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Bird Care

 

Emergencies

If your bird is not acting right or appears injured and you are unsure of the severity of the condition, it is always best to contact us immediately.

If we are closed, we recommend using the emergency animal clinic located at 86 W. Juniper Avenue (just of Gilbert Road south of Guadalupe Road).  Their phone number is 480-497-0222.  While this clinic is not an exclusive exotic pet practice, the doctors and staff are capable of providing emergency care for your pet until we are open.


CONTACT A VETERINARIAN IMMEDIATELY IF YOUR BIRD HAS ANY OF THE FOLLOWING SIGNS: 

Breathing and Circulation Problems

  • No heart beat detected

  • No breathing or difficulty breathing (open mouth breathing, tail bobbing while breathing)

  • Wheezing or clicking sounds when breathing

  • A near drowning

  • Any breathing abnormality after an exposure to overheated Teflon, aerosol spray, or other irritant to the respiratory system
     

Appears Injured

  • A broken bone, or a cut that exposes a bone

  • Bleeding that cannot be stopped (e.g., from blood feather, nail, or beak)

  • An eye injury or the eye appears enlarged or protruding

  • An attack by an animal

  • Being hit by a moving object

  • Puncture wounds

  • Any trauma to the head

  • Flying into a window or other object

  • A severe laceration, or an incision that has opened and the skin is gaping

  • Mishandling (e.g., squeezed by child, hit by edge of net, etc.)
     

Exposed to Extreme Conditions

  • Biting on an electrical cord and receiving a shock or burn

  • Burns or inhaled smoke

  • Been exposed to Teflon cookware or other fumes

  • Been exposed to hot temperatures or obviously showing heat stroke (panting, holding wings out away from the body)

  • Been exposed to extreme cold
     

Has Problems Eating or Issues with the Cloaca

  • Straining continually, but unable to produce feces or urates

  • Choking

  • Swallowing a foreign body (e.g., toy, cage decoration)

  • Crop burn from feeding items that were too warm

  • Any condition that makes it difficult to eat or manipulate food (injury to the beak, or in the case of parrots, a foot)

  • A prolapse or eversion at the vent or bleeding from the vent

  • Egg binding - straining and having difficulty producing an egg

  • An overdose of medication or suspected poisoning
     

Other Signs of Distress

  • Extreme weakness, lethargy or depression, unconsciousness, collapse, or coma

  • Seizures (flapping wings while lying in the bottom of the cage)

  • A head tilt, nystagmus (eyes move rapidly from side to side), staggering, walking in circles, difficulty sitting on a perch, or other problems moving

  • Severe or continuous pain ( crying, bites, allows wings to “droop” at sides, sits at bottom of cage, reluctant to climb or play)

  • Sudden inability to bear weight on a leg or use a wing

  • Swollen or injured foot due to a leg band problem
     

CONTACT A VETERINARIAN WITHIN 8 TO 12 HRS IF YOU BIRD HAS ANY OF THE FOLLOWING SIGNS:

  • Changes in Behavior or Movement

  • Sitting fluffed up, huddled, or at the bottom of the cage

  • A sudden change in behavior, e.g., changes in vocalizations ( without signs of respiratory distress)

  • Cloudy eyes, squinting, or appears to be unable to see

  • Swollen joints or feet

  • Lameness or favoring a leg

  • Crusting or discoloration of the feet

  • A drooped or elevated wing

  • Breathing Problems

  • Sneezing

  • Discharge from nose or eyes

  • Has Problems Eating or Issues with Cloaca

  • An increased or decreased appetite or thirst

  • Sudden weight loss or gain

  • Discharge or crusts around the mouth, or change in color of the inside of the mouth

  • Vomiting, regurgitation, or swelling of the crop area

  • Changes in the number, color, or consistency of the droppings

  • An unusual smell to the droppings

  • Changes in Skin

  • Abnormal lumps, bumps, or red areas

  • Scabs or abrasions

  • Ticks or mites

  • Abnormal color to skin or darkening of toes

  • Wet, stained, or matted feathers

  • Continual picking at feathers or body


Copyright 2008
Kevin Wright and Jay Johnson
Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital, LLC
744 N Center Street
Mesa, AZ 85203
info@azeah.com

 

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