If you believe your pet may require an emergency after-hours visit, please call the clinic to connect to our on-call staff.
Birds are prey species, which means they will attempt to hide all signs of disease until they can no longer do so. Therefore, any signs of illness should be investigated carefully. The following are common emergency presentations we see in pet birds:
TRAUMA often involves bleeding, fractures, or concussion. The top priority is to stop bleeding. The most effective method to stop bleeding is direct pressure. Once the bleeding has stopped or slowed dramatically, styptic powder, super glue, or flour may be used to help form a clot.
BURNS must always be inspected by a veterinarian, even if the skin looks good. Many require shock therapy, pain control and antibiotics. In many cases, the full extent of burn damage is not known for several days.
GASTROINTESTINAL DISEASE includes anorexia, diarrhea, passing whole seed, decreased emptying of the crop and regurgitation. Note that birds in new or stressful situations may not eat for a time. Introducing new foods may cause a change in feces, and food with high water content may cause increased wet dropping from urine production. Conditions requiring veterinary care include diarrhea, passing whole seed in stool, decreased fecal output, or yellow to green urates (white portion of droppings).
TISSUE PROLAPSE from vent may be the uterus, rectum, and egg or other tissue. Call a veterinarian immediately. If care is delayed, you may lightly rinse the tissue with warm, sterile saline solution or contact lens solution, and moisten with sterile lubricant like KY jelly.
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM DISEASE includes seizures, paralysis and/or incoordination. Weakness and/or seizure may be due to hypoglycemia. If the bird is alert you may give a small amount of karo or pancake syrup in water and call the veterinarian.
HYPERTHERMIA or overheating from exposure to extreme heat can quickly be life threatening. Signs of hyperthermia include panting and holding wings away from the body. Be aware panting can also be caused by respiratory disease, and not overheating. Birds that are hyperthermic can be cooled by gentle application of cool water.
RESPIRATORY DISEASE symptoms include difficulty breathing, sneezing, nasal discharge or a voice change. If the bird has severe difficulty breathing, place the bird in a dark box or carrier, minimize handling and stress and call the veterinarian immediately.
SWELLINGS may be abdominal fluid, an egg, a hernia, air from an over inflated air sac or a tumor. If the bird exhibits difficulty breathing, or otherwise seems depressed call the veterinarian immediately.
ANIMAL BITES always require antibiotics, even if you are not sure if the skin was broken. Wash wounds and flush with water if veterinary care is delayed.
BEAK INJURIES may or may not be emergencies, depending on the extent of injury of location. Large fractures, or injuries near where the beak is connected to the face, should be seen as soon as possible. Bleeding should be controlled with direct pressure.
Emergency First Aid while waiting for help:
Set up a hospital cage, where food and water can be easily accessed. Remove perches, add padding. See our “Setting Up a Hospitalization at Home” video or the Special Needs Birds care sheet.
Warmth: with the exception of birds that have been accidentally overheated, most birds benefit from warmth. Warm your bird with a space heater in a small room, with a desk lamp, or in a box or aquarium on a heating pad set to low. Be sure the temperature remains between 80-90 degrees, and watch carefully for overheating. Birds that are too hot will move away from the heat and may pant.
Food: Birds that have not been eating well (judged from the presence of smaller than normal, dark stools) can be given karo or pancake syrup in water by eyedropper or syringe, in small amounts every few minutes.
Many sick birds that are warmed and given syrup brighten up and begin eating on their own. Keep the bird warm, protect from falls, make sure food and water are right in front and easily accessible, and call the clinic for information on how to reach on call staff.
A note on the ADR bird (Ain’t Doing Right):
Typical calls to our clinic involve birds that are “maybe a little lethargic, sometimes diarrhea, not eating as well as normal, just a little puffed up and sleeping more.” Practically every disease a bird can have, mild or severe can present with these exact symptoms. As birds are masters at hiding signs of illness, we recommend an exam for any “ADR” bird, along with testing and laboratory work to help us distinguish between the many possible diagnoses.
Is My Bird Sick?
Birds, like all our pets, are susceptible to a variety of bacterial, viral and fungal infections. But, unlike mammals that usually act sick when they are feeling bad, birds try very hard to hide their illness. In the wild, birds are part of a flock and an ill or injured bird would attract the attention of predators, thereby endangering the whole flock. They often maintain this “I’m okay” attitude until they are critically ill. As a result, many bird owners need to be aware of small, subtle changes that may signal illness.
So how will you know if your bird is ill? Start by observing and making a mental note of your healthy bird’s normal behavior and habits. Once you know normal, it will be easier to spot abnormal. Let’s look at some of the things on your “check list”:
Behavior: This will probably give you your first hint that something is not right. A normal bird is active, vocal and interested in its surroundings. A sick bird may also act this way when you are present, but not when it is alone. So, look around the corner to observe your bird before it sees you. A sick bird would be fluffed up, sitting in one spot and appearing sleepy. It may even be sitting on the cage bottom. A sick bird is usually quieter than normal, not talking or screaming. A sick bird may want more petting than usual or a usual cuddly bird may not want to be touched. It is the change in behavior and patterns that tell you something is wrong.
Droppings: A normal bird dropping has three components. The dark, solid portion is feces. The white part is urates. The clear liquid portion is urine. The color of the solid portion may change, depending on what it has eaten. However, the volume and firmness should remain the same. A lack of solid consistency to the feces is true diarrhea, and is cause for concern. The white portion should always be white. Changes in urate color may indicate disease or poisoning. The amount of clear urine may increase with high fluid intake or as a result of disease. One or two abnormal droppings are usually nothing to worry about, but consistently abnormal droppings over an entire day or two would warrant a call to the vet. Blood in the droppings is always abnormal.
Appetite: Many birds will maintain their appetite until the day they die. However some ill birds will eat only one food. Some will gorge on grit if it is available; (it shouldn’t be). Others will stop eating altogether. Occasionally a bird will drink a lot but not eat.
Body condition: Pick up bird and run your finger down the center of the breast. You should be able to feel the keel bone in the middle of the pectoral muscles. A bird that has lost weight will have a very “pointy” sharp chest. Do this on your healthy bird so you will know how normal is supposed to feel.
In summary, if you suspect that something is wrong, it’s worth a call to an experienced avian veterinarian.
Quick tips
The following images show how to set up a hospital cage at home, how to hand feed drops of sugar water, and other tips.
Birds can be safely restrained with a towel, holding them firmly around the neck. The neck and trachea of the bird are very strong; therefore it is difficult to injure or strangle a bird by holding around the neck. Take care not to restrict the bird’s body, as this can interfere with breathing. See our video here.
Use a solution of karo or pancake syrup in water to feed an ill bird that may not be eating well. If the bird shows signs of distress or begins breathing heavily, release him at once. Feed one drop a time for a total of 5-6 drops. Then offer regular food within easy reach while the bird rests in the hospital cage.
Broken blood feathers may bleed when damaged. Hold the bird securely in the towel, and apply direct pressure to the bleeding area as shown. Pressure may need to be applied for as much as 4-5 minutes. Call for additional instructions.
An ill bird in an aquarium, half on a heating pad set on low. The temperature should be kept at 80-85 degrees. Food and water should be easily accessed. keep perches low, with padding.