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744 Hand-Rearing Birds

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such as Tegaderm (3M ) or small pieces of self‐adhesive hydrocolloid bandages may be used for wounds
that cannot be sutured or glued. The authors’ preference is to suture, glue, or dress all open wounds,
especially in crowded wild bird nursery situations. Always work to facilitate the fastest possible wound
healing in order to lead to rapid progress through rehabilitation and an expeditious release. The longer
the bird must stay in captivity, the more likely it is to develop secondary problems.
Subcutaneous emphysema (air under the skin) is a common result of cat attack or severe impact,
where one or more air sacs have been ruptured and leak air into subcutaneous spaces. This often
resolves without any other treatment, but it may be helpful to remove the pressure if it is interfer-
ing 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 re‐inflate quickly and
may require repeat punctures several times over the course of a few days. This problem may mani-
fest 24–48 hours after presentation.

Fractures
Midshaft tibiotarsus fractures are quite common in these chicks and often heal well with little
impact on time in captivity. The authors use a minimally restrictive splint reminiscent of a minia-
ture hockey shin guard to splint these fractures. See Duerr et al. (2017) for information on manage-
ment of fractures in small birds. Even tiny nestling goldfinches may be splinted with a neatly
constructed lightweight splint. Splints for this fracture must hold the broken bone at the correct
length to prevent the loose ends from overriding each other, and must provide rotational stability
to keep the foot facing forward. As long as these requirements are met, it is not necessary to fully
restrain the hock or knee joints, or bind the leg to the body. The goal should be for the bird to be
able to use its leg as normally as possible while the fracture heals. Binding a rapidly growing leg to
the body is not ideal. Splints that reduce mobility risk malunion, slow healing, may lead to dirty or
damaged feathers, and can depress the patient thus reducing appetite, increasing time in care, and
may compromise chance of recovery and release. Fractures heal extremely quickly in these chicks.
Remove splints in 1 week. If any motion is detected at the fracture site, reapply the splint for 1
more week, with size adjusted for growth if necessary. The younger the chick and the smaller the
species, the faster fractures heal. Wing fractures are much less common in this age group than in
adults, but can be treated with a figure‐8 wing wrap over a padded splint; be careful that any
restrictive wraps do not interfere with growth of feathers or bones.

Parasites

Intestinal parasites are uncommon in House Finches and goldfinches, but House Sparrows occa-
sionally have coccidia. Diagnosis is by fecal float or smear. Treatment is with ponazuril at 20 mg/
kg once daily for 5 days.
Trichomoniasis may be found in these chicks at admission, and is highly contagious. It may
spread through a crowded facility. Many rehabilitation centers treat incoming animals for this
disease prophylactically with carnidazole at 25 mg/kg orally once before birds are introduced into
the nursery. House Finches typically display signs of vomiting, slow or absent crop emptying time,
or nonspecific signs of illness. A House Finch with “trich” may appear completely normal one day,
begin vomiting, and expire 24 hours later after infecting its basketmates. Close attention must be
paid to disinfection of feeding implements and the hygiene of the caging. Each container of chicks
should have its own food container to reduce potential spread of pathogenic organisms. Warmed
formula containers should be discarded every 3–4 hours, and feeding implements replaced.