WARNING TO ALL PARROT OWNERS - Now On Way To Emergency Vet

[Scott]

What a horror, glad Bella will be fine, albeit traumatized.

Accidents can happen, so I've learned to tighten all C-type clamps with pliars well beyond finger-tight.

 

[Aquila]

I'm so glad that she's okay and is hopefully going to recover quickly. I've always been afraid of this happening, I avoid clips when I can but thankfully none of my birds really mess with them. Though I also have a pair of bolt cutters on hand!

 

[Violet_Diva]

Thanks again to everyone who has commented so far with your well wishes and also stories of your own with warnings attached.

UPDATE
Last night Bella was not a happy bunny, I could see she wasn't feeling OK and that she was uncomfortable and confused. I noted an increase in sneezing, so I'm hoping that's just from her mouth irritation and not from her inhaling any food from her crop while sedated.
I had her with me all evening hand feeding her smushed banana and smushed grapes (which she wasn't sure of until I'd eaten some infront of her and exclaimed at how yummy they were.)
I believe the boys had missed her. They must've been scared when she was crying out and thrashing around, and then she was missing from her cage for ages. It might seem silly to some, but I genuinely think they were concerned for her. My partner tells me they were rather quiet while we were at the vets. But that he heard Dexter do one of Bella's noises, which makes me think he was trying to find out where she was and was waiting for a reply from her. I found that very sweet.
Today I gave Bella her medicine in little squirts through the bars. Luckily I've already trained Bella to take something when I say "here ya go", unfortunately for her, it's usually things that taste nice, so I had to be quick with the "good girl" and smushed fruit reward immediately afterwards. It took a little while, but as she was hungry, she was learning she got tasty food of she took the nasty medicine. Luckily I have this week booked off work, so can keep an extra close eye on her and be her nurse

Thanks again everyone x

 

[Squeekmouse]

Can someone post of a picture of the toys and/or quicklinks that caused Bella’s injury?

Wishing Bella a speedy recovery!

I second this request, I'm not clear on what a quicklinks is... is that the clippy thingy that attaches a toy to the bars of a cage? Picture or example would be very much appreciated.

I am SO sorry to hear about this horrible, frightening accident. I can only imagine how awful and terrifying that would be to find your baby in such a state!! I'm SO glad to hear Bella is going to be all right!!

 

[Squeekmouse]

I asked the wise and powerful Google, and Google showed me what a spring loaded quicklink is. Here's a link to some for making parrot toys yourself:
https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=24869

Is that what hurt Bella? (my link includes a pear shaped spring loaded quicklink and also the screw type ones)

 

[FlyBirdiesFly]

I use those links to attach toys to their cages...

 

[Violet_Diva]

So sorry for the delay with the picture of the offending item!



It was this thin one. But it was the bottom part and the wide screwing barrel that went through her skin under / behind her beak and all the way up through into her mouth.

So I'd advise only using the much thicker ones and tightening them with a tool like Mr Wrench does for Salty.

 

[FlyBirdiesFly]

One question: my birds are small, do you think their beaks are really strong enough to unscrew those? The pic has confirmed that those links are all over their cages. Do you think they’d be dangerous for small birds? Glad that Bella is going to be okay.

 

[greytness]

Most of my fids' toys are held to the cage using these. Thank you for sharing Bella's plight. So happy to hear that she's doing better now, poor thing.

Thanks to you I'm going to be ordering some stainless steel padlocks to use with every single bird toy.

 

[SailBoat]

One question: my birds are small, do you think their beaks are really strong enough to unscrew those? The pic has confirmed that those links are all over their cages. Do you think they’d be dangerous for small birds? Glad that Bella is going to be okay.

It they are not tighten, yes!

Most of my fids' toys are held to the cage using these. Thank you for sharing Bella's plight. So happy to hear that she's doing better now, poor thing.

Thanks to you I'm going to be ordering some stainless steel padlocks to use with every single bird toy.

Ohhh, that's great! Provide a Grey with the challenge of picking a lock! No one will be safe in Greytown!

 

[GaleriaGila]

This was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO helpful, Ms. Diva!
You know we love you and your fidzszszszssz!

 

[Anansi]

I am so sorry to just be seeing this! Poor Bella! But you did an amazing job of acting quickly to minimize the damage.

Something similar happened to Katie's ekkie, Jasper. Except in Jasper's case, I believe that it was the more slender piece that slid through beneath the beak. I was horrified when I realized you were saying that it was the barrel part that had ripped through! (Or I should say "more horrified".)

Yes, if anyone is going to use those links, you should definitely tighten the links with a pliers. Just make sure to use a cloth covering over the teeth of said pliers so that you don't cause the formation of sharp burs or jagged edges that could potentially snag and cut your bird. And check the tightness of the links daily, no matter how "impossibly tight" you may believe you've made it.

Violet_Diva, sending belated hugs your way, as well as a few reassuring, with the grain rubs for poor Miss Bella. As someone already mentioned, your flock is indeed lucky to have you as a mom.

 

[WakaWaka]

So sorry for the delay with the picture of the offending item!



It was this thin one. But it was the bottom part and the wide screwing barrel that went through her skin under / behind her beak and all the way up through into her mouth.

So I'd advise only using the much thicker ones and tightening them with a tool like Mr Wrench does for Salty.

This looks exactly like the connectors that came on Arika's Boing Rope and her Stainless bell. The were screw type but also spring loaded. They looked way too flimsy for a Macaw and we immediately replaced them with the larger stainless screw type from Home Depot or Lowes Hardware. Even a few of the ones from the hardware store need a little sanding to remove sharp edges from the manufacturing process.

These appear to be safe, not spring loaded and able to tighten them very well:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Blue-Hawk-Stainless-Steel-Quick-Link/999971144

We do not consider these safe, spring loaded and very sharp:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Blue-Hawk-Stainless-Steel-Spring-Link/999971084

Also don't forget to check for sharp edges after tightening !

Its amazing how something so simple can turn into a dangerous object so quickly. It would help if all of us would try to think ahead more, step back and say, "Now does that really look safe?" and "Hmmm what could my baby do to get themselves into trouble with this".
Then again, sometimes we take every precaution we can think of and the little feathered toddlers manage to find a another way to get into trouble.

Wishing Bella a speedy recovery.

Thanks
Kelly, Karl, and Arika

 

[WakaWaka]

Just wanted to ask about Bella.
How is she doing?
We hope she is taking her meds and eating soft foods like a good girl.

Our kudos to you again for your quick thinking and being prepared to handle the situation.

Thanks
Kelly, Karl, and Arika

 

[Violet_Diva]

Thank-you so much for everyones well wishes!

I'm sorry I haven't updated the thread yet, but I've been a wee bit preoccupied when Gerry accidentally snapping a bloodfeather the very next day *sigh*. So i've basically just been watching him like a crazy hawk. (Not one that would eat him obviously...)

Anyway...
I'm pleased to announce that Bella is doing amazingly well and has been the perfect parrot patient! (Gotta get that alliteration in there!)

Each morning and evening she toddles over to the bars, I pop a syringe through and she takes little drops of medicine from it like it were a baby's bottle. Then for each bit she gets a bit of banana. The Metacam she loves... Baytril... not so much. She pulls a face like when you give lemon to an infant, but she still comes back for more - such a good girl! (And I tell her so.)

She's been a little more reserved the past couple of days, but I should imagine she was rather sore after her involuntary piercing.

She will be going back to the vet after her medicine stint is done to check on how well she has healed. So I will update then too.

 

[chris-md]

Oh wow what a harrowing experience. I’m so glad she’s ok. I don’t your panic all to well. You handled everything so well!

 

[Allee]

So happy to hear everything turned out so well! Your courage and quick thinking is admirable. It's so hard to remain calm in a crisis, especially in an emergency situation.

 

[dhraiden]

It was this thin one. But it was the bottom part and the wide screwing barrel that went through her skin under / behind her beak and all the way up through into her mouth.

Huh! The wide-jaws the kind I have securing all the toys Mango and Moch have about their cages...I'd assumed it was the "pear-shaped" ones pictured below - the ones with the spring-back link - that caused the injury (thanks for the link, squeeakmouse).

I suppose, as said, the thicker the the band, the harder it is to manipulate. Thanks for all the information - I'm very glad to hear Bella is on the mend.

 

[FlyBirdiesFly]

I use both the kind that caused Bella’s injury and the pear-shaped ones. I made sure to tighten all the ones with the screw thing, though.

 

[Violet_Diva]

UPDATE
Bella has been to the vets today and the vet seems happy with her healing so far. Bella has a dark bruise inside her mouth under her tongue, but there's no untoward swelling. The smushed food has helped to ensure no hard foods or seeds could get trapped in the wound. I do feel bad that Bella hasn't been able to have her crunchy foods. I have to give her extra attention and while the boys are having theirs. I'm quite surprised she's not sick of bananas yet!