain killers and inspected/cleaned the nail. Said it looked fine. The quick was exposed and dangling. He added more styptic. It will clot up more tomorrow and look clumpy and it's fine. As long as she leaves it alone and lets it heal, I don't need to do anything more. The pain killers will hopefully help.

A bandage wasn't an option unless we absolutely have to because she will likely just pick at it more. If it still bleeds tomorrow, then unfortunately we have to put her in a cone of shame (part of my is curious how THAT would work LOL!!!).






I don't know what else to do to protect her. She was clipped (rather badly) before we got her, and she had a couple of really bad falls that damaged blood feathers on the right wing. So she is lopsided and more prone to falls.

Short of me literally carrying her around all day long or keeping her in her cage 24/7 for weeks until she grows proper feathers, I don't know what else to do. She's never alone while on her gym, which is majority of the waking hours. She still manages to fall or jump. But she falls or gets hurt at least once a week.

She is otherwise a happy healthy bird. Very very sociable and sweet and just so easy going.

 

[LokisMomma]

Aw so sorry .. poor baby! I hope it heals quickly and without complication! I don’t know what to offer as suggestion to help keep her from getting hurt, but wanted to at least express my sympathy for you and her!!

 

[tfw]

Jumped again from our shoulder onto the sidewalk. The same nail of course chipped and bled again . Poor thing. The other day a bloodfeather broke. We don't even know how THAT happened cuz at the time she was calmly foraging around our table on the deck and next thing we know the wing is bleeding! She hadn't flapped or fell within the past hour to have banged it on anything.

I'm gonna need more styptic. Just hoping daily to keep a close eye on her and stuff but not always possible to follow her around. She's at least never alone in a room. We are always within arm's reach if she's out of her cage.

 

[LokisMomma]

Oh no poor Kass :-/ I know I’d be a bit of a wreck if my baby kept bleeding in some way or another so I really feel for you! I’ve really got nothing for suggestions, and I’ve wracked my brain to think of what I might do in your situation, but I just don’t know. I guess just close close supervision at all times, which you are already doing. Rest assured you are doing all you can for her and she’s gonna be ok *hugs*

 

[noodles123]

careful with styptic...if they ingest it, that is not good.

Cornstarch can also help and their are ways for the vet to cauterize the wound....

 

[tfw]

careful with styptic...if they ingest it, that is not good.

Cornstarch can also help and their are ways for the vet to cauterize the wound....

I'll switch to cornstarch. But the vet did assure me the styptic was safe (he is a CAV). But I have used cornstarch in the past with my dogs. More organic so I guess it is best anyway.

She is eating and just wants cuddles. She normally prefers large chunks of food but since she only has 1 good paw, i chopped up her dinner into smaller bite sized pieces. It is so nerve wracking because she is just off balance and a dare devil.

She is pretty much out of the cage majority of her waking hours and since weather is nice now she sits outside with us quite a bit. Today if we couldnt physically cuddle her we put her in her cage and it breaks my heart. She doesn't seem to mind, as she can't move around much but I hate when she is in her cage while we are home. She is such a sweetheart.

 

[noodles123]

careful with styptic...if they ingest it, that is not good.

Cornstarch can also help and their are ways for the vet to cauterize the wound....

I'll switch to cornstarch. But the vet did assure me the styptic was safe (he is a CAV). But I have used cornstarch in the past with my dogs. More organic so I guess it is best anyway.

She is eating and just wants cuddles. She normally prefers large chunks of food but since she only has 1 good paw, i chopped up her dinner into smaller bite sized pieces. It is so nerve wracking because she is just off balance and a dare devil.

She is pretty much out of the cage majority of her waking hours and since weather is nice now she sits outside with us quite a bit. Today if we couldnt physically cuddle her we put her in her cage and it breaks my heart. She doesn't seem to mind, as she can't move around much but I hate when she is in her cage while we are home. She is such a sweetheart.

Stypitc is better at getting the job done, but it can be harmful depending on the amount ingested---listen to your vet, for sure!

 

[tfw]

Im waiting for my CAV to call me back Monday but I had this idea to see if he can just clip off the end piece. It seems to be hanging on by cartilage and blood clots. Yesterday she accidentally nudged my arm extremely gently and it was enough to get the bleeding started. And she is having daily bleeding from the slightest bumpa. But Im concerned cutting off that much.

Will it grow back over the cartilage/quick? I feel like it is a painful thing but just like ripping off a bandaid,it will be better in the long run. Or kind of like cutting off a hangnail....it feels better (maybe a little sore) once cut off.


https://flic.kr/p/2jhRhaW

 

[Flboy]

It looks so sore!

 

[noodles123]

Im waiting for my CAV to call me back Monday but I had this idea to see if he can just clip off the end piece. It seems to be hanging on by cartilage and blood clots. Yesterday she accidentally nudged my arm extremely gently and it was enough to get the bleeding started. And she is having daily bleeding from the slightest bumpa. But Im concerned cutting off that much.

Will it grow back over the cartilage/quick? I feel like it is a painful thing but just like ripping off a bandaid,it will be better in the long run. Or kind of like cutting off a hangnail....it feels better (maybe a little sore) once cut off.


https://flic.kr/p/2jhRhaW

Hard to say...he got it pretty good...
I hate stuff like this because it's stressful when you know they can bump it and restart things...I also worry about infection..

You might consider chemical cauterization (silver nitrate). Talk to your vet when you reach them.

 

[tfw]

My poor girl and I thought the only thing I had to protect her from was damaging her wing more while it grew back!

But she's so freaking resilient!!! No matter the pain or how much she jumps or falls, she STILL stays so sweet and trusting!

Thanks for reminding me about cauterizing. I seriously HATE taking her back to clip it but she just seems more uncomfortable with it dangling. Im eager to talk to the vet.

Oh and side note about infection. The vet says he has rarely seen a toenail injury resulting in infection. Not inpossible but he says it is not easily infected.

 

[tfw]

It's times like these when you know when a vet genuinely cares for the animal's wellbeing or if they are in it for the bottom line $$$. In my case, our CAV is awesome!

Spoke to the CAV over the phone to discuss the option of cutting it. He still feels the best option is to let it "grow out".

Of course if I really wanted to I can bring her in and get it clipped and cauterized. He is most concerned about Kass's overall stress level. And controlling the bleeding could be harder and cause her more discomfort and raise her blood pressure.

He says the skin will eventually just shrivel up and get calloused and the nail tip will just sort of grow out. He did say it will take a few weeks.

Guess I'm just a worried momma bird who wants her baby comfy. She gets around ok and is still just a silly goofy bird. But of course when she slips and falls it bleeds again, albeit not horribly.

 

[noodles123]

She may end up yanking it off herself--I am not saying you have to get it clipped, but that's why I would just buy some silver nitrate swabs IN CASE it happens and you need them. It's super easy to do...I mean..compared to other things obviously (probably would have to towel her or keep her SUPER distracted)...YOU MUST prevent them from biting the end of the stick with the chemical on it, so it is kind of a 2 person job, but not all that traumatic once all is said and done.

 

[tfw]

She may end up yanking it off herself--I am not saying you have to get it clipped, but that's why I would just buy some silver nitrate swabs IN CASE it happens and you need them. It's super easy to do...I mean..compared to other things obviously (probably would have to towel her or keep her SUPER distracted)...YOU MUST prevent them from biting the end of the stick with the chemical on it, so it is kind of a 2 person job, but not all that traumatic once all is said and done.

Could you recommend me a good brand for the silver nitrate stick? I saw quite a few on amazon and didn't see one specifically for pets.

 

[noodles123]

She may end up yanking it off herself--I am not saying you have to get it clipped, but that's why I would just buy some silver nitrate swabs IN CASE it happens and you need them. It's super easy to do...I mean..compared to other things obviously (probably would have to towel her or keep her SUPER distracted)...YOU MUST prevent them from biting the end of the stick with the chemical on it, so it is kind of a 2 person job, but not all that traumatic once all is said and done.

Could you recommend me a good brand for the silver nitrate stick? I saw quite a few on amazon and didn't see one specifically for pets.

My vet used to give them to me for free (when Noodles had her clotting issue) so I am not sure what brand would be best...You could call your vet and just ask what they use there...Sorry!!!
Again-- styptic powder and silver nitrate will achieve similar end results and neither is completely safe. I dislike the powder because it leaves a residue that can be ingested in some cases--- the nitrate sticks don't leave as much junk behind, but if your bird DOES somehow ingest it (biting the end of the stick etc) it can cause burns in their mouth etc. Neither is perfect.. Interestingly, lots of websites seem to confuse the 2 (even though they are different). Yes, both stop bleeding, but the terms are sometimes used interchangeabley when they shouldn't be (due to the differing mechanisms by which bleeding is stopped). One site actually says that the nitrate should only be used on skin, and the powder on nails ANOTHER site says the exact opposite (nitrate on nails and powder on skin)..but for Noodles nails, they (old vet- not current) usually started with powder and then used the sticks if that didn't work). Again--- my thing was, she would put her feet in her mouth and some of that powder would still be on there, which was concerning to me. There are a ton of contradictions all over the web regarding these products (in terms of applications/use, safety etc). Some sites only suggest nitrate sticks, some suggest both for different uses...wish I could be of more help. The nitrate sticks just seemed to work better, and I prefer them in terms of ease of use/mess etc, but they are not without controversy.

I'd call your vet (or an avian vet elsewhere) and just ask them which one they would recommend.

Another product that I have heard of but never used is called Gelfoam (might look into that as well)

 

[noodles123]

So, I just called my CURRENT avian vet about this and they said their "go-to" for bleeding nails was the silver nitrate. So that means that this vet and my last vet don't have issues with it (although my last vet wasn't nearly as good--decent, but not on the same level). You can still call your vet to get another opinion, but this is what I was told:

They said the only way silver nitrate would be internally damaging would be if the bird bit the tip of the nitrate swab (OR if skin was excessively burned though misuse) but that the styptic powder, if ingested, could cause issues...
My vet did not voice concerns about using silver nitrate cautiously on small skin wounds in a bird that is "otherwise healthy". They said that styptic would do the same thing for the most part (in terms of stopping bleeding- but not in terms of the mechanism itself), but that the powder is more easily ingested. When I asked about the risk of skin burns from the nitrate, he acted like that was unlikely, unless the wound was quite large (in which case, silver nitrate should not be used)or if the nitrate was somehow misapplied in another way... They said they prefer the nitrate swabs (that's what they use in the office, especially for nails, but also for other things), but they also didn't tell me NOT to use the powder...just indicated that the powder is more easily ingested and that ingestion of the powder can be harmful.

I imagine there are other CAVs out there with differing opinions, but that is what mine said just now...They prefer the sticks as long as the bird has no way of touching the treated part of the stick with his/her beak or tongue during application and they said that minor wounds could also be treated with these as long as the bird was healthy and didn't come into contact with the stick-end. Take it for what it's worth I guess--- obviously there are lots of opinions about this issue online and it is kind of confusing!

Again--- OBVIOUSLY there are others out there who disagree with my vet(s), so I's still talk to yours if they are a CAV and then maybe you will be able to decide.

 

[tfw]

Thanks!!! I will ask my vet. Again, he was not concerned about the bird ingesting styptic... as long as it isn't a large amount of course. He isn't a new vet and he owns am African Grey. So I feel comfortable with styptic more than the silver. But it would be nice to have alternatives.

She doesn't have blood clotting issues. She just has issues bleeding a few times a week from falls. Today she purposefully jumped again. Nail was fine surprisingly... but a blood feather bled again. But styptic always worked. Ungh.

Here's just an updated pic. She was busy eating nuts so ignore the nutty mess. As you can see it's bent at a 90 degree angle almost and just looks like crap. The gunky stuff is just dried styptic. The CAV said it will look calloused and just a lumpy thing that it is now and it's normal. I'm hoping it just grows out in a few weeks and falls off with little to no bloody fanfare.

 

[tfw]

Update: It finally fell off without incident! It was dangling by a small bit yesterday so I'm glad it finally came off and she seems happier to not have this extra piece getting in her way with every step. I was able to flip her onto her back to play for the first time in weeks

 

[noodles123]

YAY! It's always such a relief when something like that is finally over!

 

[tfw]

So just wanted to update and close off this ordeal in case others run into similar issues.

After that large bit fell off, we stopped the bleeding with styptic of course. And she almost instantly looked like she was relieved not to keep bumping this annoying dangly bit. A few days later, she must've had another bad bump on her foot because we noticed it was bleeding again. We had to cake on the styptic to get it to stop. We left it alone, and it looked like a nasty caked up mess.

We finally gave her a long overdue shower in the sink the other day and the dried up styptic that covered the entire nail washed off and it looked like it got even shorter yet again. So I think there was another dead piece that was still there that fell off.

Hopefully that's all that will break off. But here is a pic of the nail today:



She lets me touch that toe (if I avoid the nail) but at least I know she's not in great pain or discomfort. We are eager to get her nails trimmed, but she has blood feathers coming in finally on her right wing (the one that has missing flight feathers rendering her unbalanced) so we don't want to stress her. We have been just filing it down as best we can. But man those other claws are long!!