I know it’s hard, but calm down and breathe.
Panicking will only make your judgement less than accurate and probably freak out your bird.
SECOND- assess the situation.
Is the bird stable, even if harmed? Do they accept scritches, eat and drink and poop regularly?
You need to determine if triage is necessary with a non-avian vet or of the bird is stable enough to wait it out in a hospital tank until your vet is available.
If the bird flinches, screams, or acts aggressive to your hands coming near (especially if this is out of the ordinary behavior for your bird) that is a sign that there is a lot of discomfort. indeed, any sudden change in behavior, even “positive” ones (like a stand-offish bird suddenly wants to cuddle) is a sign that something may be wrong.
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| This wingabago carrier can act as a perfect hospital cage for a larger bird. |
This requires you to have certain items on hand BEFORE your bird is harmed. So plan ahead with a gram scale, bird first aid kit and hospital tank. See below for info on what is in a hospital tank and first aid kit. Read further to get short term first aid instructions.
FOURTH- call your regular vet and leave a message that you will be coming in as soon as they open on the next available vet day. Call your work and let them know you will not be in as you are taking an animal to the vet. And if your bird needs immediate care (a broken limb, an animal attack, on the bottom of the cage, listless are all examples of need for immediate care), find the nearest 24/7 emergency vet clinic. They can do triage in the meantime.
Tip: I keep magnets on my fridge of all the avian vets and all the emergency vets in my area (as well as my vet’s contact info). Even though I know the information professionally, having it right in front of me when I am freaking out makes a world of difference, believe me.
This post was written by Squawk and Howl.
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