By Samantha Khela
It is important it is to have a bird-specific avian first aid kit for your pet birds. Please be advised that this kit you are about to make is in no means a replacement for a vet, it is only meant to stabilize your bird until they have been professionally taken care of by an avian vet.
It is also important to be well-versed with the supplies that you include in your bird first aid kit. Speak to a veterinarian, or consult with experienced bird owners to learn different tips about having the right materials for your avian first aid kit.
You can also speak with us at Bird Sitting Toronto about how to develop your first aid kit, or order one from us! Learn more by visiting our website: www.birdsittingtoronto.ca
Choosing a Bird First Aid Case
Personally, I keep my pet first aid kit in a small toolbox because I like all of the compartments and space a toolbox offers. You can also use a standard medical kit used for us humans as an alternative. Whatever you decide, it should be easy for you to go through it in cases of emergencies for your pet bird.
Vet and Poison Control Emergency Contacts
Having all the phone contacts handy for your avian vet or poison control is essential to include in your first aid kit.
You can write these numbers on a card or piece of paper so that it’s handy. I prefer using a card with good material so that it doesn’t wear and tear too much over time. Bird Sitting Toronto offers a paper template where you can write down your vet and poison control phone numbers so it’s handy for you in our Avian First Aid Kits.
Supplies for Transporting Your Bird
Items: Bird towel and Travel Carrier
You should always have a towel in your emergency bird care kit so you can grab your bird quickly by throwing the towel over your pet—this is essential for preventing injury to yourself and your bird.
Make sure that you learn how to safely capture a bird in a towel as part of your first aid training, or talk with us at Bird Sitting Toronto to learn how to safely capture your bird in a towel.
Having a carrier for your bird can be very helpful should immediate transport or restraint in a smaller area be needed. There are many bird travel cages and travel carrier available at pet stores or online.
General Bird First Aid Supplies
Items: Scissors, tweezers, disposable gloves, penlight, and nail clippers
All items here are no-brainers for your Avian First Aid Kit. They will allow you to get a better handle of any injury your bird may have sustained, and if there is something as simple as a broken nail or a blood feather, you can address the problem immediately.
Since many bird emergencies may be addressed using household items, there are quite a few regular items you can stock your bird care emergency kit with.
Firstly, nail clippers are also a good item to have because they can be used to trim a torn nail. It’s also good to have these in general for clipping small to medium sized bird’s nails. Read Bird Sitting Toronto’s article on nail clipping.
On the other hand, tweezers can be used to pull a bleeding blood feather. You could also use tweezers as a forcep to handle small pieces of tape or apply bandages on your bird. Scissors could be also used to cut loose toys from your bird or to prepare supplies for application.
Hemostatic Products to Control Bleeding
Items: Cornstarch/flour/styptic powder, paper towels
Many minor sources of bleeding can be stopped with simple pressure as well as application of cornstarch, flour or any styptic powder. You can do this simply by preparing a bowl of flour/cornstarch/styptic powder and putting the bird’s nails into the powder to stop the bleeding. Most commonly, this occurs with a broken nail, or when the “quick” is severed in the toenail of your pet bird.
Be aware that larger wounds, such as those that have caused damages in the chest or body areas, should never have any kinds of products placed on them. The best course of action would be to put pressure on the wound until you can consult a vet for assistance.
Having paper towels or any clean cloths are great to have on hand since they can be used to wipe any blood or product that has been applied to the wound area (such as Polysporin).
Bandages
Items: Gauze, first aid tape, bandaids, wooden sticks, cotton swabs and cotton balls
A selection of gauze (both sterile and non-sterile) and other bandaging material along with your first aid training will help stabilize the wound before seeking immediate medical attention from an Avian vet.
Significant bandages would need to be used in the circumstances of a potential broken limb or profound bleeding.
Wooden sticks (such as popsicle sticks) may be used to give some stability to broken legs or provide support to your pet bird. In addition, cotton swabs and cotton balls are useful tools to have when applying any kinds of ointments or products on your bird (as directed by a vet).
Antibacterial Products and Sterile Washes
Items: betadine, triple antibiotic ointment, sterile saline
All of these medications may be appropriate under specific circumstances, and in some cases a vet may instruct you over the phone how to administer the medications safely.
These are the common medications that should be added to your first aid kit, however your vet may even recommend other medications that could be included as well.
I cannot emphasize enough that proper training is required before you choose to use them or else you could make matters worse, particularly if home therapy becomes a replacement for professional avian care. Regardless, having your own avian first aid kit will help mitigate the emergency situation until you can get professional help from an avian vet.
