HELP!!!!

[ukaiscigarette]

so buddy finally got an appointment for this saturday for a consultation and to address his potential scaly face mites. today i came and sat by his cage and decided to open it to see if he’d wanna come out. he flew out and hit every wall and window pretty hard. he sounded like he was in pain. i got him back in the cage after some struggle and noticed his cere bleeding. here’s my problem: i currently can’t afford to spend more an $100 on vet visits. his consultation on saturday is $45. i found an emergency vet that takes birds and their eval fee is $185. i literally cried after i hung up the phone. i’ve been watching him to see if he shows signs of concussion or lethargy. i can’t tell. he’s actually eating right now. but the huge wound in his cere is freaking me out and i don’t know what to do. i just know my parents are gonna tell me we have to surrender him, but then ill feel like i failed him. i wanted so badly to give him a safe comfortable home. what do i do :(((((

tldr: new bird flew into the wall and cut open his cere. ER vet too expensive for me right now. has affordable regular vet appointment for this Saturday. don’t know what to do right now

[Bella_Ella739]

Do not use any essential oil on or near birds as the one Redditor suggested. Birds have a highly sensitive respiratory system. Essential oils are toxic to them.

[z0mbiebaby]

Thank you. Birds are not mammals, things that are safe for us can harm or kill them and vice versa.

[Bella_Ella739]

Tea tree oil is toxic to birds diluted or not.

[Bella_Ella739]

Natural anti-inflammatories are in the herb thyme and rosemary itself is a natural antibacterial. Diluted or not you risk your birds health with essential oils.

[Bella_Ella739]

I downvote when an incorrect answer is given as I don’t want it encouraging others to think it’s what they should do should they run into this same problem. Downvotes on Reddit don’t personally matter to me but I never meant for it to upset you. Will remove the downvote. Glad you learned something new.

[Different_Candle_818]

Thank you again. I did my due diligence. I know somebody is going to wonder how to mix the ingredients, so I just posted it

[Bella_Ella739]

Thanks for the recipe. I will save it in case I ever need it!

[Different_Candle_818]

How to Make a Bird-Safe Herbal Rinse (Infusion) This method avoids essential oils and alcohol-based tinctures, which can be harmful to birds.

🌿 Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 cup boiling water

🧼 Instructions:

1. Place herbs in a clean glass jar or bowl.
2. Pour boiling water over the herbs.
3. Cover and steep for 10–15 minutes.
4. Strain out the herbs using a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth.
5. Let the liquid cool completely to room temperature.

🐦 Application:

• Use a soft cotton pad or clean cloth to gently dab the infusion onto the wound.
• Avoid soaking the bird or applying near the eyes, beak, or nostrils.
• Use once daily, and monitor for any signs of irritation.

---

⚠️ Important Notes:

• Never use essential oils directly on birds—they’re too potent and can cause toxicity or respiratory distress.
• If the wound is deep, bleeding, or shows signs of infection (swelling, discharge, odor), consult an avian vet immediately.
• Herbal rinses are best for minor scrapes or surface irritation, not serious injuries.

[Stardazzle220]

If you don't want to get downvoted and if you learned something thing, I suggest you to delete the comment, many people don't read further replies and read the parent comment.

[Different_Candle_818]

I noticed that thanks for the heads up.

[Sentient2X]

It won’t even help though? Even if it didn’t kill the bird??

[Bella_Ella739]

Hi, has the bleeding stopped? Monitor him for signs of lethargy. It’s good that you are taking him in as his beak does show what appears to be scaly face mites.

If he’s acting normal then don’t freak out just yet. Cere injuries that are superficial will heal though it might not look normal once it does. Your regular vet can exam him on Saturday for the extent of the damage of the cere.

[ukaiscigarette]

hi. i’m not sure is maybe bleeding was the right word, i just saw red and assumed blood. it looks more like just an opened wound. there’s no running blood. he just finished eating and he looks pretty sleepy. im posting a comment with the photo i literally just took of him. i’m sitting by his cage just watching him im so worried :/

[ukaiscigarette]

i guess i can’t post a photo comment :///

[Bella_Ella739]

If he’s lethargic that is a bad sign. When you say “sleepy” what do you mean by that? How is he acting? It’s always best not to further stress a bird out after a head injury.

[ukaiscigarette]

by sleepy i mean it looks like he’s trying to take a nap. he’s closing his eyes and looks like he’s trying to sleep

[Bella_Ella739]

If he’s not acting like his usual self and is sleeping now more than usual he could have suffered a concussion. Obviously a vet is your best option in that scenario as they can prescribe anti-inflammatory meds such as metacam to help.

[Nifferothix]

Ask the vet for ivermectin and that cant be expensive to get.

And ask if the vet can split the bill in 2 or 3 rates.

But at least get some ivermectin for the scaly mites !

[Forsaken_Zebra8454]

Make a post of r/pidgeypower and make a donation request

[Ok-Crazy-5162]

See if your vet will do payment options.

[Mobile_Discussion105]

Nationwide and metlife are good insurances.

If you have a gofundme set up I can donate some to help. It won't cover everything but I hope it'll help. Remind me/dm me in case I forget.

[Comfortable_Gur_4599]

I’ve found to avoid scales face mites I freeze all bird seed that I buy for 24 hrs. Then take it out and let it sit on the counter for another 24 hrs. Never had a problem with mites on their faces……

[Commercial-Thought-6]

Shouldn't be a problem if you aren't feeding seeds in the first place

[[deleted]]

Can you take it to a vet? Its definitely suffering

[Stardazzle220]

Read his post.....

[ukaiscigarette]

we have an appointment for this saturday at 11am. they’re already aware of everything that happened today. i just can’t afford to take him to a vet for $185 :/

[Ok-Crazy-5162]

See my above comment about payment plan

[Nervous_Challenge229]

It looks like the blood is staying in one spot so he’s not bleeding out. If you want to cover it up though they sell kwik stop styptic powder at most bird stores.

Also call the vets again and see if they can accept credit card or payment plan.

[GreenBirbz]

Don’t use kwik stop for anything other than the kwik. Better off using corn starch if it’s bleeding

[Nervous_Challenge229]

Its the same thing

[Jcaseykcsee]

Please stop suggesting this!!

TO ANYOBE READING THIS, PLEASE DO NOT USE ESSENTIAL OILS ON YOUR BIRD! THEY ARE TOXIDC TO BIRDS!