My bird was bitten by a cat. Her wing is bleeding. What should I do?

You need to take your bird into a vet immediately to get checked out. There could be internal injuries from the bite, and the vet can treat her to prevent any infection from the bite. Please take her into a vet right away. Best of luck.

If the skin is broken and bleeding, Lemon Drop is at risk for infection. Even if you have no local avian veterinarian, a small animal vet should be able to treat her. A specialist can be consulted online or by phone. The antibiotics and medications used are similar, just the dose is much smaller. A small e-collar (cone) may need to be fashioned to prevent her from plucking. In the meantime, lean and sanitize the cage, bowls, toys and perches. Discard anything that cannot be sanitized. Use paper towels on the cage bottom and change them daily to keep the cage clean. Provide a variety of toys and treats to keep her distracted from picking. Bathe or mist her with warm water a few times a week to promote preening and healthy skin and plumage.

It would be best to try and get your bird into a vet as soon as you can. In the meantime, cleaning any wounds and keeping them free of dirt and debris, and keeping your bird from pecking at it can help prevent infection of the wounds. Keeping your bird warm, with low perches in case he falls, and easy access to food and water may also help until he can get into your vet.

Poor bird! If the foot is at all infected, trying to find a vet that can help in person is best. However, until you can find one, it is a good idea to separate the bird from any cage mates to keep from being picked on, and move him to a warm hospital cage with larger, flat perches that will make perching easier on his feet. Keeping the foot clean and dry and using an ointment such as Blu-kote (most feed and pet stores carry this for use in poultry and other birds) can help prevent infection. You can also Google how to make a bird-sized Elizabethan (cone) collar to put on the bird so that he can't get to his foot and bite it while it heals.

Thanks for reaching out about Ettienne. Cat bites are notorious for being dirty and causing infections. Systemic antibiotics are required as topicals will not penetrate into wounds. A veterinary visit must be scheduled for tomorrow, if an emergency veterinary clinic is not available this evening (preferred). Monitor appetite and activity. Good luck.

It is good that you separated the bird being picked on. If he is actively bleeding, injured, or the sites of his wounds appear to be infected, then it is best to bring him to a vet and have him treated with antibiotics as needed. Until you can get to the vet, keeping him separate, cleaning any wounds of any debris or oozing, and preventing him from picking at the wounds can help some.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It seems like you have done about everything you can to get her to improve at home. At this point, she really needs to see a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They can check what the extent of the injuries may be to try to get her to improve. Keep in mind that dog on bird attacks can result in a lot of trauma. Best of luck!