My budgie's tummy is bleeding from feather picking. What should I do?

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 remove your male budgie and thoroughly clean the wound/stop the bleeding with pressure. You can then place him into a hospital cage to allow the wound to heal/keep an eye on it without your female picking at it further. Once healed, you can then start to reintroduce both birds back into the same cage. Adding in extra food, water, perches, toys, etc can help decrease competition over resources which may help decrease fighting as well. If the foot is at all bothersome, Tweety can't place weight on it, or the wound appears infected, having a vet take a look in person to treat, clean and prescribe any medications is best.

Minor bleeding can be stopped with gentle pressure and a styptic powder or even a dab plain corn starch. The image provided may show infection, so Tuki Tuki should (ideally) be examined by your veterinarian or an experienced avian veterinarian. He may need antibiotics.

Treating feather picking really depends on the underlying cause. Mites can be a possibility, and you may see an increase in itching, redness of the skin, or visible flecks of "stuff" on the skin or feather base. Most pet stores carry a mite spray that can be used to treat this. If you see visible wounds or oozing on the skin, it could indicate something more serious such as an illness or skin infection which should be looked at by a vet. If the plucking is around the vent, this can sometimes indicate an internal parasite or digestive upset causing issue. Boredom can also sometimes cause feather plucking. Adding in more enrichment such as fun puzzle toys, toys that can be preened instead, or even spending more time together can help reduce boredom behavior and feather plucking. Moving the cage to a lower traffic area without pets or people bothering Kiwi as much can also help. if you can't seem to find a cause, home treatment doesn't work, or the problem worsens, seeking veterinary care is always best.

Without knowing the name of the product, it cannot be determined if it is necessary. Usually, you don't want to medicate your pet or start a supplement without the advice of your veterinarian. It is possible Houdini broke a blood feather or injured himself causing bleeding. You will need to gently look under his wing. You can pluck a broken blood feather if you have done it before, otherwise leave it for your vet or a vet experienced in treating birds. Make an appointment to have Houdini examined. You can bring the water additive with you to discuss its use with your vet.

Apply gentle pressure with a wet(cold water) towel and disinfect the area with salt water, or by using an hibiscrub or betadine solution (you can find them in boots - store). A check up then would be ideal to determine the underlying source of the bleeding and have appropriate treatment options.

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.