# Is this a burn?



## Mentha (Jul 11, 2010)

I think this guy may have burned himself on the glass of my aquarium. Since I pulled him last night he's refused to eat anything. I've had to feed him 1/20 cc every bite while waiting for him to swallow. Now he won't swallow at all and his chin looks like this. I also included a picture of his poop. Since I have no working car and won't for a couple of weeks, I can't get him to the vet. If he doesn't get any better by tomorrow I'm going to have to put him down. I just want to make sure it's not something contageous before I do.


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## tielmom (Aug 4, 2010)

Oh...this is so sad, I wish there was something that you could do, I hate to hear that you may have to put him down.


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## Ezzie (Jan 19, 2010)

It does look inflammed but it doesnt really look like a typical burn.. Maybe they some up different on bird skin?

Wait another day and see if he continues eating.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

What are you using to feed with, and how far does it go into the throat especially when the baby bobs for food? It does not look like a burn, it looks more like a laceration to the throat. There is no evident bleeding under the skin, which means an artery was not injured, and no blood in the poop.

* I can't get him to the vet. If he doesn't get any better by tomorrow I'm going to have to put him down. I just want to make sure it's not something contageous before I do.*
*---------------------------*
*BULLCRAP!...deal with it!*


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## Mentha (Jul 11, 2010)

I would deal with it if I knew how to treat it. However if he's suffering, there is nothing I can do at the moment but let him suffer and pray. I live over 40 miles from the nearest vet of any kind and unless I want to walk I can't get him there until my car is fixed. The mechanic says it will be 2 weeks at least. Believe me I've tried every person I know to try and give me a ride in to see the vet, none of them can be bothered. 

I'm using a syringe, I've not got him to eat anything unless I put it to the side of his beak. There is no head bob, nor have I got him to swallow hardly anything. Like I wrote I pulled him last night, I let him empty before attempting to feed him today. He was fine last night, but this morning it was red. That is why I think it's been burned because he was leaning up against the glass with the heating pad on it. 

Here is a picture of him last night, I've only got maybe 2 ccs in him all day today. This morning it was a little red, but it has got progressively worse as the day has passed it is now water blistered.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Is there anything that could have poked him? Does it look like it could be from a bite or sting?

Do you have any baby aspirin on hand? if so you can dissolve 1 baby aspirin in a pint of water. Use this to mix the formula. The aspirin will help with pain and swelling. If you have some Preparation H, you might massage it into the area to see if it helps to reduce the swelling.

OK...in this instance the best way to get food into him is to tube feed. Do you know of anyone that is a nurse? Or maybe a pharmacist? or have a medical supply nearby? if so you can ask them if they can get you anytype of soft latex or silicone tubeing with a max inside diamter of 1/8" This can be cut into a 2-3" length and slipped over the end of the syringe tip. Formula is drawn into the syringe, the tube is inserted into the mouth on the birds right side and down into the crop and then push the plunger on the syringe to empty the syringe into the crop.


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## Mentha (Jul 11, 2010)

I don't know if this is important, but his sibling has a few marks on it's back like it might have got scratched by somebody and he's got a scratch on the side of his cheek. His bobs seem to be really nice though. 

Would aquarium tubing work? I do have some really soft aquarium tubing left over from when I had cichlids. I also have preparation H, but since my children are older I've not had any baby aspirin for a long time. I'll call my neighbor and see if she has any.


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## Mentha (Jul 11, 2010)

I take that back, the other babies got excited last night and were bobbing on each other. I had to separate them because I was afraid they'd hurt one another. Could that be what happened?


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## Mentha (Jul 11, 2010)

I do have regular aspirin, would that work if I dissolved it in say a quart of water?


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

If the aspirin is the cheap generic aspirin it is fine to use.

Yes...the others bobbing on him may have caused the swelling.

If you use the aqarium tubing *be very careful* with it because cut edges can be sharp...so slowly inserting it down the throat taking care that it does not bump into and hang on tissue will be fine. You can phone this place: http://www.earmaxx.com/products_3.php And order the 3.2 Flexoject and ask them to overnight it to you. I use these, because I tube feed all my babies.


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## Berdnerd (May 20, 2010)

I'm thinking of you and the chick! It sounds like you're going to try to help him, which is good. I know it's hard to deal with sick/injured chicks, but I think he has a chance, especially if you tube feed him. Susanne, would it help if she melted the cut edge of the tubing with a match so the edges aren't sharp? I remember seeing that you suggest doing that if you use the catheter tubing.

I agree that buying the Earmaxx syringes would be good. I suggest calling them or e-mailing them and telling them of your plan to have syringes overnighted to feed a baby bird- I didn't do that and just selected overnight when I bought them. Something went wrong with their system because it took 3 weeks for the syringes to get here. I think if you talk to someone with the company first, you'd have a better outcome.

Good luck with the little guy! Also are you putting something between the glass and the heating pad now?


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

_*Susanne, would it help if she melted the cut edge of the tubing with a match so the edges aren't sharp? I remember seeing that you suggest doing that if you use the catheter tubing.*_
_*-------------------------------------------------*_

If you can find a Medical Supply locally yiou can get catherter to make up the syringe. The 3rd. pix shows what you don't want to see if you burn the edges to smooth them. Some tube will blister and bi=ubble and become hard and can't be used.

If you phone EarMaxx...I beleive it is Matt that I have dealt with.


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## Mentha (Jul 11, 2010)

Thanks, 
Wish me luck, I'm going to try to see if he'll take some from the syringe first before I tear up the house looking for aquarium tubing. The tubing I have if I can find it is really flexible, it's not the normal clear tubing, it's almost like the tubing we used to make water weenies out of as kids. I'll call them first thing tomorrow and see if I can get some tubing.


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## Mentha (Jul 11, 2010)

Good News! I got him to eat 3 ccs before he quit. I thought that was pretty good considering he was 31 grams this morning. No head bob, though. I had to feed 1/10cc at a time and let him swallow it. He did try to bob a couple of times, so maybe tomorrow I'll get a good response.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

That is great!


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## AlbyPepper (Apr 3, 2010)

Good stuff! Hopefully the poor little thing is feeling a bit better tomorrow and starts eating properly. At least he has something in his system for now.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

YAY for the baby...hang in there little one! You too Mentha!


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## Mentha (Jul 11, 2010)

I got him to eat another 3 ccs this morning, and he's gained 1 gram. Still no head bob, though. I did have to heat up his food again during feeding since he's so slow eating and he seemed to do a little better with it warmer. It took him about a minute to take the last half of the syringe.


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## Velvet (Jul 30, 2010)

Good Job Mentha!! You can do it girl!!


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## Mentha (Jul 11, 2010)

I forgot to mention his chin isn't so red. I'm so glad it's not a burn. I was in tears last night thinking it was my fault he was suffering.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

You can keep the forumla warm by placing the cup in a pan of warm water. 

Also...if you know how much each baby is being fed you can suck up that amount of water in a syringe. Squirt it into the cup, which is placed in the warm water and mix the formula. This way you also have less waste.

I'm glad to here the injury looks better. It would be VERY rare to get a burn there...BUT I have seen (have done myself) crop burns resulting from the baby pressing the crop against the heating pads. In the event this ever happens Liquid Bandage is good to have on hand. When crop burn happens it looks initially like a very bad sunburn. it takes a day to show up. What happens is the skin/tissue dies and becomes necrotic and weak. The crop skin consists of 2 layers. Think of one balloon inside the other. A burn will damage both layers of tissue. The inside wall goes necrotic before the outside wall. Puttinng 3-4 layers of liquid bandage to the area supports the external skin, and if there is necrotic tissue this will also work towards the outer skin and a hole devopoes and what is fed leaks out. With the Liquid bandage support this prec=vents the outer skin from developing the hole, and allows time for the body to repair the inside tissue. If the burn is noticed too late and a hole developes in the crop, what a vet has to do is cut away all necrotic tissue. Stitch the inside crop tissue together, and then stitch the outside tissue.

I have to go thru saved files, but I have several pix's of crop burn, and a couple pix's of a Quaker that I helped a friend stitch back up.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Mentha...Off Topic, but I noticed in your signature you have a guinea pig. Here is a great site that might be of interest: http://www.guinealynx.info/healthycavy.html They also have a forum with lots of info. I like this page because it has some good info that we can use for the birds: http://www.guinealynx.info/diet_order-cal.html


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## tielmom (Aug 4, 2010)

Oh Mentha, That is such great news...I hope he hangs in there and pat yourself on the back for me...what a great job. Keep us posted:thumbu:


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## Mentha (Jul 11, 2010)

Woot! His chin is not so red and he was bobbing this feeding


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## Mentha (Jul 11, 2010)

Thank you srtiels for the link. June Bug is almost 5 years old. I'm told this is really old for a guinea pig. She lives with the birds in the summer and fall and comes inside for winter and spring. She keeps all the sprouting seeds eaten, so maybe that's why she has lived so long.

BTW. While trying to make some buckwheat hull microwave heating bags. I ran out of buckwheat so found that rice kept the same heat. I got the idea of using a bowl of dry rice heated up in the microwave to keep my formula warm as bowls of warm water were getting too cool quickly. The rice holds the heat well. I didn't think I needed it last night though as it was up into the 90's at 8 pm. Another thing that works while traveling are hand warmers.


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## tielmom (Aug 4, 2010)

My daughters guinea pig lived 5 1/2 years...it was a very sad day when he passed. She had received him on her 4th birthday.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Take care with the rice bag Idea. If you have a thermoneter place it on the rice bag. You *DO NOT want it over 105 degrees.* If it warms the forumla up too much it can scald or burn the crop. Crop burn may not be aparent for a day or two, and by this time it has become serious.

My guinea pig Scratcher lived to be 8 1/2 YO. He died from a carrot that had pesticide on it. He was nibbling on it and 5 min later dead. i took it to the store and they had it tested and pulled all the carrots from the shelf.

I used to breed guinea pigs when I was in WV. I sold all my pigs before the move. I transported them in boxes in the trunk of the care to the new owner. I was moving to WY, and we made a rest stop in Kansas, and I reached in the trunk and screamed because something brushed against my hand. I looked and it was Scratcher down in the whell well.


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## Mentha (Jul 11, 2010)

I don't put the rice in for more than 10 seconds. This seems to be the right amount of time as every time it's tested it's right at 105. 

We lost June Bug's friend because of something she ate. I think she may have choked. She was one of the last babies from when my MIL bred guinea pigs. She moved out where it was too hot during the summer and lost a bunch when the AC quit working, She sold all the rest after that. It's sad because I remember her breeding guinea pigs when I first met my husband 18 years ago.


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## Berdnerd (May 20, 2010)

Yay! So glad to hear the little one is doing better! That's great news  It's such an incredible feeling when they start to improve.

Your piggy sounds cute. I'm a bunny girl myself (got 4 bunnies!), but I think guinea pigs are interesting and can see myself having a pair someday.


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## Jenny10 (Feb 27, 2010)

Glad to hear your little one is feeding again and doing alot better.


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## tielmom (Aug 4, 2010)

How is your little one doing today...Need updates, I look on here all the time to see what is going on with him/her.


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## Mentha (Jul 11, 2010)

He's the most picky eater I've ever experienced, worse than my son ever was. (that's saying a lot) He has gained 4 grams this morning and as long as he's first in line to be fed he does pretty good, but he's still a very slow eater. He just turned 8 days so is going to every 4 hours. Hopefully he'll get hungry enough to want to eat. 

I'm calling him a boy because he's got a stubborn streak that no female should have. However my little lutino hen baby is pretty close. As long as the others will continue to stop bobbing on him I think his jaw will be all better by tomorrow. It is just slightly pink now. He doesn't bob his head all that much, but I can see his tongue moving when I'm feeding him so he is swallowing.


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## tielmom (Aug 4, 2010)

That is wonderful news. :thumbu:
I am so happy to hear that he is getting better.


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## Mentha (Jul 11, 2010)

Update: My little guy is doing great. He's still small, but he's healthy and he has figured out the head bob. It took him a few days to really understand the syringe is our friend.  I had to separate him for a few days as the older babies continued to bob themselves into a frenzy and I was afraid he'd get hurt again.


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## tielmom (Aug 4, 2010)

Fantastic news...I am so glad to hear that he is doing much better.


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## Berdnerd (May 20, 2010)

Yay, good news  It took Phoenix several days to figure things out too. The weird thing is that the sick babies (Nico and Izzy) figured it out immediately, from the first seconds of the first feeding.


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