Hi I have a galah in my care and I suspect he may have a broken wing. I can't afford to take him to a vet and have in the past successfully treated other animals. I would like to know if anyone has any information they can share with me. I currently have him in a secure, warm and quiet area. It is a cat carrier that is like a canvas carry bag with mesh sides. Very cosy. He is not taking in any food and minimal water. I have farex but am not sure whether to give it to him yet. Please let me know if you have any tips. Thank you for your time, kellie

The bird has a broken bone. He's in pain which is why he's not eating. Birds can stress out and die very quickly.

The bone may need to be reset. He really does need to see a vet. If you can't afford a vet, then you shouldn't have this animal in the first place.

I actually rescued this bird, so I didn't have it in the first place. I RESCUED IT from being pounced on by a cat and am trying to help it! I don't think I asked for a lecture and if you knew what I have done with animlas you would in no way even START to lecture me. Asking for advice on here was a mistake I see

Why is it I thought coming on here would be a good idea to get some advice on HELPING an injured bird, when the only response I got was an insult. I thought this was a help desk. If anyone else has an insult rather than a genuine response to give me... dont bother. If people knew what I have done for sick and injured animals they would keep their opinionated comments to themselves. Thanks

I really would contact the humane society. They have vets on hand that will care for the bird, try to find it's home or adopt it out if that can't be accomplished.

Setting a broken wing requires knowledge, skill, not just luck. They need to take an X-ray of the wing in order to set it correctly.

That's really your best bet.

Good luck.

i actually rescued this bird, so i didnt have it in the first place. I RESCUED IT
Is there a wildlife center or animal rescue/shelter or a zoo or even a public library near you? Call the first three I mentioned and ask for their input on what you can do for the bird. (I'd even call a vet who deals with birds and ask for suggestions and even if he would help the bird as a public service, since it's not your pet.)

I suggested the library to call or visit and ask a reference librarian for suggestions if you are still up the creek. I'd really like to think a vet near you would take on this pro bono.

Whoa. I read your other thread. I didn't see an insult, just a suggestion to take the bird to a vet. No, it's not your bird, you found it, so spending money on a vet isn't your responsibility, but sadly we get too many people that come here and expect us to fix all their pets problems when we really can't. It gets frustrating after a while.

I've been in your shoes, actually not that long ago. A baby bird was knocked from it's nest, had a broken wing, wasn't old enough to survive on it's own. Even if I had found the nest it came from (which I couldn't) the bird wouldn't have survived.

I tried calling the bird sanctuary because the humane society won't take wild animals. The sanctuary wouldn't come because it was a common bird, not rare.

I did my best to care for it but it died.

I already suggested this on your other thread but I'll suggest it again here. Your best bet is the humane society, one of the vets there will take a look at the bird and properly fix the wing. They'll also look for the owner of the bird.

Try to remember that we all love animals on this forum and sometimes our passion and frustration can come out wrong. We're all human, we all have our moments, but really, this site is wonderful so stick around, maybe a question will come in that you can help with. :)

Good luck and welcome to AMHD.

Is there a wildlife center or animal rescue/shelter or a zoo or even a public library near you? Call the first three I mentioned and ask for their input on what you can do for the bird. (I'd even call a vet who deals with birds and ask for suggestions and even if he would help the bird as a public service, since it's not your pet.)

I suggested the library to call or visit and ask a reference librarian for suggestions if you are still up the creek. I'd really like to think a vet near you would take on this pro bono.

I don't think that a wildlife center would be interested in a domesticated animal WG. It's a cockatoo, native to Australia. Unless the OP is from Australia and this is a wild bird, the humane society is the best bet to help it and find the owner.

I don't think that a wildlife center would be interested in a domesticated animal WG. It's a cockatoo, native to Australia. Unless the OP is from Australia and this is a wild bird, the humane society is the best bet to help it and find the owner.
I got the impression from another thread she posted that this is a wild creature she had saved from a cat. I don't know where she lives, but it seems that a wildlife sanctuary or animal rescue center would at least offer suggestions.

i actually rescued this bird, so i didnt have it in the first place. I RESCUED IT from being pounced on by a cat and am trying to help it!! i dont think i asked for a lecture and if you knew what i have done with animlas you would in no way even START to lecture me. asking for advice on here was a mistake i see

I'm not trying to sound rude or put you down in any way.. I rescue animals as well.. and do a lot of home doctoring for quite a few ailments... But when it comes down to something as serious as a broken bone, I go to the professionals.

Not only is this animal in pain right now, but the bird can also get bone infection, blood poisoning and many more problems from a broken bone. What if this bone needs to be reset? Are you going to do it? If so, how do you know it needs to be reset? I'm pretty sure you don't have an x-ray.

If this is indeed a wild animal, there are sanctuaries that take on these types of cases and have the funds, knowledge and medical experience to take care of the animal (for life if need-be).

You're going to cause this animal to die from pain and suffering because you're going to be a know-it-all with taking care of rescued animals. It's a great thing that you saved this animal. Now, do the right thing and get it to the people who know what they're doing. In my mind, that is true rescue. You'll still get the glory of saving the animal.

Sorry to lecture... But broken bones is a serious matter.

I just read the comment that was left and I saw red. I would do and am doing anything I can to save an animal. If I take it to a shelter they will ring its neck as it is not an endangered or protected animal. Being told if I can't AFFORD to look after an animal then I shudnt have it made me very angry. I am doing my best and was just after some advice

So this is a wild bird, not a pet?

Sorry, I saw the breed and assumed it was a pet.

I know you're upset and I know you're doing your best. Let's try to move on and see if we can figure out what to do about this bird.

I have a few questions.

1. Is it fully grown? An adult?
2. Is it eating well?
3. Is the bone protruding from the wing?

I'm going to do some research, see what I can find. Give me some time, it will probably take until tomorrow to find the info (it's late here).

Post on this thread again tomorrow so that I'll remember. :)

Until then, I can only suggest that you keep the bird as still as possible so he doesn't further injure his wing. Keep him warm, plenty of water and food.

Okay?

Until tomorrow, here are two sites I found that may help. I haven't read through them entirely so use your own discretion. :)

How to Repair a Bird's Broken Wing Tips | eHow.com (http://www.ehow.com/how_5447583_repair-birds-broken-wing-tips.html)

i found a bird with a broken wing (http://askville.amazon.com/found-bird-broken-wing/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=2535927)

OK in response to all the feedback which I appreciate I have made a few decisions and have a few replies.

Firstly yes the bird is a native animal. It is a west Australian (where I am) pink and grey galah. Secondly I am far from trying to be know it all. Why would I be here if I thought I knew it all? I was just looking for some advice.

We have one sanctuary here that I am going to call for help. I AM WILLING TO look after this bird FOR LIFE. I am after no glory, just some information. Thank you to those that have realised this and offered it.

I am going to call my local vet (as I have numerous animals already that are very well cared for! ) and enquire on whether they can help me.


I

Okay, that didn't work so well.

I merged your threads because they're the same topic. Sorry for all the posts being out of order, this was my first merge. :(

ok in response to all the feedback which i appreciate i have made a few decisions and have a few replies.

firstly yes the bird is a native animal. it is a west australian (where i am) pink and grey galah. secondly i am far from trying to be know it all. why would i be here if i thought i knew it all? i was just looking for some advice.

we have one sanctuary here that i am going to call for help. i AM WILLING TO look after this bird FOR LIFE. i am after no glory, just some information. thankyou to those that have realised this and offered it.

i am going to call my local vet (as i have numerous animals already that are very well cared for!!) and enquire on whether or not they can help me.


i feel like i am defending myself to a few people who want to make it an issue of what IHAVE DONE rather than the issue at hand and that is how to help. a waste of my time when i could really be doing something constructive.

Not trying to make an issue at all. I rescue animals. I know that a lot of things can be done at home with home remedies... But broke bones need doctors! You're still saving a life. You're still rescuing an animal from death... You'll still get recognition. I don't see what the issue is. You write on here saying you have a bird with a broken wing, can't afford a vet, how do I repair a broken bone? What would you think if someone asked you that?

I hope it works out.

I do know that Galah's are very well known in Australia, they're like seagulls here in Canada. ;)

Sadly I also know that common birds aren't usually saved by the wildlife preserves or sanctuaries. They will rescue and treat a rare bird, but the common ones are usually euthanised, especially if it has a broken wing. They prefer to spend their money and time on the rarer breeds. It's a sad fact.

I would call your vet, just to see if he/she isn't willing to at least take a look or offer some advice. That would be your best bet.

Be warned that even if the bird does live, he may never be able to fly. Are you prepared to keep him if that happens?

Hi altenweg, yes please lets move on. OK in response to your? 's. It is an adult and it is male. There is no wound on his body at all as I have checked him over. I have him a dark room with the door closed so it is quiet for him. I have a little seed and some water in the cat carrier for him.

There is no bone protruding, and I am onlty taking an educated guess that his wing IS broken. He is holding a little lower than the other and when he jumped out of the box I had him first he didn't land on his feet he just rolled over on to his side. He did manage to right himself.

He has only hissed at me a couple of times other than that he has been pretty calm.

I have read on a few sites to cut the toe out of a sock and cut a hole for his feet and place him in the sock. That is the only way to fix a wing.

I fear a wildlife sanctuary will dispose of him because he is a common bird and it will be easier 5than trying to fix him. I cannot let that happen, so am trying to do all I can. The rspca do not take in injured wildlife. This I know from previous attempts

Not trying to make an issue at all. I rescue animals. I know that a lot of things can be done at home with home remedies... But broke bones need doctors! You're still saving a life. You're still rescuing an animal from death... You'll still get recognition. I dont see what the issue is. You write on here saying you have a bird with a broken wing, can't afford a vet, how do I repair a broken bone?? What would you think if someone asked you that?

Lucky, to be honest, I've been in this position and I didn't got to a vet, mainly because there are no vets in my area that specialize in birds, but also because I really couldn't afford to spend money on a wild animal that probably wouldn't make it any way.

Also, when it comes to a broken bone, most vets will just euathanize without even trying to fix the wing if it's a wild bird.

The vet should be contacted, I agree, but I can also see why the OP is looking for other options. I would still call the vet, see if he/she will look at the bird or at least offer some advice. The thing is, times are tough. It's hard enough for most people to afford vet bills for the animals they choose to have in their care. To expect someone to spend what could amount to hundreds of dollars, if not more, on a wild animal during these times, well, not everyone can afford to do that. I know I couldn't. So my option would be to do the best I can, or kill the animal to end it's suffering.

I do understand what you're saying Lucky, I hope you can see what I'm saying too. This isn't a pet owner that's neglecting his chosen pet. This is someone that's trying to help a wild animal.

I understand that he may never be able to fly again and I am more than willing to take him on. I could not think of any other way that I would want for him. I have had a look at both those sites you offered and they are very good. I will wait till my husband gets home tonight and he can help me with the bandaging. I am still going to ask my vets advice and maybe they might help.

Even the web sites I have looked on say that a broken wing can be cared for at home. I will not have this bird euthanized just because he has a broken wing. I wouldn't do that to my cat or dog if it happened to them, in fact I DID spend $1000's on my cat that got hit by a car and did not even hesitate.

People are on here talking about recognition and glory? I want none of that... I just want to help this bird

hi altenweg, yes please lets move on. ok in response to ur ??'s. it is an adult and it is male. there is no wound on his body at all as i have checked him over. i have him a dark room with the door closed so it is quiet for him. i have a little seed and some water in the cat carrier for him.

there is no bone protruding, and i am onlty taking an educated guess that his wing IS broken. he is holding a little lower than the other and when he jumped out of the box i had him first he didnt land on his feet he just rolled over on to his side. he did manage to right himself.

he has only hissed at me a couple of times other than that he has been pretty calm.

i have read on a few sites to cut the toe out of a sock and cut a hole for his feet and place him in the sock. that is the only way to fix a wing.

i fear a wildlife sanctuary will dispose of him because he is a common bird and it will be easier 5than trying to fix him. i cannot let that happen, so am trying to do all i can. the rspca do not take in injured wildlife. this i know from previous attempts

I think the sock would be a good cushion, but I don't think it will hold the wing in place tight enough for it to heal.

If you do talk to your vet I'd ask him for some vet guaze. It sort of looks like that material that you buy for trailers so that your dishes don't slip off the table. It sticks to itself, not to feathers or fur, so it's great for pet injuries. I'd put the sock on underneath and then wrap the vet quaze around that, making sure the wing is secured against his body.

I think that one of the links I sent you showed pictures on how to do this. If not, let me know and I'll look for another one.

So far I've searched and the two links I already posted are the best info I have found.

It's worth a try.

If he's eating and drinking, hissing and trying to move around, then I'd guess he's not in a lot of pain. I've had birds all my life. When they're in pain they won't move, they just sit and shake, refuse to eat or drink. They usually die of shock within hours.

Just keep an eye on him and do at least call your vet. It doesn't hurt to ask if he/she is willing to look at the bird, or just tape the wing up for you.

I'd love pictures of the little guy, but lets wait until he's healed. I wouldn't want to frighten him with a flash right now. :)

Keep us posted. Too many times we never get to find out what happened to the animals people ask questions about. Even if it's bad news, please let us know. Deal? :)

I completely understand... and as you know I'm the last one to harp a vet :P I guess I live in the strangest part of the world because we have a wild bird sanctuary that takes in wild birds of any kind, rehabs them, and sets them free. There is a run of the mill hawk that was saved years ago and is living happily at the sanctuary. The vets around here will sometimes donate their knowledge and help out with the wild animals.

But oh well. The best of luck to the op and the bird.

I completely understand... and as you know I'm the last one to harp a vet :P I guess I live in the strangest part of the world because we have a wild bird sanctuary that takes in wild birds of any kind, rehabs them, and sets them free. There is a run of the mill hawk that was saved years ago and is living happily at the sanctuary. The vets around here will sometimes donate their knowledge and help out with the wild animals.

But oh well. The best of luck to the op and the bird.

I wish that was the case everywhere.

A friend of mine found a wounded barn owl when he was a child. He brought it home and his parents put it in the barn and then called the bird sanctuary.

3 days later they came to supposedly get the bird. They did take it, after they stabbed it to death with a pitch fork right in front of my friend. His parents were outraged, couldn't believe it. They told them "sorry ma'am but it's a really common bird around here and we can't afford to waste time and money unless it's a rare species". They didn't even euthanize it humanely.

From what I've read, the cockatoo the OP found is as common in Australia as seagulls are in Canada. I know for a fact that our wildlife sanctuary won't take seagulls. I had one under my care years ago, broken wing. The bone was actually protruding from the wing. The wildlife people told me to set it loose, that it could be food for some hungry fox. My vet at the time also wouldn't look at it, said that since the bone was protruding it would be best to kill the bird. We did our best, sadly he died of shock hours after we found him. :(

OK I have rang my vet and a few surrounding and none are willing to see the bird "pro bono" the wild life sanctuary are not that keen either, like I said he is a common wild bird that for any professional carers it is easier to euthanise.

He is not in any discomfort and seems to be having a little snooze at the moment, so to me he is doing OK so far in my care. I was given two great sites by altenweg and when my hubby gets home am going to bandage up his wing and care for him. I will let all of you who have shown genuine interest, how he is going. Thanks

You can probably get the stretchy gauze alty was talking about at a drug store, if you need to. I've seen it in all kinds of colors right next to the bandaids and regular gauze. It would probably be a lot cheaper than buying it from a vet, too.

Please understand, no one here was trying to call you a bad person. We take it as policy to ALWAYS recommend a vet visit (or doctor visit, for people) when someone comes on with a medical question. It doesn't matter if the op has specifically asked for non-vet answers. It's just a way to cover our a$$es, so to speak.

If at least one person suggests a vet visit, then we feel better about giving alternate advice. Unfortunately, that one person is usually then seen as rude, thoughtless, stupid, and just a general bad guy for making the suggestion in the first place. It's a risk the experienced posters take knowingly.

I know both of the people you attacked. Neither of them meant disrespect toward you. They were merely concerned about the animal and wanted to make sure that it was getting proper care by biting the bullet and suggesting a vet. They were unaware that no vet in your area will treat that type of bird, or even look at it, when they made the suggestion.

Now, attacking members who are only offering sincere advice is not allowed. You can disagree with what they have to say. You can even fume and yell. Starting a thread by insulting members, and the site as a whole, is frowned upon. I'm not a mod, so I can only tell you that it's not appreciated, and does very little to ingratiate you to other members who might have otherwise helped.

I know the responses probably just pushed some buttons. It happens. They were pointing out things you had already thought about, stressed over, and discarded as possibilities. That never puts anyone in a good mood. You just need to know, that it's impossible for us to know the full story on here, so we usually offer the 'safe' answers until we have more information.

Too many people come on here with questions about seriously sick animals that they insist on trying to treat themselves. We've had people with animals that had stopped eating several days before who wanted us to diagnose and offer treatments, when they had never even thought about calling a vet for advice. We've had people with animals that were seriously injured and obviously in pain decide they would rather let their animal suffer and die slowly rather than take them to a vet or follow any other advice given here. We even had a child come on here seeking help for her dog who had a maggot-infested wound in it's ear and she wanted to know what she could do to help it because her parents refused to take it to a vet or turn it over to the humane society (they eventually decided to put the animal down).

We see so many inconsiderate and incompetent people with animals they have no idea how to care for, that we tend to assume any question from an unknown poster is coming from someone who has no knowledge of animal care. It's just safer for everyone, especially the animal, if we start from the most basic answer (take it to the vet) and THEN move on to the more hands-on approaches.

I hope your foundling bird is OK. Hopefully his wing isn't broken and he'll be able to fly again. It's always sad to see a bird that's lost the ability to fly, especially if they grew up wild. Please, keep us posted. We really do care how things turn out.