Wing clip....I did it!

[Janie]

All by myself and nobody got hurt! :lol I took Big Boi and Shy to my dog vet last week for a much needed wing clip. She IS an avian vet but not board certified and I only use her for wing clips since she is 3 miles from my house as opposed to 45 minutes for their regular vet. She did one on them in Sept. and while it was an "odd" clip (leaving the first two or three flights long and clipping the ones behind them) it did work well. They could still get lift, about 3 feet off the ground, but could not constantly fly to Oliver's cage to drive him nuts. Well, this time that clip was useless! They flew as well after the clip as they did before she clipped them. So, I called Jeanette and asked her how long I have to wait to have them re-clipped, properly. She told me to go ahead and take a TINY bit off the long flights, about an inch, to see if that helps. I figured, how hard can that be! :lol Since both are very easy to handle, I just bit the bullet and did it myself! It has helped. They can still get around well, do not fall (thud) to the floor and are not flying to Oliver's cage! I will not use my dog vet for wing clips anymore! :D I'm not saying I'll be brave enough to do a full wing clip when the time comes but at least I know that I can do a "touch up" clip. :happy:

[HeatherH]

you are braver then me! hehe.. I always fear of damaging my birdies wings. Congrats on the successful wing clip :)

[BarbieH]

Congratulations Janie!! :D The first is always the hardest. Before long you'll be clipping all three every time, I have no doubt. :)

[butterfly1061]

WOOHOO Janie!!! Welcome to the "Brave enough to do a wing clip and it not be torture club" :rofl: I've been doing wing clips on mine for quite sometime. In fact I also removed Olivia's band (after talking to Jeanette first) a couple weeks ago. Why is it that all the birds want to fly to the one cage of the bird who dislikes them most? :p

[bellarains]

OK,

Now come to TN and clip my birdies wings. After 4 years I still have not clipped their wings. I do however have a vet that only charges $5.00 to clip them, so I let him be the bad guy for that amount:lol

Congrats on the accomplishment. I know we talked about this, and you got the guts to do it. Good for you:D

[Janie]

you are braver then me! hehe.. I always fear of damaging my birdies wings. Congrats on the successful wing clip :)

Damaging their wings????? Lord, I was afraid I'd cut a foot off! :eek:

Barb, have doubt!!! :D If I could just get my hubby involved in helping me, I know I could do it! He is horrified of hurting them. ONE time he did clip ONE feather off Oliver while I held him. He told me he would never do that again cause it might hurt Oliver! As much as Oliver allows from me he sure is a squirmy bird when it comes to my trying to spread out those wings! :D

Jackie, I'm still not over YOU removing that leg band! You are braver than brave (or crazy, :p). Heck, you could have saved me $40 by removing Big Boi's and Shy's! I still can't believe that "our" vet charged $20 for each bird and it took her all of one second to snip those bands off!

Lori, honey, you do not want me for that job! I told Jeanette there was no way *I* was going to do it but changed my mind as soon as we hung up! Impulse! :D I can get mine clipped free at the Aviarium (because I bought a big cage from them) and when they do charge, it's only $4.00 for a clip but it was cold and I didn't want to take my bird any farther than I had to. They do a very good clip and I will use them again when it warms up here.

[butterfly1061]

Janie,

One tip I have is... I clip mine in the bathroom in dim light, but light enough for me to see. They don't wiggle so much. I take everything into the bathroom - scissors, towels, cornstarch (just in case). After I'm done I hold them to me and talk to them softly and then let them perch on my finger. We even talk to "The birdie in the mirror" for a second or two. :2cents:

[bellarains]

Ahhhh OK,

I was really just trying to lure you up for a visit, but....... while you were here, you could clip their wingies:lol

[Janie]

OH my, I just see that my title bar has changed!ROAD TRIP!!!! :D Size AND color in the same post......let me see if this works.....I am happy! Somebody up there is being very good to me today! Wonder if having my neighbor update my computer made the difference? I don't know but I'll take it! :happy:

Lori, ROAD TRIP was supposed to be at the beginning....:lol

[butterfly1061]

Did somebody say ROAD TRIP? When, where, who, how? :cool:

[Mummieeva]

Way to go. I am debating on wing clips here.I am going to be calling and getting Baggy and Whisper vet visits(and getting Whisper sexed..lol).scared if I clip Baggy we might go backwards. I will never be brave enough to trim wings I think.lol. You go girl and Yah on colors and size.



Steph

[LauraO]

All by myself and nobody got hurt! :lol :happy:


YEAH JANIE!:D . To bad I didn't live closer, I'd let you practice on Mijo and Cookie:rofl: :rofl:

[Janie]

YEAH JANIE!:D . To bad I didn't live closer, I'd let you practice on Mijo and Cookie:rofl: :rofl:

Fat chance, Laura! :lol

Steph, believe me if I had the possibility of a big bite, I wouldn't dream of doing it! Yes, I know that Big Boi bites but he doesn't bite cause he's mad about something (like a wing clip) he just does it cause he can't control his "beak pressure".....:D

[Angelwing]

Good on you! I always get someone to help me hold my birds when I clip them. I'll probably never be able to do it all by myself.

[Paulette]

Whooo Hooooo! Janie!....good for you....I'm not about to pay my vet $5.00 extra to trim dog nails since I don't feel like I get my monies worth when he only takes a tiny bit off....far less than what needs to come off.....I'll do it my self thank you very much and spend five bucks on something worth while.....if you let the dog smell the clippers first and give him/her a treat after... they get the idea and understand that it's not that big of a deal......as for feathers, they are just like fingernails and hair.....if you butcher them, they always grow back.....typically I hold the bird in the palm of my left hand beak away from my body with the right wing spread open between the index finger and the middle finger and use the sissors in my right hand.....then turn the bird around beak toward my body so I can spread the bird's left wing and still using sissors in my right hand trim the wing.:2cents: