Sometimes I wonder...

[Jtbirds]

So tonight just 10 minutes ago I went to put baby in for the night. Well she is fully plucked and has no ability to fly when she falls well she was on a hanging playgym and I went to get her and a light spooked her. She flailed to the group and I heard a crack... I as afraid she had busted her keel, but she busted her beak tip off and It was bleeding severely.. I applied pressure and flour as you cannot use quick stop or styptic powder to beaks... It didn't stop the bleeding so in my reading of the certified again specialist book I have it said about heating a knife to orange hot and cauterizing when the blood loss was getting to high...

So in the emergency I did what was needed and cauterized the end of baby girls beak to stop her from bleeding out... It was the first time I've had a beak bleed this bad and had to do this....

She is ok and sitting with me now I am quite relieved to how well she took it. She is acting like nothing happened and is loving into me so much right now.

I am taught through my courses of vet practice of how to handle emergencys and be calm but I'll tell you it took a lot to cauterize her beak like I had to... She is doing amazin and I'm just so relieved I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to her I mean she soaked a paper towel and a rag in minutes of it happening. Her beak isn't damaged at all just Alittle shorter.

Not sure why baby is the main topic of my posts lately I ave many other macaws I need to post about!

-justin

 

[weco]

In bleeding situations like that cayenne pepper can also be packed on the beak tip or a cut.....it does not affect a bird the way it would us...it does not burn them & is usually more effective that flour.....

I had to do emergency surgery on a cat's tail one time.....a neighbor girl's cat had been in a fight several days earlier & had received a open injury to its tail...the parents didn't take it to the vet, so she asked me to look at it when I came home that afternoon...luckily it was a long tail & the injury was close to the tip.....

I told her that it was too late to go to the vet (no emergency vets back then), but that I though we might be able to help if she wanted...I explained what I was going to do, but that she would have to help also & she agreed.....had her hold an old spoon over a propane torch until red & lopped off about 5 inches of the cat's tail, hoping I was above all the infection, then I used the spoon to cauterize it, then put neosoprin on it & taped it up.....

A half hour later, the cat was up & playing with the girl, acting no worse for wear...three days later we cut the tape & bandage off & the tail was close to being healed.....

 

[Jtbirds]

i tried everything before i went to the knife and burnt it... the bleeding was just to much of a good flow. it seems beaks are the worst to get to stop bleeding compared to nails and blood feathers are easy enough...

she is eating now and fine the end has not broken off and started to bleed so it means we are 100% ok now.

i could have called my vet on his cell, but he would have said justin you know what to do so do it you dont need my permission lol...

 

[plax]

So tonight just 10 minutes ago I went to put baby in for the night. Well she is fully plucked and has no ability to fly when she falls well she was on a hanging playgym and I went to get her and a light spooked her. She flailed to the group and I heard a crack... I as afraid she had busted her keel, but she busted her beak tip off and It was bleeding severely.. I applied pressure and flour as you cannot use quick stop or styptic powder to beaks... It didn't stop the bleeding so in my reading of the certified again specialist book I have it said about heating a knife to orange hot and cauterizing when the blood loss was getting to high...

So in the emergency I did what was needed and cauterized the end of baby girls beak to stop her from bleeding out... It was the first time I've had a beak bleed this bad and had to do this....

She is ok and sitting with me now I am quite relieved to how well she took it. She is acting like nothing happened and is loving into me so much right now.

I am taught through my courses of vet practice of how to handle emergencys and be calm but I'll tell you it took a lot to cauterize her beak like I had to... She is doing amazin and I'm just so relieved I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to her I mean she soaked a paper towel and a rag in minutes of it happening. Her beak isn't damaged at all just Alittle shorter.

Not sure why baby is the main topic of my posts lately I ave many other macaws I need to post about!

-justin

Hey, glad to hear you were able to get the bleeding stopped!

Both Salsa and Zaffer have broken off their beak tips from hard landings on occasion - once for Salsa and about 4 times for Zaf. Also, I've inadvertently snipped into the blood supply on Zaf's beak tip once (you may remember that particular incident from when you first joined PF not long ago - I think you commented in my thread in fact).

In Zaf's case I did use styptic powder, because my corn starch wouldn't stop the bleeding this time. The styptic powder worked fine. Corn starch usually works for me, though

 

[sodakat]

I've read that a clean bar of Ivory soap can be used on bleeding beaks and nails in an emergency. Push the beak into the bar of soap. LaFitte used to be accident prone and occasionally broke the tip of his beak resulting in bleeding. I didn't know about using soap then. I do intend to try it.

 

[Jtbirds]

ive heard of soap, but i just didnt have that kind around at the moment and time and the amount of blood and babys stress level was rising to much so i did the quickiest route to stopping this and it made her destress easier... she was starting to open mouth pant and so on, last thing i wanted was a heart attack or seizure because of the stress.

yes i do remeber plax, well in the end you can always do what i had to do if it doesnt stop, it doesnt sound so great but losing a bird when i can do this sounds much better you know.... this was just a clean break and it didnt want to stop with corn startch flour or anything.

 

[PetoftheDay]

I actually brought this up on the radio show I do today, as I was curious as well. I do an Ask the Vets radio show, with at least two long-experienced veterinarians - this week was Dr. Carol and Dr. Kevin. They both agreed that styptic powder is perfectly okay to use in this situation, just be careful you don't get nay in the bird's eye, or much in its mouth and it won't be a problem. A styptic pencil might be easier. But the other thing Dr. Kevin mentioned was applying ice just holding ice to the spot to stop the bleeding. Much less scary for a human than heating up a knife, I would think!

If anyone want the audio file, let me know, I can email it to you, but it is for All Paws Pet Talk - the website for the show is All Paws Pet Talk Radio - you can see if it is playing near you at any point during the week!

 

[Jtbirds]

well i will go with what my vet says and that is stypic is a no on beaks... i tried all fo what most of you are mentioning. So pet through my years of learning i did what responsibly i could to stop the bird from dieing of blood lose, getting stressed and having a heart attack, or a seizure. The body language at the time was leaning towards that so i went with the quickest route of stopping it and no it wasnt really scary... you do what you have to, to help a animal.

 

[plax]

I actually brought this up on the radio show I do today, as I was curious as well. I do an Ask the Vets radio show, with at least two long-experienced veterinarians - this week was Dr. Carol and Dr. Kevin. They both agreed that styptic powder is perfectly okay to use in this situation, just be careful you don't get nay in the bird's eye, or much in its mouth and it won't be a problem. A styptic pencil might be easier. But the other thing Dr. Kevin mentioned was applying ice just holding ice to the spot to stop the bleeding. Much less scary for a human than heating up a knife, I would think!

If anyone want the audio file, let me know, I can email it to you, but it is for All Paws Pet Talk - the website for the show is All Paws Pet Talk Radio - you can see if it is playing near you at any point during the week!

Thanks for your comments. I've personally had fair luck with styptic powder on toenails and beaks. I always try to use corn starch initially, though. I think you have a good point that's worth considering about a styptic 'pencil' perhaps working even better in some situations. The pencil should allow a more focused application of the substance.

Thanks gain

 

[Jtbirds]

I have always had luck with it on toenails, but last night there was going to be no stopping it and I consulted with my vet today and he said everything I had done was within the right measures and that's what should have been done in this situation.

I don't doubt it can be used on a beak to stop it but this was a pretty bad break that happened so I doubt even power would have stopped it,if yo are referring to a silver nitrate pencil those pretty much create a reaction and cauterize the beak... So I do believe that could work to. Hopefully no one has a bad break like this though but if it happens you can be sure t have enough options to try.

 

[plax]

I have always had luck with it on toenails, but last night there was going to be no stopping it and I consulted with my vet today and he said everything I had done was within the right measures and that's what should have been done in this situation.

I don't doubt it can be used on a beak to stop it but this was a pretty bad break that happened so I doubt even power would have stopped it,if yo are referring to a silver nitrate pencil those pretty much create a reaction and cauterize the beak... So I do believe that could work to. Hopefully no one has a bad break like this though but if it happens you can be sure t have enough options to try.

In situations of profuse bleeding, such as the one you've described, heat cauterization may well be warranted. Thankfully most bleeding incidents involving pet birds are not so extreme.

One concern I have in the advice to use a red-hot metallic instrument to cauterize a bleeding injury is the potential for part of the bird's body (its head, face, extremities, etc.) to accidentally contact the red-hot surface of said instrument during the type of struggle that's typically encountered during such situations. This is especially a concern if it's only one person attempting to subdue and cauterize a facial, head, or beak injury on a large bird. It could easily lead to a further terrible catastrophe.

Depending upon the bird and the situation, as well as the experience of the person administering the treatment and whether or not there is immediate assistance available from an additional person, I may not recommend attempting heat cauterization to stop bleeding on a bird. Using a different method may be the best option when possible.

 

[WannaBeAParrot]

Nice job saving baby. So muc blood loss....will u be taking baby to vet fo a blood count?

 

[Blancaej]

I am so glad Baby is ok. Great job getting the blood stopped! I hope she is doing well today.

 

[Chesphoto]

Thanks for all the great replies. I am seriously considering adopting a bird with an injured wing and this is is one of my biggest concerns, falling and hitting a hard surface. I now know that I can prepare for it and have the supplies needed to save the parrot. Still scary though...

 

[Jtbirds]

I have always had luck with it on toenails, but last night there was going to be no stopping it and I consulted with my vet today and he said everything I had done was within the right measures and that's what should have been done in this situation.

I don't doubt it can be used on a beak to stop it but this was a pretty bad break that happened so I doubt even power would have stopped it,if yo are referring to a silver nitrate pencil those pretty much create a reaction and cauterize the beak... So I do believe that could work to. Hopefully no one has a bad break like this though but if it happens you can be sure t have enough options to try.

In situations of profuse bleeding, such as the one you've described, heat cauterization may well be warranted. Thankfully most bleeding incidents involving pet birds are not so extreme.

One concern I have in the advice to use a red-hot metallic instrument to cauterize a bleeding injury is the potential for part of the bird's body (its head, face, extremities, etc.) to accidentally contact the red-hot surface of said instrument during the type of struggle that's typically encountered during such situations. This is especially a concern if it's only one person attempting to subdue and cauterize a facial, head, or beak injury on a large bird. It could easily lead to a further terrible catastrophe.

Depending upon the bird and the situation, as well as the experience of the person administering the treatment and whether or not there is immediate assistance available from an additional person, I may not recommend attempting heat cauterization to stop bleeding on a bird. Using a different method may be the best option when possible.

Ok I understand this better now, I had the proper help and if I didn't i got quite the restraining hands, I groom birds by myself and do it on the side for some extra money so I can hold pretty much any bird still, got a lot of practice lol. And I do understand the concerns and risks but I knew what I was doing and was able to ensure babys safety at all points of the process

 

[Jtbirds]

Nice job saving baby. So muc blood loss....will u be taking baby to vet fo a blood count?

To everyone baby is just fine!


My vet has stated not to worry about it as she perked up right away and the next day was full of whatever she if full of everyday. So this has had really no effect on her and he says is not warranted to stress her for a blood draw when she rebounded so greatly.