I'm trying to save a bird. I saw some guys standing around watching a dog playing with something. Suddenly a wing flapped on the 'something', so I yelled at them to stop the dog, ran over and discovered a mauled bird in shock. I barked orders until someone provided me with a cloth to scoop up the dying bird to bring home to try to save.

I know nothing about birds, so I'm 'winging' it here. I asked the Yi what to do. It helped me save my 22-year old cat last night who was in serious distress when I got home from work. It walked me through the things I had to do to eliminate the blockage that would surely have killed him. At 2AM it told me I'd administered enough medicine and subcutaneous fluids, the obstruction was cleared and to rest! When I woke in the morning, the cat was walking around (wobbling weakly actually) and hungry.

So I brought the bird inside, wrapped it in a towel, put it in a box with a small shallow dish of water and bread crumbs (multi-grain bread that my daughter calls $3.00 bread when she wants to complain that I'm extravagant) and asked the Yi what the prognosis for the bird is. It answered 62.6 change to 56.


When I couldn't get a clear determination as to survival from that answer (remember I'm an infant terrible at interpreting the Yi), I asked if I should leave it to nature. It answered 39.3 change to 8.

I decided then that at the moment I'm the bird's father and to try to nurture it back to health.

So I asked the Yi about food and water options. It said water was good for now, but 60 on the worms I was going to dig for.

So...thus far, it's still alive, wrapped in a towel, in a box with water and multi-grain bread crumbs and has a tear in the skin where the wing meets its back. If it's still alive at bedtime, I'm closing the cats in the bedroom with me. To this decision the Yi answered 42.1 change to 20.

Does anyone know of anything else I can do for the bird? I really know nothing about their care and feeding. Is there a point when I should take the towel off the bird. Accckkkkk. Help!

Cheerio the noo,

Val

Sorry Val Clarity seems to have crashed of a sudden?.

Birds die very easily from shock? sorry to say you prob. Can?t save it? but you can make it comfortable? gently wrapped and warm as you have is good

Isotonic water solution dripped into beak? careful it might choke? birds in shock dehydrate? forget food? this is advice I once got from a bird specialist? hope it helps

Will try to post this on Clarity again in a moment.

Best of luck

--kevin

Oh, I meant to say... its the dehydration that kills... not the shock... also water will do if you can't do isotonic solution... got any left over from treating your cat?

All the best

--Kevin

Kevin...

Thanks for the tip!

I've got Ringers Solution...full of electrolytes...plenty for the bird and the cat until I can get to the vet for more on Monday.

I changed out the water with the Ringers immediately and tried to get some into the bird with a dropper...it took a tiny bit. Then it opened its mouth wide to receive more. And I kept up until it turned its head away from the dropper and laid it on its back. I'm guessing that means enough already. We've done this about three times now, and I've got a good amount of Ringers into the bird. The Yi says that's enough. It seems alert now...tilting its head and looking around and moving a bit...shifting on its feet.

Anonymous...

Thanks for you help!

I've got the bird in a cardboard box in a warm dark corner of the living room. I just kind of sensed it would be best if it didn't see it's environment. I also sensed it would be best if my Azzie doesn't see it. She'll get excited and be difficult to live with if she knows dinner is right here in the living room but out of reach. She used to climb the palm trees in our courtyard in search of dinner when we lived in LA.

I can't get the bird to a vet until Monday...if it survives that long. It's Saturday night here, and this town is closed down completely...except for churches...on Sunday. I've given it the Ringer's solution...the one you're talking about. It just so happens I have it here for my aging cat. He's in kidney failure, and I give him subcutaneous injections to keep him hydrated.

The dish of Ringers in the box is actually a 1/3 cup size measuring cup, and it's only half full. It doesn't seem like enough to drown in, and the bird is standing on its feet.

I'll call around tomorrow and see if I can't get a bead on some local help...but I'm not getting my hopes up...not here...not on Sunday.

Cheerio the noo,

Val

Hi Val

Great.

I think Anonymous had a good point about ?fluid energy solution? too? You might wan?t to switch to weak sugar solution at some point ? birds carry little fat as it is heavy and they need to be light to as Anon. says needs work to digest) and protein uses a lot of body water up to metabolise it.

Best of luck

--Kevin

I'll try that again... sorry

Hi Val

Great

I think Anonymous had a good point about ?fluid energy solution? too? You might wan?t to switch to weak sugar solution at some point ? birds carry little fat as it is heavy and they need to be light to fly.

Also as Anon. says solid food is not good as it needs work to digest it and protein uses a lot of body water up to metabolise it.

Best of luck

--Kevin

Good morning!

Well I decided to test the bird's ability to survive back in nature and took the box with bird outside early this morning...just as the sun was creeping up over the horizon. I opened it near a copse of bamboo and other trees not far from the open area where I found it. It was alert and looking around.

I'm guessing it's a fledging that left the nest a little too soon because although it has pretty well developed wings, it has downy feathers on its crown. It looked around a bit and started chirping. It flew out of the box and flew in small flights from branch to branch deeper into the copse, all the while chirping. I stayed near enough to keep a bead on the chirping, but not so near to be a threat.

After a cup of coffee and two cigarettes, I became aware of another bird flying from branch to branch in a triangle around my little fellow. It was answering the little guy, and the little guy was responding. Their conversation got quite animated and lively. I backed away a little more and watched the bird up in the branches, as it circled and gradually descended toward the little guy. It seemed that mother and child had found each other. So...I figured my work is done here and came in and fed the cats.

I've been checking on it periodically, and it's now up high enough in the branches where the dog can't get it...maybe even back its nest. It amazes me that I recognize it's chirp within the cacophony of birds sounds out there, but I do. I have no idea if its mother will come and feed it where it is...if she even still needs to. I just know it has a better chance of survival back in its natural environment on a beautiful, warm day like today than in a cardboard box in my living room. If it doesn't survive in nature, it will be because of natural occurences. It won't be because of guys on a basketball court making sport of a dog making sport of it. I'd rather see it be a part of the food chain in nature than a victim of mindless, senseless delight.

I do believe the Ringers solution saved it. And the cardboard box kept it relatively stress-free while it came out of shock and healed a bit. I also tried my healing light on it. Who knows if it worked. It didn't hurt to try. I just want to thank you again, Kevin and Anonymous, for your generous help. Thank you very much!

Cheerio the noo,

Val

Yippee!

Wonderful

Nice one

My hat is off to you Val.

That was a wonderful thing you did to save that bird. All of nature and all of life is a wonderous thing.

Gene