STUNNED BIRD!!!

[CheekyCharlie]

Hi All

I need some quick advice about 45 minutes ago my European Eagle owl flew full flight into the side of her aviary. :shock: :shock:

To start with she wouldn't move and had her eyes shut, then the wings started to go again, and finally the feet. :!: But seemed to have lost all sense of balance, when left unattended she ended up on her back wings flapping and legs running, a very distressing sight. :( :( :(

I rang and spoke to my vet but he was busy so a receptionist ended up relaying messages and I was told to put her in her small cage in the dark and leave her be, checking on her every 20 minutes. She seems to be coming round. But I am incredibly scared that I will lose her to shock. :cry: :cry:

Does anyone have any experience of anything like this? Also should she be feed this evening or left. :?:

Please help, a very worried Emma.

Thanks.

[IAmTheWeasel]

Yes, as with any head trauma, you should put the bird in a dark cage that it can settle down in. I wouldn't reccomend much in the way of food, but rather make sure the bird does not get dehydrated. Then.....get it to a vet!

[CheekyCharlie]

Hi

I have her an appointment booked for first thing in the morning. Should I keep her in her small cage over night?

Rgds
Emma

[Liam Hay]

Massive blows to the head will end up with the bird passing away if she has any internal bleeding i am sorry to say no vet can help, u have to just keep her calm and warm do not feed anything till she seems aok.

[CheekyCharlie]

Thats what I'm most afraid of, she only 14 weeks old but I've had her since she was 2 1/2 weeks old and she means the world to me.

She only started flying to the fist on command about a week ago.

Rgds
Emma

[Liam Hay]

just wait it out n c why did she fly in to aviary so fast

[IAmTheWeasel]

Yes, as long as she is capable of staying on her own two feet. It sounds like it was a nasty concussion for the bird. Keep a close eye on the bird as I have seen head injuries that look OK after a bit.....few hours later bird drops dead. Most head injuries we see are either car strikes of a bird flying full steam into a window so they are usually pretty serious when we get them and sometimes require a dexamethazone shot to help them through the initial shock. What I would be more interested in knowing is if there is some other reason why the bird flew into the side of the mews? Could the bird have some malady that caused her to become disorientated to begin with? There are several diseases that can affect the brain and cause it to swell creating situations such as this. I am just speculating as I have read about similar situations.
Weasel

[CheekyCharlie]

Hi

I have no idea why she flew into the side of the aviary. She does tend to sit their and watch the starlings with great interest, my only though was that she fancied a go at catching one and kind of forgot where she was. She has never done this before and I keep a very good eye on her, I'm out their almost every hour.

I couldn't bare to lose her. I'm hoping if she's okay throughout the night we should be good. I'll just keep her very calm and quiet. The room she is in was rather warm so opened the windows, is it best to keep her cool or warm in this kind of situation?

Thanks everyone
Ems

[Liam Hay]

warm but not cooked

[CheekyCharlie]

Hi All

Charlie got through the night okay, but she still seems uneasy on her feet and will not take a lot of food.
Is this usual after such an incident?

Regards
Emma

[Sprout]

Feed little and often rather than trying to give one large meal and don;t give any casting until 100% back to normal. Is your vet experienced with birds? What did they say? If any problems arise in the future don't be fobbed off with an appointment the next day, insist on being seeing right away or more often than not the appointment the next day will be for post mortem!

[CheekyCharlie]

Hi

When I called my local vet they give me the number for an Avian vet, in Wickford, Essex. I was advised to keep her in the dark at calm. They offered me an appointment that day but Charlie does not travel well. She will cast but then continue to try to do so and in the end she simply brings up liquid, so I did not want to risk stressing her even more than she was.

She was up and moving about this morning, so I think I'll see if she feels comfortable enough to go back into her aviary.

[Osiris]

Hi CheekyCharlie

I take it Charlie is Ok now...? Sure hope so :-)