Expert: Chrys Meatyard - 9/25/2006

Question
I have a cockatiel(have had about 5mos.)  He is very playful and starting to trust us.  This morning he suddenly began screaming.  At first I thought he was attacking his ladder.  Then I realized he had pulled the ladder up, and it was hooked to him.  I thought it was through his neck.  When I freed him, there was no blood.  I'm guessing it was caught in his soft feathers under his neck.  He has not made a sound since.  He is puffed up and hiding his head.  He also seems to be trembling.  I called the vet and he said he doesnt deal with birds much.  Didnt know what to tell me.  There doesnt seem to be an obvious injury.  Does he just need time to settle down?  I know that it was a traumatic experience for all of us. Thank you

Answer
Hi, Karrie.  Thanks for posting!

Poor little guy!  Based on your post, I'd say your tiel just needs time to recover from this incident.  It probably scared him to death and the massive dose of adrenlin his body released trying to get loose from the ladder has worn him down.  Give him some time to realize he's not hurt (parrots can sometimes be big babies) and I'm sure he'll be fine.

If there wasn't any blood, the ladder didn't penetrate his skin.  However, there's an open space (sorry, can't remember the name of this area) at the base/underside of a parrot's lower mandible.  The ladder may have become  stuck in this open area.  I've seen tiels and other parrots get toys or dish hooks stuck in this location.  

Keep him warm, quiet, and comfy until he's back to normal.  He'll probably be OK later today or tomorrow.  If he gets any worse, get him to an avian vet.  Here's a link to help find one in your area:

http://www.aav.org/vet-lookup/

I hope all turns out OK.

Chrys