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11-16-2014, 05:27 PM
From: [Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks] (Julie Burge, DVM)
2521
Avian Medical Case of the Day: This cockatiel came in with a wound on the side of her neck following a dog attack. Two things you can learn from this case: First, never trust a dog or cat around your bird because birds are tiny and fragile, and the infection from even a single cat toenail puncture will kill them if you don't seek immediate veterinary help. Second, birds have air sacs that are like balloons that branch off of their lungs which extend into the neck, the abdomen, and even into a few of the larger bones. If you create a hole into one of the air sacs, the bird can breathe through that opening as this bird did. When we tried to put her under gas anesthesia with a mask over her face, she wouldn't fall asleep because she was breathing room air through the hole in her neck until we held it closed with gauze. The good news is she made a full recovery after we did surgery to close the wound and treated her with antibiotics.
2521
Avian Medical Case of the Day: This cockatiel came in with a wound on the side of her neck following a dog attack. Two things you can learn from this case: First, never trust a dog or cat around your bird because birds are tiny and fragile, and the infection from even a single cat toenail puncture will kill them if you don't seek immediate veterinary help. Second, birds have air sacs that are like balloons that branch off of their lungs which extend into the neck, the abdomen, and even into a few of the larger bones. If you create a hole into one of the air sacs, the bird can breathe through that opening as this bird did. When we tried to put her under gas anesthesia with a mask over her face, she wouldn't fall asleep because she was breathing room air through the hole in her neck until we held it closed with gauze. The good news is she made a full recovery after we did surgery to close the wound and treated her with antibiotics.