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my daughter accidently pulled our new cockatiel's tail feathers out when the bird tried to fly. ther's no visible blood. one speck of blood on one of approx. 10 feathers that came out. bird is approx. 2 yrs. do we need to take to emergency vet?
Optional Information: Type of Animal: cockatielGender: maleAge: approx. 2 yrs Already Tried: nothing. just happened
Hello,
I'm sorry to hear about your bird's feathers. Although this was extremely painful for the bird, there should not be any reason to take him to the veterinarian. It will take awhile but the tail feathers will grow back in. The small bit of blood that you saw is nothing to be concerned about - it is likely from the follicle or margin of the skin. The biggest change that will happen is he may have some difficulty maintaining his balance, especially while flying. Since pulling feathers out is very painful for birds, I would also recommend leaving him alone tonight to recover in his cage. He should be back to normal tomorrow.
Good luck.
Experience: Over ten years of experience with pet birds, wildlife, and zoological avian collections.