Yay! My sweet birdie is back!

[Kumashe]

Hello, people! Indy got his wings clipped today. I couldn't get to my normal veterinary clinic (my parents were too busy to drive me) so I had to walk to the Banfield veterinary extension of Petsmart with my youngest siblings in tow. I wanted to go into the room with him but the people didn't give me that choice. Poor Indy was sitting on the bottom of his carrier when the vets gave him back to me. I had to spend a few minutes trying to coax him back onto one of his perches. They clipped "about nine" of his primaries from each wing. So now when he tries to take off, Indy drops like a rock. :( I'm not sure if this is a bad or good thing. Now that he's realized he can't move around like he's used to, he completely relies on me.

Due to gently forcing him to get used to hands, he will now venture onto them (not without biting them alot however.) If I'm sitting a little far from where he is, he'll jump onto my hand! :happy: He still won't step up on command inside his cage, but he has no choice outside of his cage. His favorite spots for the moment are my head and shoulders. He perches on my bare arm without a problem, but it hurts for me. That's ok though, he prefers a sleeved arm anyway (less slippery, more fun to bite). :p I need to get him a new conditioning perch for his nails. He's become a sweety again. I guess his newfound flight ability made him cocky or something... Oh, well.

[kimsbirds]

I have to say, nine feathers from each wing seems very excessive. This really doesnt leave Indy with any flight whatsoever! Be very careful about letting him fly around, as any hard surface he might land on will definitely hurt! Take a pillow with you wherever you go and be prepared to cushion Indy's landing wherever it might be.
A modified wing clip, meaning flight without altitude, is usually about 4-6 flight feathers. The good news is that Indy's wingies will grow back, the bad news is, you'll have to be careful about him thudding to the ground!
He will definitely put his trust in you to keep him mobile as he has no other way to get around.

:)
K

[Kumashe]

He still doesn't seem to totally understand the limit to his flight. I've had to catch him a couple times. Now he just stays near me and waits 'til he's close enough to jump wherever.

[linda040899]

I agree with Kim. Clipping 9 flights is about 4 too many. Take a good look at his wing clip. Believe it or not, you can probably do it yourself the next time. Simply follow the same clip line, just trim fewer feathers.

[Buy A Paper Doll]

Yes, once the vet does the initial clip, it's pretty easy to maintain it.

How many flights to clip depends on the bird. In Indy's case, 9 is too many. In Milo's case, 9 is about how many it takes to keep him off the top of the fridge.

[Eliza]

Don't worry... Although clipping 9 flights per wing is pretty excessive (or at least it is in my opinion based on limited knowledge) Indy's wings WILL grow back. I had Beetle clipped about... 2 months ago, maybe? He's already able to flutter and glide a few feet. He can't get any altitude, so to speak, but if he wants to go from the top of his cage to the table, he's gonna do it!

I have the same issue w/ Beetle coming out of his cage. He used to step up on my hand; in fact, he did this from Day 1 without a problem. For last 6 or 8 months, however, he just.won't.do.it. He will come out on his own and will step up from the top of his cage onto my hand or a perch. Not the best situation, I'll admit... but for right now, it works.

I wish you the best with your sweet Indy boy. You certainly are dedicated to providing him with the best possible care :)

-e-