Minor head injury

[escouve]

Hello everyone,

Seeking some advice!

This morning my Australian parakeet Chou had a very tiny spot of blood on his forehead. I've been watching him carefully: his eyes are tracking normally, appetite's fine, balance OK, activity normal. Calling as usual loudly to the birds outside.

Normally I'd bundle him up and take him to a vet. But we've recently moved to a rural area; there are no avian vets at hand, and I've found the generic vets generally incompetent when it comes to small birds: clumsy handling, squeezing the bird, actually causing minor injuries, ignorant about typical appearance and behaviour.

So I really don't want to subject Chou to that stress unless a) there's a real need for it and b) the vet can actually do something useful.

Any advice the illustrious members of the forum can provide would be extremely appreciated.

Thank you all very much,


Ceinwen

[Michael]

Are you aware of the cause of injury and is it still bleeding any more?

[escouve]

I can't find the cause, but it's no longer bleeding. He did open it up again briefly trying to groom the area, but that flow's now stopped.

[Michael]

Keep an eye on bleeding, eating, drinking, and weight. If they all seem normal for next 24 hours, probably nothing to worry about and ok. Singing and staying active are already great signs. Flying is also a good sign to look for. But weight will be very important to follow. It may drop slightly from stress but any major drops definitely indicate stronger trauma that requires vet treatment.

[escouve]

Thank you very much. It is hugely reassuring to have this advice.

[Michael]

But please, use your own judgment. It is your responsibility. If in doubt, go to vet. However, having had some problems (serious and not) with my birds, I understand that it's all too easy for people to suggest going to a vet. It's definitely the safer way to go. But it can be very difficult, costly, and even traumatizing (for the bird) so it's an important decision to make. Weight, vocalization, flight, and behavior will be affected (even if subtly) if the injury is more substantial.

Something I learned with my birds' injuries is that in most cases the vet can't actually treat the injury. They can merely disinfect, clean, inspect, diagnose, and prescribe pain meds. There are few that they can actually fix. So most likely it has to heal on its own anyway. Unstoppable bleeding or obvious breakage needs vet treatment but a little blood clot and no other signs of injury is probably not something to freak out about. But do continue watching the feeding/weight. If there is too much pain, without eating, the bird may not heal properly. That's the one place medication can be very helpful.

*Note I am not a vet and am not qualified to provide medical advice. I am just talking from personal experience having had my birds get injured and the care they were provided.

[escouve]

Of course. I've kept birds that haven't minded visits to the vet, but this one seems to find it traumatic, so it's very much a last resort. I admit though that head injuries generally make me panic, and that I was fishing for somebody more experienced than myself to confirm my own impressions. Which you have done admirably.

The point about pain meds to normalise feeding is important, and something that I'll definitely keep in mind in the future: Chou is singing and dancing and eating and making love to the various objects in his cage, so I think that at the moment he's doing OK.

Being perceptive as to the bird's mood and behaviour, rather than aplying formulaic 'fixes' to problems, is so fundamental to keeping birds, that it's amazing how many people interact with their feathered friends according to template. Definitely perceptiveness is a vital skill to acquire, and one that is in constant need of refinement.