Punctured Beak

[Vikki]

I have seen all kinds of wounds working at the rescue (including my own, LOL), from missing toes to missing beaks (we had one Amazon surrendered after he was attacked by a cockatoo who now has no maxilla at all.) Punctures are more common than you think. The vet trip is always necessary in that case, but most times it will just be cleaned and left to heal. You are sometimes given a salve to cover the hole depending on how large it is. We had a macaw get in a fight with another macaw and got a good dime sized hole through the maxilla. The vet cleaned it and used an ointment that was thick like a wax for the first few days to speed healing, but generally, there is little you can do aside from keeping it clean and letting it grow out. Sometimes it will cause a defect in the beak, sometimes not. Kind of like smashing your fingernail. Sometimes it grows back fine, sometimes you get an odd, weakened ridge. You never know.

[Vikki]

Murder, death, kill happens when you mix animals even if they've gotten along for years.

As I mentioned a few times before.... domesticated or not, our birds are still wild animals and we have no 100% guarantee that we know what's going on in their brains at all and we have absolutely no way of controlling what they do at any given time aside from caging them for their safety. That being said, don't trust them. Even if they do get along, they can snap just like we can and trust me, even the smallest ones can do massive damage.

[Michael]

Took Kili & Truman to the vets office today. Luckily it didn't require a formal visit to the veterinarian and the nurse was able to check Kili out. Basically it's a nasty puncture and will take a while to heal and can lead to scarring and a beak defect. However, Kili is not in any pain and requires no medications. I'll be monitoring the beak for proper healing but there is possibility that it could become disbalanced and require shaping. The nurse was very helpful and confirmed that Truman's booboos are nothing to worry about at all. Yes, he got some too. They're about the same size as hers but just on the skin and not a critical place like hers. Luckily the puncture did not go a little further and involve the nasal cavity. There are no signs of bleeding or infection. I'll post some more pics later.

[Michael]

Ok, here's a final update about the beak and vet situation besides what I've already mentioned. Kili remains in great spirits and so does Truman even though they both sustained some cuts. Although Truman got some nasty cuts too, his were in less opportune places but Kili's could lead to scarring. The two cuts I originally showed on Kili have morphed into a single slit but also contracted some. Since the vet, it appears that there is some liquid inside the puncture but it could just as well be what she poured in there to clean it.

Here are some pictures of the two trouble makers:







It is difficult to tell from Kili's pictures but the cut basically extends down to the beak where it is somewhat indented. If you look for it, you just spot the damage. Luckily the top limit of the cut is just a tiny bit short of the nostril so the breathing passages were not affected.

[Moonpet]

Sounds like pretty good news.

Is there any chance they might have injured themselves on the aviary bars as opposed to roughhousing with each other?

[entrancedbymyGCC]

I'm glad they are both going to be OK! I hope everything heals up with no complications. Have you come to the definite conclusion these were inflicted on each other>

[Michael]

Sounds like pretty good news.

Is there any chance they might have injured themselves on the aviary bars as opposed to roughhousing with each other?

*snickers* Except for the fact that the bite marks happen to coincide with the mandible/maxilla of each other, I heard them fighting, found little green feathers at the crime scene, and that they've done this before (in lesser degrees), I have no idea!

I'll admit Truman finds ways to get hurt all the time and has had face scratches before of his own doing. But never Kili. She never gets hurt. She loves herself too much. Except for provoking Truman, she's the first to chicken out about things and fly off to protect herself. Truman is more of a klutz and finds injuries.

[CheekyandMalolo]

Truman is more of a klutz and finds injuries.

This quote perfectly describes my horse

[zazanomore]

Truman is more of a klutz and finds injuries.

This quote perfectly describes my horse

This quote perfectly describes me!

[entrancedbymyGCC]

Truman is more of a klutz and finds injuries.

This quote perfectly describes my horse

This is OT, but mine should have a frequent flyer program with the vet. When I moved him in to his current stall, an enclosed pipe stall, he managed to put his foot over the pipe in the one place there was an exposed screw tip on the outside, necessitating an emergency vet call for a cut that so impressed the vet he actually took photos of it.