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kage no neko

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PostPosted: Sat Mar 24, 2012 3:40 pm


Yesterday one of our cockatiels was out flying around and flew out to the porch (which is enclosed) and flew full speed into the glass door. He obviously had no clue that there was glass there, even left a dust print. (I didn't witness it, boyfriend did, he was out in the living room with them)
He was initially dazed. I'd expect that from anyone with a head injury. In 15 minutes he was back to mostly normal reactions. His cere is cracked in the middle. It didn't bleed or anything, but it's obviously cracked.

But today he's been spending a lot of time on the bottom of the cage looking fluffed. I'm not sure what to do. Right now he's in here with me sitting on my lamp so I can keep an eye on him. I'd take him to the vet, but could a vet even do anything to help him?

He doesn't appear to be eating. I gave them some seed earlier and he just kept ducking his head down to the dish, but not eating. I figure if he doesn't eat soon, I'll have to force feed him.. I'm not sure how to go about that, would I have to get him some formula?
PostPosted: Sat Mar 24, 2012 9:49 pm


Let me precede this with the disclaimer that I am not a vet. This only my personal opinion.

It sounds like classic head trauma. You may need to force-feed him until his head recovers. At our rehab, we would often just wait out head injuries and let them clear on their own after checking eyes and ears for bleeding, with the addition of a pain killer if needed. Many birds did not want to eat and we needed to syringe or forceps-feed the patient for several days to weeks.

There is a particular emergency formula you can feed to seed-eating birds, and I want to say it was made by Emeraid, but their website only shows me emergency formula for mammals and fish-eating birds. Anyway, I found this interesting website that may or may not help: http://www.birdhealth.com.au/bird/er/erformula.html

Taking him to a vet may get you an xray to see if the skull was fractured or if there's any internal bleeding. Aside from that, the vet may prescribe some pain medication or something to prevent any swelling, but I have no clue.

Good luck, keep us updated!

Ailinea


kage no neko

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PostPosted: Sun Mar 25, 2012 3:21 pm


He spent most of yesterday perched on top of my head. xd

This morning we uncovered them and his beak was covered with seed and he was busy chewing on one. So thankfully he's back eating again. And he's not on the bottom of the cage anymore and is acting like himself.. I'm glad he's feeling better.
PostPosted: Sun Mar 25, 2012 11:58 pm


Awesome, glad to hear it! Good to see he is back to normal =D

Ailinea


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PostPosted: Mon Mar 26, 2012 7:03 pm


You were lucky. I've witnessed a number of birds die instantly upon impact of hitting glass. A good exotics vet that specializes in birds will know what to look for for such an impact.

My biggest suggestion however at this point would be to make sure you get blinds for all your glass windows and doors and make sure everyone knows to drop them down before letting your feather friends out.
PostPosted: Tue Mar 27, 2012 7:50 am


Poor bird D:

One time two mating robbins ran into my window so fast and they sat on the ground outside of it stunned for like 15 minutes they ended up flying away after about 30 minutes of feather ruffling lol

imabadspeler

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Shearaha

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PostPosted: Tue Mar 27, 2012 12:19 pm


My cockatiel never learned how to fly properly (I got her when she was 4-6 years old) so when she come out to fly I'm always on alert. She crashes into walls, the ceiling, the floor, chairs, people, anything really. She has gotten a little better, she can now sometimes actually land ON her cage instead of hitting the wall behind it, and sometimes she can stick the landing on the floor too. Once she's on the floor she also can't get herself back in the air sweatdrop
PostPosted: Tue Mar 27, 2012 7:26 pm


Shearaha
My cockatiel never learned how to fly properly (I got her when she was 4-6 years old) so when she come out to fly I'm always on alert. She crashes into walls, the ceiling, the floor, chairs, people, anything really. She has gotten a little better, she can now sometimes actually land ON her cage instead of hitting the wall behind it, and sometimes she can stick the landing on the floor too. Once she's on the floor she also can't get herself back in the air sweatdrop


Does her breathing get heavier with her flying? Sounds like weakness to me. Chester my own cockatiel had that for quite some time, after I moved back in. Now though he flies fine. The hitting things is the weakness in the muscles needed to change direction or position to slow themselves. You might try some shorty fly periods several times a week and build up to some longer ones.

Akiska


Shearaha

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PostPosted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 4:55 am


Akiska
Shearaha
My cockatiel never learned how to fly properly (I got her when she was 4-6 years old) so when she come out to fly I'm always on alert. She crashes into walls, the ceiling, the floor, chairs, people, anything really. She has gotten a little better, she can now sometimes actually land ON her cage instead of hitting the wall behind it, and sometimes she can stick the landing on the floor too. Once she's on the floor she also can't get herself back in the air sweatdrop


Does her breathing get heavier with her flying? Sounds like weakness to me. Chester my own cockatiel had that for quite some time, after I moved back in. Now though he flies fine. The hitting things is the weakness in the muscles needed to change direction or position to slow themselves. You might try some shorty fly periods several times a week and build up to some longer ones.

Never noticed any heavy breathing. It seems to be more a lack in coordination. I finally managed to get the cage I've been dreaming of for her, so she can make short flights in her cage. She still will crash into the sides because she frequently misses her perches sweatdrop She's also prone to night terrors and I often have to get up in the middle of the night to get her back up on a perch because she falls off. The vet can't find anything wrong with her, other then high creatine levels, but that's normal for a stressed bird. She checks out perfect on every neural exam she's had.

Honestly I think it stems from the fact that before I got her her wings were always clipped and she was kept in a cage in which she could barely open her wings, even clipped. She literally never had the chance to learn to fly when she was supposed to. The best example I know of is in one of Patricia McConnell's books, can't remember which one, when she talks about her first Great Pyrenees. Little Bo Peep had a deformation to her hind legs when she was born. They did extensive surgeries and PT for her but even after her legs were "correct" she couldn't learn to walk on all fours. She spent her whole life dragging around her hind end even though the legs could function normally. Since it took a while for her to be big enough to handle the surgeries the nerve pathways to the hind legs didn't work right once they were fixed. So she still couldn't walk. She missed her opportunity to learn to walk like a normal dog. Peaches missed her opportunity to learn to fly like a normal bird.
PostPosted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 7:29 am


Shearaha
She's also prone to night terrors and I often have to get up in the middle of the night to get her back up on a perch because she falls off.


Have you considered platform perches? They're just regular perches made out of wood but are flat, and that might be easier for her to stay on.
This and this is what they look like. You can also make your own very easily.
They also have wire ones but they don't look nearly as comfortable.

Moth Feathers

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Shearaha

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PostPosted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 7:56 am


Moth Feathers
Shearaha
She's also prone to night terrors and I often have to get up in the middle of the night to get her back up on a perch because she falls off.


Have you considered platform perches? They're just regular perches made out of wood but are flat, and that might be easier for her to stay on.
This and this is what they look like. You can also make your own very easily.
They also have wire ones but they don't look nearly as comfortable.

She has 2 of those, but she likes to sleep on her rope perch. The platforms are actually the only perches she can successfully land on with any regularity.

I keep hoping that if I give Peach plenty of space and time that she'll start flying better. But she usually chooses to climb across the cage from perch to perch. I mean her current cage has enough space for her to fly from one end to the other, but she never picks that option crying
PostPosted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 8:32 am


Shearaha
Moth Feathers
Shearaha
She's also prone to night terrors and I often have to get up in the middle of the night to get her back up on a perch because she falls off.


Have you considered platform perches? They're just regular perches made out of wood but are flat, and that might be easier for her to stay on.
This and this is what they look like. You can also make your own very easily.
They also have wire ones but they don't look nearly as comfortable.

She has 2 of those, but she likes to sleep on her rope perch. The platforms are actually the only perches she can successfully land on with any regularity.

I keep hoping that if I give Peach plenty of space and time that she'll start flying better. But she usually chooses to climb across the cage from perch to perch. I mean her current cage has enough space for her to fly from one end to the other, but she never picks that option crying


Just give her time. You're doing the best you can, and I have to applaud you for that. Most people would just give up and clip her wings and say, "Well, guess she's never going to fly," and doom her to another decade of unhealthy, sad, sessile life.
You see now that she's improving, slowly and gradually but surely, and so I'm sure she'll get the hang of it.

What do you think of this video?

Moth Feathers

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Shearaha

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PostPosted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 8:44 am


Moth Feathers
Just give her time. You're doing the best you can, and I have to applaud you for that. Most people would just give up and clip her wings and say, "Well, guess she's never going to fly," and doom her to another decade of unhealthy, sad, sessile life.
You see now that she's improving, slowly and gradually but surely, and so I'm sure she'll get the hang of it.

What do you think of this video?

Peaches has been with me ofr almost 9 years now. I've had her fully flighted the whole time, but honestly I had hoped that by this point she might be normal. I mean, no abuse victim is ever normal, but they can get close. Her night terrors have gone form 2-3 a night when i first brought her home to about 1 a month.

That is an awesome video. I've wanted to try clicker with Peach and see if it helps her, but even now she will not take things from my hand, or for that matter out of her cage.

I'm debating getting a pair of young 'tiels from a breeder. Requesting that they never be clipped and starting fresh with youngsters who aren't so set in their ways and leery. I've had people tell me that bringing in and training with younger birds has gotten older ones to either "get the idea" of get jealous enough to try themselves for the attention. But between Will, work, getting ready for my CPDT and maintaining Peach where she is now, I just don't think I have time for a young bird. Maybe once things settle down. Though I fear by the time they do Peach might not be with me anymore. She's already at least 13, possibly 15. I know 'tiels can live into their 20's but that's on a good diet and with good care throughout their lives. Peach hasn't had that, and she fixated on pellets on me too.
PostPosted: Sun Apr 01, 2012 9:06 pm


My bird startles easily and often flies into the bedroom looking for us but ends up smacking into the mirrors in the bathroom. He is usually just fine (though he does leave those so "cute or sad" dust prints behind too.

Chi-Cura

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