Bird Wound
- The most common types of wounds are puncture and laceration.
- Wounds are commonly caused by a piece of wire jutting out in the cage, an attack by another bird or cat, a gunshot or the bird flying into objects.
PUNCTURE WOUND
A puncture wound is generally painful and mayor may not be accompanied by bleeding.
Treatment
- Carefully pluck the feathers away from the puncture Action
- hole by holding tightly to the base of the feather with your fingers or a tweezers (forceps) and pulling quickly.
- Gently and carefully check the wound to see that no foreign body is embedded.
- Clean the area with 1% hydrogen peroxide and dab the wound with tincture of iodine.
- If the wound starts to bleed, apply pressure using clean finger, with or without a gauze pad, for approximately one minute.
- If the puncture appears to penetrate through the skin into the underlying tissue, take the bird to your veterinarian who will administer antibiotics and if necessary drain the wound.
LACERATION WOUND
The wound edges are often irregular, jagged and gaping. Sometimes whole sections of the skin and underlying tissue is torn away. A laceration is usually not painful and hemorrhage is variable.
Treatment
- Carefully pluck the feathers away from the wound edges.
- Thoroughly clean the wound with warm water or1% hydrogen peroxide.
- Remove any feathers, dead tissue or foreign bodies from the wound.
- Apply antibiotic powder.
- See your veterinarian as the laceration may need to be stitched.
- If unable to be stitched and thus remaining open, clean the wound only if it is discharging or contaminated.
- If the bird pecks the wound excessively, apply an Elizabethan collar.
- Keep the bird confined in a small area to restrict movement until the wound has practically healed.