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Why Tumi is getting his wings clipped ASAP

1K views 10 replies 9 participants last post by  Malachi 
#1 ·
Before I scare you all with my story of this evening, I should tell you that Tumi is currently nestled with his tissue girlfriends in his sleeping cage.

This evening, Tumi and I were hanging out eating. He was throwing his mash everywhere and I was eating a bit of food before I would go to make a sandwich in the kitchen. When he had eaten his fill, we walked to the kitchen and I placed him on his cage right beside the kitchen because I don't let him in the kitchen even with nothing cooking. Nothing was hot, and he protested, so I set him on TOP of his cage not inside. I was about four feet away making my sandwich when he decided that he had had enough with waiting and took off flying across the apartment, and slammed into my window! I had a horrible moment when I spotted him, dazed and looking like he must have at least broken a wing. I ran to him, scooped him up, frantically found the wire carrier and frantically called his vet. His vet told me that there were no vets there at the moment, so they gave me the address and number of the emergency vet in the area. I grabbed my purse and car keys and jumped into the car to find the place, driving with the wire carrier on my lap because the passenger seat seemed too far away. He was not looking good, and I was convinced that he must have broken his left wing at least. On the drive there, he started to calm down a bit as I sang to him his little song that I've sung to him since he was a little guy, and started to chirp a bit. By the time we were almost there, he was asking for scritches, which I provided. When we got there, they took him into the back without me for the exam (NOTE TO VETS: DON'T SEPARATE THE HUMAN FROM THE ANIMAL! IT IS ONLY STRESSFUL FOR ALL INVOLVED!). They finally came out to talk to me, telling me that there weren't any apparent fractures but he started panting during the exam so they had him in the oxygen cage. The vet (not an avian vet, btw, but the emergency vet is the emergency vet and they are much better than no care) said they wanted to treat him like a head trauma case and keep him overnight, but that everything is very stressful and stress is very dangerous for little birds. She brought me back to see him, and I could tell that he didn't like the room and that the room wasn't a calming bird environment. We went back to an exam room together to see if he was well enough to come home to me, and while he isn't 100%, he was MUCH calmer and happier with me. I decided that it would be safest for him to come home with me, and so he is sleeping in his sleeping cage while I sit nearby. The vet sent me home with Metacam for him, and told me to give him his first dose at home (Tumi managed to bite the assistant, so I don't think they know how to deal with a parrotlet without getting bit). Of course, we entered my bedroom for bedtime, I let him out of his carrier, and HE TOOK OFF FLYING to my bed like it was a normal night and he would just do the normal bedtime "I don't wanna go!". :) I gave him his meds and put him to bed with millet within easy beak reach. Hopefully he will be okay in the morning, but the idea of him in the ICU room of an emergency vet that sees all species just wasn't going to work, and they only thing they could do for him would be oxygen. I decided that normal air and calm was better than oxygen and stress for him. Hopefully it was the right call, and the bedtime escape attempt was definitely a good sign. Now I'm off to put a hot water bottle beside his cage to make it warmer for him. And as soon as he is completely recovered, he is losing those flight feathers. I can't ever do that again.
 
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#2 ·
Very scary! Hoping for the best tonight.



Just be aware that when the flight feathers come off, he will still try to fly and will plop. That scared the bejezesus out of me.... so just be aware.. I was freaked out that he might have hurt him self when he hit the floor.
 
#3 ·
Hello! Lucky Tumi.

The story is repeated throughout the bird kingdom. Birds hit windows and mirrors and even solid walls.
Before you clip, think about it. If clipped and he flops, he will be on the ground where you are not used to him being. Watch your step. Tumi will be wondering why he can't fly. I think he is safer flying and all the windows and mirrors should be disguised or covered or made just plain safer. At the spur of the moment when we take our eye off of our flighted bird is when he is at risk of us not paying attention for him. I have known of two p'letts who were clipped and died when either stepped on or sat on, because the birds world becomes lower when clipped.

I open my vertical blinds and I am full aware that Bogie could fly into them, but the verticals, when the slats are opened, are safe enough. Bogie sees the open slats and will not run into the window.

It is a hard decision to make when it comes to clip or not to clip. I know you will make the right decision that is right for you and Tumi. Someone in this forum once said that we don't know how long parrotlets can live because they usually die by accident. How true. How true. I'm glad Mr. Tumi is okay. He is too.;)
 
#4 ·
Tumi! Don't scare your mommy like that! I'm sorry Dana, that's just aweful. Was it dark outside? I'm just curious if he saw his reflection or if it looked like an open window, not that it matters.
I know you usually keep Tumi lightly clipped, I guess he got a couple feathers and took off? Lilly ran into the wall tonight too :( but she was fine. Sometimes Tobie runs into the mirror in the bedroom I HATE it! I don't know how to cover it, it's one of those sliding ones. I was thinking of just getting a curtain instead.
I'm so glad Tumi is ok.
 
#5 ·
He's been clipped before, so we should be okay. The little monster enjoys ground time despite my protests, and living alone, it isn't too dangerous, so I am pretty used to him on the ground playing attack the feet. The windows are huge and don't have blinds yet. He is a good glider even clipped, and as soon as he seems up to the stress, he's going to be a clipped bird.
My debate now if whether he stays home today or whether I bring him to work and put him in a quiet corner in the basement so I can keep an eye on him (he can't actually be with me the entire day because I am a teacher and that would NOT be relaxing for him, but there is a room in my building's lowest level that I have put him in before). On the one hand, there is the stress of coming with me to work. On the other hand, if he needs to visit his avian vet today, I will need to leave with him straight from work.
He appears to have spent the whole night on his sleeping perch, which makes me happy. He got to bed late, so waking up at all will be rough. I think if he is less that 100% this morning, he comes to work. I am also debating whether he should visit his avian vet. His behavior means that he doesn't have fractures, so I don't know if there is anything a skilled vet can do that the emergency vet didn't do. Maybe I will call them later today with that question.
 
#6 ·
This is so scary Dana! Good thing you got him checked out.

One of my biggest fears since letting Levi's feathers grow in is that something like this will happen. Although I never bring him into the bedroom, he followed me in there a couple weeks ago and slammed into the full length closet mirrors. Scared me silly but he was fine thank goodness. I've always said that if he ever got hurt when flying.. those feathers were getting clipped.. I'm with you on this one
 
#8 ·
I don't think a bird has ever been watched more intently than Tumi today - I had the webcam on the whole day! He slept a lot, but then was active and even playful. He is perching fine, and even flying the little brat. He is on me now and viciously attacking me to prevent my typing this. His vet says I should get him clipped not this Saturday but next to allow him time to recover. He's not 100%, but he is recovering and biting. :) An attacking parrotlet is a healthy parrotlet!
 
#10 ·
Sorry to read about the Tumi.
Ollie has to be clipped for his safety and my husband's sanity. Sometimes he flies off my shoulder and lands on the wood floor. It's scary. His bones are hollow I guess and there is no concern.
It is a wait and see now. I hope Tumi recovers quickly, and he will be fine.
 
#11 ·
Totally scary! I'm so sorry this happened Dana...that would freak me out! I'm glad Tumi is okay. Something similar happened with Sky while my roommate was watching her when I was on vacation last year. I'd asked him never to pull up the blinds when Sky is out, but wanting natural light for some art project he was working on and having her out with him he pulled up the blinds on the big living room window. Sure enough Sky flew into, not knowing what it was, but like Tumi, fortunately, she was dazed but alright. Needless to say that doesn't happen anymore. Apparently for a few minutes my roomie was considering what it was going to be like telling me he killed my beloved little bird by doing something I asked him not to do...so it soaked in.
 
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