Bird First Aid Kit

  • Veterinarian Phone Number
  • Emergency Vet Number
  • Small flashlight/penlight
  • Nail clippers/scissors—to cut toe nails, etc.
  • Tweezers
  • Cotton balls and swabs to clean wounds.
  • Gauze and first-aid tape
  • Peroxide
  • Sterile antibiotic eye cream (from the vet)
  • Antibiotic ointment (such as Neosporin®)
  • Clean soft towel
  • Latex gloves
  • Syringes for medicating or giving fluids
  • Styptic Powder (Quick Stop) for bleeding; Caution: Don’t use Kwik Stop® insoft-tissue wounds or feather follicles; it may severely damage a feather follicle leading to infection or abscess. Instead, stop bleeding by cleaning up and applying pressure on broken blood feathers. Use tweezers and pull the feather with gentle, steady pressure in the direction feather grows.
  • Plastic eye droppers for medications and eye washes.
  • Ivermectin/Ivomec for yearly control of air sac mites
  • Vitalize “Morning Bird” or Pedialyte for stressed bird.
  • Pet Pectillin by Lambert Kay for Diarrhea
  • DNA sexing kits
  • Kaopectate or Pepto-Bismol: For loose droppings and regurgitation. Soothes and coats digestive tract. Dosage is 2 to 3 drops every four hours. Deliver with plastic dropper, no glass.
  • Karo Syrup: For dehydration and for quick energy. Add four drops to one quart of water. Administer 8 to 10 drops slowly in the mouth every 20 to 30 minutes with a plastic dropper.
  • Cod liver oil to lightly coat seeds in hospital cage
  • Hospital cage with 60 watt light bulb, ready for immediate use
  • Bird net
  • Lizard heating pads as well as lighting fixtures available for additional heat when birds are not looking well or when bringing home new birds.
  • Warm (not hot) heat can often mean the difference between life and death to a seriously injured bird.
  • Environment thermometer: Buy one that’s easy to read so the temperature can be monitored in the cage.
  • Ziplock bags for saving specimens
  • Squirt Gun. Use this to hopefully catch a bird that gets out, or to sex birds that sing!

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