First Aid For Bleeding INTRODUCTION:Bleeding in avians may be an emergency. It is important to recognize which situations can be managed at home and when veterinary care should be obtained as soon as possible. Don't panic. Stay calm. Concentrate only on stopping the bleeding. Birds can loose up to 10 % of their blood volume without becoming symptomatic. When handling a bird to control bleeding, good restraint technique is important to ensure that the bird is not getting overheated. Holding the bird in a damp towel will help reduce the risk of heat stress. Failure of bleeding to stop with appropriate first aid measures may indicate underlying liver disease. Transport the bird as soon as possible to a veterinarian. The bird may require treatment for shock. Have the phone numbers of your avian veterinarian as well as an after-hours veterinarian readily available. BLEEDING FROM BROKEN BLOOD FEATHERS:Apply cornstarch or flour to feather shaft and observe. Tissue glue, if available, may be used instead. Take care to avoid getting on surrounding feathers. If this fails to stop bleeding, take bird to veterinarian. Pulling blood feathers should not be done routinely because of risk of damage and prolonged bleeding from follicle. May be required if feather is cracked or bent badly (bird may chew feather and start bleeding again.) If veterinary care is not readily available and bleeding is not controlled: Pull the blood feather from the base of the shaft using a hemostat or needle tip pliers ( Hemostat is better if you have one).Place thumb and forefinger across the follicle prior to removing the feather to minimize risk of damage to follicle. Apply PRESSURE with finger tip across the feather follic...
