step-by-step training

[JerseyWendy]

So I realized last night that I shouldn't own any birds at all.......

C'mon, don't be so hard on yourself. Many of us have witnessed accidents first hand, but that doesn't mean it makes us bad parronts or incapable. Stuff just happens sometimes.

You are NOT torturing Dewey. You are doing what is necessary and needed right now, and I'm sure she will forgive you for it.

 

[djdancer]

Thank you JerseyWendy!! I feel like I should know all of this stuff and should before I got a bird. Are you guys able to towel your birds without having to try to tackle them and wear them and yourself out before you are able to towel them? She sees the towel and takes off. I make sure that it's dark in the bathroom then take her in and close the door. Thankfully it's a small bathroom. Then turn on the light and towel her then give her the meds (which she hates). Then time for a sip of orange juice or a half of a pistachio and she doesn't even want them after all that she's gone through.

I do feel as though I am torturing her. The vet told me to spend some time with her so she is comfortable being toweled and taking the meds but it's not working out like she makes it sound so easy...

 

[djdancer]

Oh I think I failed to pass on my concern about thinking that I shouldn't own a bird if I can't towel it and check to see if the feather she broke was a blood feather. If it did turn out to be a blood feather I don't think I'd be able to control her enough for me to be able to pluck the rest of the feather out. I did learn that I need to invest in a pair of gloves because my hands now look like I got into a cat fight. lol I am not afraid of being bit at all though.

 

[JerseyWendy]

Toweling a struggling bird can be a very frightening thing!!! I can towel both my Amazons by myself, with very little effort, but I couldn't towel AND administer meds or do other things to my big macs without a second set of hands.

 

[Anansi]

Wendy is absolutely right. You are being too hard on yourself. Those of us you read about here who seem so adept at holding our birds likely didn't start out that way.

When I first had to medicate my cockatiel, (he had kidney disease) I remember being terrified at the prospect. "You want me to hold him and administer what?!?" And my first few attempts were downright clumsy. (And keep in mind, my cockatiel wasn't an abused rehome like yours is.)

Years later, however, when it was time to medicate my ekkie, Bixby, things went far more smoothly. We all learn "on the job", so to speak. We can read all the books and articles in the world - and should, in fact - but there's no substitute for actual hands on experience.

Are there things you could have done better? Probably. There were certainly things I could've done better with my cockatiel. And eventually, you will get better. As I did. But expecting yourself to be some sort of bird whispering prodigy right out the gate is hardly fair to you.

As for your question, I don't have to chase my birds. But that is only because experience teaches you that you don't want to go through the same experience again. So you learn that the trick is to teach them all this stuff BEFORE they need it. In future, you can prepare yourself and your bird by getting them used to accepting liquids from syringes. And getting them used to being handled and even toweled. You know, when you have time to work on it with treats and at your leisure.

By the way, have you ever tried administering the medication without toweling? One of the tricks I've used is medicating when they are at their hungriest. Literally just before serving their morning or evening meals. Worked out rather well.

If your bird absolutely refuses, then just make sure to be swift and definitive in your movements. I've found that it's usually the hesitation that sends the situation spiraling downhill. Make sure that by the time you're about to towel her, it's too late for her to do anything about it. It's usually not so much being properly held in a towel that stresses them the most, but rather all of the failed attempts to capture them.

Keep working at your technique. You'll improve.

 

[djdancer]

Thanks Anansi!! I was thinking about getting the dropper and putting some apple juice in one time, water in another, etc... just to get her used to a dropper. How do you get a bird used to a towel? I've watched them do it on video's but their birds are already used to it. She's better today and it's forgotten since morning meds because she's back to herself. When I had to check the feathers last night it was touch. My husband is afraid of being bit so he was no help. lol I have neuropathy from the back of the skull down and don't feel too much so maybe that's why I'm not afraid but heck these are little parrots. It could always be so much worse. I do however worry that what happens if I have to pluck a feather on my own I'm in big trouble.

 

[Anansi]

...How do you get a bird used to a towel? I've watched them do it on video's but their birds are already used to it.

You work within her comfort level and get her used to it by degrees. Keep her on a training perch or some such and approach her with towel in hand. Make sure to keep the towel below her level. Approach until you see the first subtle hints of unease (a fidget, a nervous glance), then stop. No closer. Don't risk panicked flight. Wait there a few moments and then, if you are within arms reach, reward with one of her favored treats and retreat. (Just reaching with your arm. Keep that towel away.) If you're farther than arms reach, just retreat.

A few minutes later, try again. Try to get a little closer. If you manage it, reward her again. Either with a treat or, if still too far, with the retreat of the towel.

The goal is to get incrementally closer. Gradually. So that she begins to get used to it. And keep the sessions relatively short. Maybe 20 minutes, depending on her attention span. And if she begins to tire or show stress, don't be afraid to call it a day. There's no rush. In fact, rushing the process will only delay your ultimate success.

Eventually you'll be almost close enough to touch. Even then... especially then... you don't want to rush. Reward her for enduring the towel's proximity. Carry this technique through until you can actually touch her with the towel. Treat liberally.

Following the logical progression, you'll eventually be able to get the towel around her. It might take time, but the result will be well worth it.

Of course, you can't really start working on this until after she's finished her current course of meds.

Hope this all helps.

 

[djdancer]

Anansi thank you!! I'll definitely try to work with her. She very responsive to training and I can tell she's so proud of herself when she does something new. I take it slow with her though. She's on calming meds so takes them every day. If they don't work well enough then the vet will put her on something stronger. I try to spend extra time with her because she is so needy. She doesn't bite, gets along with almost everyone but is very afraid of my husband. She used to be real close to him but then he went through chemo and couldn't be around them and now she's very afraid of him. She will take treats from him though. He also talks to her a lot and hopefully she'll come around with some persistence on his behalf. I've been hand feeding her for a while now even though she's older. She's very afraid of hands because the previous owners decided to buy her "for their little kids" and according to them after a year of having her it "just wasn't working out". It looked as though they had never cleaned the cage and just kept pouring food on top of food on top of bird poo. She has responded well to the hand feedings so I train her in the morning before hand feeding. The rest of the day she mostly just forages for food. I've gotten very creative with that and actually see her saving food in different places too.

I really appreciate all of the help and support I've received from all of you.