Cockatiel night-frights: disaster and recovery (long story)

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WickedOne
Posts: 36
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2011 5:25 pm
Location: California

Cockatiel night-frights: disaster and recovery (long story)

Post by WickedOne »

Along with my IRN Luna, I have four cockatiels:
Lucky - normal gray with yellow head male
Chloe (Lucky's mate) - yellow pear pied female
Angel - albino female
Miko (Angel's mate) - albino male
I have heard of night-frights before in birds, but I've had my cockatiels for six years and they have never had a problem. Friday night, at about 12:30, I heard a commotion in the bird room, so I went to calm them down thinking they were just flapping as they often do. I uncovered the cage and I could smell blood. Miko was up high flapping and carrying on, and he kept looking down. Angel was at the bottom of the cage, and she was thrashing around and her wings were covered in blood. I changed into some clothes and grabbed some towels and a carrier and got Angel out, and drove as fast and as safely as I could to the 24 hour vet that is on the other side of town where I live. I was hysterical and scared to death for Angel. She's my baby. She and Lucky are the more cuddly of the four 'tiels that I have.
The vet that treated her knew NOTHING about birds. He talked to me like it was my fault that she was hurt, kept saying "arms and legs" not "wings and legs", and had the nerve to tell me that my bird was diseased because of her bald spot on her head! It made me so angry I wanted to yell at him and throw my AS in Animal Science and RVT certificate at him to get him to talk to me like a professional. When he mentioned feather disease because of her bald spot I finally spoke up and told him that she has had that spot since she was born, as has Miko, her mate. It is a normal trait in an albino cockatiel to have a "halo", the bald spot on their head. There genes make it so, and it is NOT a disease. That got him to be quiet right quick. And his theory? She had somehow gotten her wings and tail feathers stuck in something and walked forward, pulling and breaking them. Uh, no. I am very cautious about my birds' housing and there is nothing that she could have gotten into that would have injured her so severely.
When they brought my beautiful girl back to me, every last wing and tail feather had been pulled and she was exhausted. Luckily, nothing was broken. They wanted to keep her overnight which I was not happy about because I do not like the clinic I had to take her to at all (bedside manner sucks and nearly all the doctors treat you like it's your fault your animal is sick or injured) and do not trust them, but I had no choice. I left her there and called in the morning to check on her because the doctor that saw her said I could pick her up that morning. They told me I had to wait until six, that she was better but not eating for them. I was not about to leave her until six. I took Miko to get his wings done (he had broken a blood feather was well, and was not happy that Angel was not with him). We found a very bruise toe on his foot, so we think that he somehow got his foot stuck and freaked Angel out, and that's how she got hurt. The breeder I go to that groomed Miko is amazing, I love her and everyone there. They found out what had happened and groomed him for free, loaned me a cage for Angel (she has to be kept alone for a while), and when Sherry found out what the doctor said about Angel being diseased, she got so mad she called to complain.
I went to visit Angel after Miko was done, and it was about four. They took me back to her and she came right to me and snuggled in my hoodie, and I started to cry. She looked better already than she did the night before, and she stopped shaking when I picked her up. One of the doctors came in and told me she could release Angel to me because she was concerned about her not eating, which she needed to do due to her blood loss.
I walked out with Angel, and she fell asleep in my arms. When I got her into her "hospital" cage, I gave her some food and some millet, and she chowed down like a good girl.
Today, she is still eating and drinking well, and she is allowing me to clean and treat her wounded wings.
I was so scared and worried about her. Miko has broken a blood feather or two in the past, but this is the worst thing that has ever happened to one of my fids. Thank goodness for my parents and boyfriend for helping me with her, and God bless the people at For the Birds and More.

I apologize for the long entry! But I told you all my story to ask this: has anyone else had the night-frights with their fids?
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CharlieCheekyTaj
Posts: 16
Joined: Fri Dec 30, 2011 5:17 am

Re: Cockatiel night-frights: disaster and recovery (long sto

Post by CharlieCheekyTaj »

Wow you can tell you and your birds love each other. I'm glad she's okay, I hate vets that do that, my vets are pretty good though :D I have never had that problem with my tiel
McmillanBirds
Posts: 339
Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2012 4:39 am
Location: Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

Re: Cockatiel night-frights: disaster and recovery (long sto

Post by McmillanBirds »

Hi there :)

I know this is a pretty late reply, but my cockateil Georgie who i adopted has night frights. I will be sleeping and all of a sudden he starts flapping uncontrollably so i switch on the lamp, talk to him, wait till he calms down and then go back to sleep. I have found covering his cage with a blanket at night helps, it only happens occasionally instead of every night. The other cockateils I have had in my life have never had this problem so it was something completely new to me.

I hope Angel is doing much better

Regards
Carmen
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