How to Treat Injured Cockatiels
Act quickly., Wrap the cockatiel in a towel., Talk to your bird as you help it., Have another person hold the bird., Remove the feather carefully with a pair of pliers., Staunch the bleeding with cornstarch.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Act quickly.
Anytime a bird has a broken feather, it can be life threatening.
The bird can bleed out very quickly, so it is important to act fast in order to help it survive., To help restrain and calm the bird, you should wrap them in a towel.
Cover the entire bird in the towel, except the part you are working on.
Make sure the towel isn’t too tight around the bird, and keep a loose grip on it.
Toweling the bird helps them safe and secure.Make sure you gently fold the wing you’re not working on against their body.
If you don’t have a towel of the right size, you can use a sock or t-shirt. , Stay calm and talk to your bird in a calm, even voice as you help it.
Birds can pick up on your stress, so it will not help the situation if you from become upset.
Even though they can’t understand you, tell them calmly what you’re going to do to help them., Once your bird is toweled, get someone else to hold the bird for you.
Having another person hold the bird allows you to be able to concentrate on removing the delicate blood feather and gives you the use of both of your hands., Removing feathers is very delicate work.
You can accidentally break the bird’s bones or cause them more harm.
Have someone hold your bird while you use a pair of pliers or hemostats to grip the feather.
Get as close to the skin as possible and grab the feather shaft above the break.
Secure the wing against the surface of your work area, and pull with a quick, firm yank.The end of the feather should have a rounded bulbous end if you removed the entire feather shaft.
Coating the feathers with water before you remove it can help you move the feathers and find the broken one.
Use a cotton swab to coat the feathers in water.
If you don’t think you can remove the feather from the follicle, stop the bleeding until you get your bird to the vet. , If the follicle starts bleeding after you remove the feather shaft, apply pressure on it.
Then, place cornstarch on the area and apply pressure again.
Applying cornstarch and pressure should help stop the bleeding.You can also use styptic powder or a styptic stick to stop any bleeding. -
Step 2: Wrap the cockatiel in a towel.
-
Step 3: Talk to your bird as you help it.
-
Step 4: Have another person hold the bird.
-
Step 5: Remove the feather carefully with a pair of pliers.
-
Step 6: Staunch the bleeding with cornstarch.
Detailed Guide
Anytime a bird has a broken feather, it can be life threatening.
The bird can bleed out very quickly, so it is important to act fast in order to help it survive., To help restrain and calm the bird, you should wrap them in a towel.
Cover the entire bird in the towel, except the part you are working on.
Make sure the towel isn’t too tight around the bird, and keep a loose grip on it.
Toweling the bird helps them safe and secure.Make sure you gently fold the wing you’re not working on against their body.
If you don’t have a towel of the right size, you can use a sock or t-shirt. , Stay calm and talk to your bird in a calm, even voice as you help it.
Birds can pick up on your stress, so it will not help the situation if you from become upset.
Even though they can’t understand you, tell them calmly what you’re going to do to help them., Once your bird is toweled, get someone else to hold the bird for you.
Having another person hold the bird allows you to be able to concentrate on removing the delicate blood feather and gives you the use of both of your hands., Removing feathers is very delicate work.
You can accidentally break the bird’s bones or cause them more harm.
Have someone hold your bird while you use a pair of pliers or hemostats to grip the feather.
Get as close to the skin as possible and grab the feather shaft above the break.
Secure the wing against the surface of your work area, and pull with a quick, firm yank.The end of the feather should have a rounded bulbous end if you removed the entire feather shaft.
Coating the feathers with water before you remove it can help you move the feathers and find the broken one.
Use a cotton swab to coat the feathers in water.
If you don’t think you can remove the feather from the follicle, stop the bleeding until you get your bird to the vet. , If the follicle starts bleeding after you remove the feather shaft, apply pressure on it.
Then, place cornstarch on the area and apply pressure again.
Applying cornstarch and pressure should help stop the bleeding.You can also use styptic powder or a styptic stick to stop any bleeding.
About the Author
Rachel Rogers
Writer and educator with a focus on practical lifestyle knowledge.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: