HELP!! Sun Conure foot bitten! :(

[Ritsuneru]

Hello,

Earlier this week my 4 year old Sun conure Rio, was bitten by my Senegal, Kiwi. I did not hear them fighting since I had my headphones in but my sister was and she notified me later, I looked at his foot and it looked fine, it was just minor blood I thought it was just going to heal and be done. I noticed that the foot "scale?" Was ripped off and I was a little worried but didn't think much of it. I separated the birds and went to bed. The next day while doing my usual meal prepping for them I noticed Rio's foot was a dark purple and was still bleeding and was swollen. (Rio was licking it) At this point I freaked out. He still squawked at me to be picked up and he jumps around his cage but stops occasionally to lick his foot, I try to stop him by snapping my fingers near him but I feel like I am praising him by giving him attention when he does that. He is not a bird who likes to be snuggled with and he's not nice to my sister. Only to my mom and I. It is hard for me to put water on his foot as he think I am playing with him. I put more toys in his cage to distract him from licking his foot but he wont stop. I really want to take him to the vet but my mom is away to isreal and wont be back til tomorrow around 4 pm ( I live in California) and to be honest, We have NO money. Please help me. He is my little baby who I love very dearly and I don't want him to suffer from it anymore. I know it's bothering him. I want to save him. Thanks! UPDATE : He's a little bit more quiet than usual.

 

[Birdman666]

Call the medical center for birds, explain your situation, and ask advice on what to do until your mother gets home... (925) 625-1878

How bad is the wound? How bad is the bird bleeding, and do you have any corn starch that you can use to stop the bleeding?

If the bleeding is external, and minor in nature – like a scratch, you can attempt to stop the bleeding before you leave for the vet. Apply corn starch to the wound (never apply styptic powder to skin wounds) and apply gentle pressure with a sterile gauze/telfa pad. If the bleeding doesn’t stop after a minute, stop trying. Apply a pressure bandage and go the the vet. A pressure bandage is made simply by taking a couple of gauze squares and folding them as needed to accomodate the size of the wound (or the size of the bird) and placing in over the wound. Then take vet wrap and wind the tape around the gauze and the body part where the wound is located. Be sure that you don’t wind it too tightly around the body of the bird. Their air sacs require room for expansion to function properly. You should be able to slide three fingers underneath the vet wrap when it’s correctly applied. If you successfully stop the bleeding, you will still need to get to the vet for an examination and antibiotics to avoid infection.

If the external bleeding is serious in nature, like a gash, apply a pressure bandage and leave immediately for the vet.

*BLEEDING NAILS OR BEAK:

If you have cut through the quick during a nail trim or there has been an accident and the nail begins to bleed, apply styptic powder and hold in place for 30 seconds. When this has happened to me, I pour the styptic powder into the cap of the bottle and put the nail directly into the cap. Throw away the reaminder when you’re done. If you have not successfully stopped the bleed try again for 30 seconds. If it is still bleeding, go to your vet.

Follow the same proceedures for a bleeding beak. Pour a liberal amount of the powder onto a gauze pad and press it against the beak avoiding the mouth. You will need to go to your vet even if you stop the bleeding as a bleeding beak is likely to be the result of an accident or fight.

 

[Aquila]

It sounds like it's bruised from the bite, is he using it any differently or seeming to be in pain? Does it flex normally?

It's possible it keeps bleeding because he keeps licking it, definitely consider bandaging it to help prevent it from getting dirty, as well as to keep him from licking it and to stop the bleeding.

If you need to clean it, use a little peroxide or Povidone-iodine (Betadine) on a cotton swab.

If it's already been a few days, he should be just fine, but I have to say none of this is a substitute for vet care, though it seems to be just a minor injury.

 

[Ritsuneru]

He bled all over his bed and won't go to sleep. I think he is losing too much blood... He will NOT stop picking at his wound and I'm honestly scared to death. I don't have money to go out and buy gauze pads and no money for cornstarch, I put Peroxide on his swollen toes and he fights with me. I'm afraid of making it even worse than it is. Please any other advice!

 

[Dutchie1984]

Maybe you can ask someone you know to help you out with those few dollars before your mom gets back? Neighbor, aquintance?

I think you bird really needs some help, and I don't know about putting on peroxide but I don't think you should do that.

I hope you can solve the situation, sorry for the circumstances.

 

[Anansi]

Have you tried the number that Mark (Birdman666) gave you? Failing that, you could also try calling an avian vet and asking what you might be able to do until you can get your conure in for an appointment.

You see, we're somewhat limited in what we can tell you simply because the next steps, for the most part, involve an avian vet.

You're telling us that the leg is swollen and turning dark purple. That could be bruising that might subside in a few days, or it could be the early signs of a life threatening infection. A vet could tell you for sure.

Also, he's picking at the wound. This could lead to infection if it hasn't already. A bird collar could prevent him reaching it, but again you'd get that from a vet. (Unless you know a particularly savvy bird person nearby who could help you.)

Now, I know you don't have access to a vet until your mother comes home, but getting advice from a professional would be the way to go here. So try that number from Mark. And look up an avian vet in your area and call him/her as well.

And are you sure you don't already have cornstarch in one of your cabinets? It's a household item and may already be in one of the kitchen cabinets. If you don't, flour will do in a pinch. Just press it to the wound until the bleeding stops.

I believe, from something I read earlier in this thread, that your mother is coming home today, no? If so, perhaps you can keep your bird in hand and keep him from getting at his foot until she arrives and can hopefully get you to an avian vet.

Wait! It just occurred to me! Is there a bird rescue or aviary nearby? They may be able to give you the hands on help in person that I wish we could. Google away. There may be resources close at hand that you didn't even know about.

Oh! And as for your use of peroxide, at least make absolutely certain that it's completely dry before allowing your bird's beak anywhere near it. He should NOT be ingesting that stuff!

Please continue to keep us updated. We're all rooting for you and your little guy.

 

[dhraiden]

Don't think of a visit to the avian vet as an expense, it's an investment in keeping your birds healthy and happy and long-lived. This isn't the kind of thing to skip spending money on, even with no money, because NOT spending the money is actually "wasting" the investment you made in your pet (like having a nice car, and then never, ever spending any money on maintenance or repairs), understand? If your pet suffers physically, or emotionally, then you as a caring owner suffer, and if their life is reduced by this injury, how worth it was it to not spend money on the avian vet bill??

You should really prevail upon a kind-hearted neighbor to take you to the vet, and use a credit-card if you have to, or have them send you a bill, or work out a payment plan. But stop the bleeding with gauze or a cotton pad with flour ASAP. Then keep the bird somewhere warm, secure, and shallow with nowhere to climb, so it doesn't further strain itself putting weight on the injured limb.