We had our first broken blood feather today

[Karlys]

It was 10:00 pm, a little bit past her usual 9:30 bedtime, when my SO put our cockatiel Skye back in her cage. He noticed a drop of blood on his hand and, after realizing it hadn't come from him, he immediately got her back out again. Blood was pouring from one of her wings. I hear a panicked, "Sweetie, please come here! Now!"


Of course, I get up and run over there as fast as possible. He's panicked, so I try to be the calm one and remember what I'd read. I tell him to go to the bathroom and I grab cornstarch and paper towels. I put cornstarch on her wing but there's so much blood and I can't really tell where it's coming from exactly. We try applying pressure with a paper towel too but she's screaming bloody murder at it being touched and that cracks my resolve. I start freaking out too, so we quickly decide we need professional help.


Our avian vet's clinic has a doctor on call, thank goodness, so we're able to get ahold of someone. She lives 30 mins away but she said all she needed to do was put her shoes on and she'd be on her way. We live much closer but decide we'd rather sit in the car outside the clinic and wait for the doctor than be panicky at home for 15-20 mins.


Getting Skye into the travel carrier was nerve wracking too because she hates it and started flying around, dripping blood. We normally would put a hand over her wings in that situation but we were both terrified of hurting her. Finally, my SO was able to gently get her in a way that didn't touch anywhere near the feather and got her in there.


In the end, the vet pulled the broken feather and another feather that was coming in next to it that wasn't broken but kept rubbing on the wound of the first, causing it to start bleeding again. Then she got some pain meds and fluids. We would definitely prefer such a situation to happen in the day time, to avoid the emergency fee, but I'm glad we took her instead of trying to deal with it ourselves.

 

[SailBoat]

Very happy that an Avian Vet was on call and all is now well!
When your mind returns to a comfortable place complete a review of the events and attempt to better define the action steps may have worked a bit better.
Again, all is well and life is better and that is great.

A couple of points.
- Travel cages, most Parrots do not like them because its never been a positive results for them. Our Amazon loves to travel, but it requires his getting into the travel carrier, we travel with him at least every other weekend if not more. Point is, the travel carrier becomes the key way to traveling and not a trip to the Avian Vets clinic.
- Getting the blood feather to stop bleeding, requires that one finds 'the Feather that is bleeding. This requires that everyone is more comfortable with being handled and how to safely towel your Parrot. This requires time with first being comfortable with handling and understanding how too.
- Applying the a clotting agent. Once you have found 'the feather' applying it is just so much easier.

All said, you folks did a wonderful job of making things happen and while under the stress of your dear Parrot bleeding. All and all, Congratulations! Well done, well done indeed!