Should I give an injured bird water? Never squirt water down a bird's throat. This may result in the bird inhaling the liquid into the lungs. Use an eyedropper placed near the side of the bird's mouth and let the bird swallow the drops slowly.
Place the bird into a secure and well-ventilated box. Keep the box in a warm, dark room and try not to disturb it. This reduces stress and shock for the bird and is the best treatment you can give it. Do not give the bird food or water as this could cause the bird to aspirate or delay any treatment it might need.
Only use topical disinfectants on open wounds and skin. Diluted chlorhexidine and betadine are safe and effective if used away from the mouth, ear canals, and eyes. Do not use salves, ointments, petroleum jelly, or other thick or oily substances on birds without veterinary recommendation.
If you have found a sick or injured bird it will need to see a vet before coming into care. If you are able to safely contain the bird, you can keep it in a quiet, dark, warm place e.g. wrapped in a towel in a ventilated box or carrier with a lid while you transport it to the nearest vet.
The bird will generally take 4 to 6 hours to recover from shock if there are no other major medical issues or injuries sustained – if it doesn't – seek advice. While the bird is in shock, don't force it to eat or drink.
Place the injured bird in a covered box, with air holes punched in it, and keep it in a warm, quiet place without trying to feed it or apply any kind of medication.
Just as we're designed to heal after a break, the average bird can recover from a minor wound without any intervention. Often it will be starvation or a predator, rather than the injury itself, that ends her life.
The smallest skin puncture is very likely lead to an infection that could have devastating effects. Many of the birds brought in are ones that have had an encounter with a cat and have been able to survive for a few days until the infection runs them down so much that they can be easily captured.
These signs may include feather picking, depression, behavior changes, seizures, shallow breathing, lack of muscle control (ataxia), difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), increased thirst and urination, and green or bloody diarrhea.
Provide fluids: Birds not eating or drinking need to be hydrated immediately after a period of warming. Use a spoon or small syringe to try to get the bird to drink on his/her own (Pedialyte or 100% fruit juice such as apple, pear, or grape).
The provision of oral fluids can be useful for mildly dehydrated birds which are strong enough to hold their heads up. Syringes attached to curved stainless steel crop needles or soft rubber or plastic tubing can all be used to deliver volumes of fluid (and moistened food mixes) to the crop or proventriculus.
You can mix glucose, multivitamins and antibiotic syrups in water as this will speed up the rehydration process for birds. “Giving dehydrated birds electrolytes mixed in water is the best way to help them, but adding honey to water may encourage the bird to drink faster.
Place your birdbath in the shade if possible, to keep the water cooler and fresher. Having trees nearby will also provide branches on which they can preen. Arrange stones (or branches) in the water so birds can stand on them to drink without getting wet (this is particularly important during freezing weather).
Echinacea Happy Bird is known for its immunostimulating and antiviral properties, it is useful for promoting the immune system and treating the symptoms of bird colds. It is a real natural antibiotic, widely used for the treatment of respiratory diseases.
Making a bird bath
It needs to have shallow sloping sides with a shallow approach to water. To allow different species to bathe, provide a sloping bath, so the water is between 2.5cm and 10cm (1-4 inches) deep. Make sure the surface of the bath is rough so birds can grip it with their claws, and not slip.
Depending on the severity of the impact, it may take just a few minutes or up to 2-3 hours for a bird to recover, and during that time it should be stimulated as little as possible.
The following are indications that a bird may be sick or injured: The bird is quiet, dull, the eyes may be closed, and it has fluffed feathers (the bird looks “puffed up”). It may have an obvious wound, breathing problems, a drooping wing, or show lameness or an inability to stand.
Birds bones heal much faster than mammals, and the bones may be sufficiently healed after just 3-4 weeks of care.
If you find a sick or injured bird, contact a wildlife rehabilitator or local veterinarian to see if they are able to care for it. Make sure you call first as some clinics don't have the facilities to isolate sick birds, and can't take the risk of spreading a communicable disease among their other birds.
Antibiotic ointment can be used around the leg or foot, as well as a loose bandage. Restrain the bird by wrapping it in a towel. If the bleeding has slowed a bit, wrap the gauze around the injured area on the leg. The gauze can slightly extend above or below the break.
When a Bird Loses a Leg. Many times when a bird is horribly injured or disabled it will not survive. Other consequences of the injury, such as weakness or infection, may take a toll as well, but some birds adapt amazingly well to being one-legged.
An injured bird should always be passed onto a local vet, RSPCA in England and Wales, SSPCA in Scotland, USPCA in Northern Ireland or an independent rescue centre, so it can receive appropriate treatment without undue delay.