Page 33 - Hand rearing birds second

14 Hand-Rearing Birds

Once gross debris has been manually removed, follow by irrigating the area with warm sterile
0.9% NaCl or other sterile physiologic fluid with or without dilute chlorhexidine, betadine, or other
disinfectants. Irrigation is contraindicated in wounds that include an opening into the bird’s air sac
system. If uncertain whether irrigating a wound will risk drowning the bird, cleanse the area
repeatedly with sterile gauze or swabs moistened with sterile irrigation fluids.
During wound cleaning it may become apparent that an important structure is involved in the
wound. Prognosis and outcomes are highly dependent on what structures are involved. There are
some tendons that can be lost without a perceptible effect on function, but losing a large bundle of
tendons that completely control, for example, flexing or extending the hock joint, is not compatible
with being a releasable wild bird. Quality of life must be assessed for captive birds with similar loss
of function. The outcome of these cases is usually dependent on what function has been lost, but it
is often worth attempting treatment to see what functionality is retained, especially in a young bird
already metabolically busy creating new tissue during rapid growth. A wound that seems very large
and concerning on a 70 g gosling may seem minor one week later when the chick weighs >500 g.
The author’s preference is to close all open wounds via sutures or glue, especially in crowded
wild‐bird nursery situations. The more dressing changes a chick needs in a busy nursery, the less
likely it is to actually happen in a timely manner. All abnormal‐looking tissue should be removed
from the wound if it is to be closed. For skin lacerations that do not have much tension, surgical
tissue glues may provide adequate closure. Sutures are preferred for wounds with tension or
located in high‐mobility locations, such as adjacent to the knee, where glue will not hold.
Semipermeable self‐adhesive dressings such as hydrocolloid blister bandages or Tegaderm® (3M)
cut to size may be used for wounds that are unable to be sutured or glued. There are many wound
care products that are appropriate for use in young birds; however, merely dabbing some cream
onto a wound does not foster optimal wound healing. Silver sulfadiazine cream is often used to
treat exposed wounds if secondary intention healing is necessary, because it has both antifungal
and antibacterial properties and it is water‐soluble. Avoid the use of petroleum‐based products
such as ointments due to their inevitable undesirable contamination of feathers.
One advantage birds have over mammals is that bone exposure in wounds is usually much less
concerning, and with appropriate care these areas heal very well. See Duerr (2016) for repair of
degloving injuries to the neck and scalp, and Duerr (2018) for information regarding repair of kera-
tin damage exposing pelican mandible, which is also applicable to bone exposure in any species
near the feathered skin–bill keratin border.

Subcutaneous­Emphysema

Subcutaneous emphysema (air under the skin) is a common result of a cat attack or severe impact,
in which one or more air sacs have been ruptured and leak air into subcutaneous spaces. This often
resolves without treatment, but it may be helpful to remove the pressure if it is interfering with
mobility or if it is causing the bird to become depressed. If necessary, puncture the bubble with a
sterile needle, avoiding any visible skin blood vessels. Many cases will reinflate quickly and may
require repeat punctures several times over the course of a few days. This problem may manifest
24–48 hours after presentation.

Fractures
Fracture repair instructions, including splints and wraps and surgical repairs appropriate for
most species of chicks, are available in Duerr and Purdin (2017). Dry brown bone at an open