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Post by sweetpea on Sept 10, 2023 20:58:36 GMT
Hello all. Does anyone have any advice on the best way to hold a small budgie in order to apply spot-on to skin on back/neck/shoulder area?
(BTW, I'm not a fan of the wrapping in cloth method - it has never worked for me.)
Any links would be helpful - I'm sure this question must have been asked before!
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Post by Ira on Sept 10, 2023 21:14:49 GMT
I hate cloths too, sweetpea, they just get in my way. My thought would be to do the index finger and middle finger either side of the neck method, maybe with the bird facing towards the palm rather than away, and you should then be able to use the tip of your index finger to lift the feathers to apply the spot on. I also have a tendency of using another surface to help me. In my case it tends to be my chest. That way I can more easily contain wings or position them so I can access the bit I need. |
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Post by Hezz on Sept 11, 2023 1:09:37 GMT
I too hate cloths and like Ira feel they simply get in the way, and I also use my chest as a holding surface. If you have the bud facing away from you, holding with one hand and dropper at the ready, you should be able to blow onto the neck feathers and separate them this way. You just need to coordinate your blow with your drop.  I just tried doing so with Piper which was a little harder to find the skin than I imagined, and he was a relatively calm subject. It would be a lot harder with a wriggly-worm such as Bunji. Is Finkleberry open to bribery? Here’s another thought: use a flat surface or a bowl with a bit of millet on the floor. If you can pin him down to the bench/bottom of the bowl, part feathers and drop, or set up your hairdryer on cool on a stand or lying on a bench, catch your wriggly-worm and take him to the hairdryer, already set up with mite treatment ready to be dropped. |
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Post by sweetpea on Sept 12, 2023 9:56:58 GMT
I hate cloths too, sweetpea, they just get in my way. My thought would be to do the index finger and middle finger either side of the neck method, maybe with the bird facing towards the palm rather than away, and you should then be able to use the tip of your index finger to lift the feathers to apply the spot on. I also have a tendency of using another surface to help me. In my case it tends to be my chest. That way I can more easily contain wings or position them so I can access the bit I need. Thanks, Ira. The tricky bit is keeping him contained in one hand whilst I grab the dropper & apply. However I do it, I will have to be as quick as lightning! Agree with using another surface. I have sometimes tried to use the top of the travel cage as I think they may wriggle less if they have something to put their feet on. Of course an old hand, may use that surface to push away....  I will try some visualisation exercises before the attempt, which is scheduled for Wed or Thur. I have a vet visit booked for Monday to do it, but I want to try & avoid the expense! |
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Post by sweetpea on Sept 12, 2023 10:06:48 GMT
I too hate cloths and like Ira feel they simply get in the way, and I also use my chest as a holding surface. If you have the bud facing away from you, holding with one hand and dropper at the ready, you should be able to blow onto the neck feathers and separate them this way. You just need to coordinate your blow with your drop. I just tried doing so with Piper which was a little harder to find the skin than I imagined, and he was a relatively calm subject. It would be a lot harder with a wriggly-worm such as Bunji. Is Finkleberry open to bribery? Here’s another thought: use a flat surface or a bowl with a bit of millet on the floor. If you can pin him down to the bench/bottom of the bowl, part feathers and drop, or set up your hairdryer on cool on a stand or lying on a bench, catch your wriggly-worm and take him to the hairdryer, already set up with mite treatment ready to be dropped. The blowing is a good idea, Hezz. I hadn't thought of using a hairdryer! I think it might work if I wet the area first, to part the feathers before adding the spot on. Believe it or not, I was wondering if I could somehow suck up some water in a straw & drop it on his neck/back...  I'm not sure if bribery would work... though I have visions of hanging a spray of millet from my shoulder... or my ears.... As you can see, I'm open to all & any suggestions! A pity it's not Frediano.... There's far more of him to grab! |
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Post by blueelephant on Sept 12, 2023 16:58:55 GMT
Good luck is all I can say. I did this with Toby and I recall in being a very wriggly experience! Not in the least helpful I appreciate.
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Post by Hezz on Sept 13, 2023 0:30:26 GMT
I too hate cloths and like Ira feel they simply get in the way, and I also use my chest as a holding surface. If you have the bud facing away from you, holding with one hand and dropper at the ready, you should be able to blow onto the neck feathers and separate them this way. You just need to coordinate your blow with your drop. I just tried doing so with Piper which was a little harder to find the skin than I imagined, and he was a relatively calm subject. It would be a lot harder with a wriggly-worm such as Bunji. Is Finkleberry open to bribery? Here’s another thought: use a flat surface or a bowl with a bit of millet on the floor. If you can pin him down to the bench/bottom of the bowl, part feathers and drop, or set up your hairdryer on cool on a stand or lying on a bench, catch your wriggly-worm and take him to the hairdryer, already set up with mite treatment ready to be dropped. The blowing is a good idea, Hezz. I hadn't thought of using a hairdryer! I think it might work if I wet the area first, to part the feathers before adding the spot on. Believe it or not, I was wondering if I could somehow suck up some water in a straw & drop it on his neck/back... I'm not sure if bribery would work... though I have visions of hanging a spray of millet from my shoulder... or my ears.... As you can see, I'm open to all & any suggestions! A pity it's not Frediano.... There's far more of him to grab! Lol, poor Freddy-ano! Wetting the feathers may work well, or could make the feathers heavier and therefore harder to blow. Ahhh, dilemmas each way. I guess you will have to experiment and see which works better and a report back, too, please.  |
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Post by sweetpea on Sept 13, 2023 9:19:13 GMT
Psyching myself up..... waiting for Finkleberry to go back into his cage on his own.... He & Frediano are currently having a flirt in Moriarty's cage...
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Post by sweetpea on Sept 13, 2023 10:26:28 GMT
Deed is done.... I think. His back is wet, but I can't determine how much spot-on actually got on his skin. First I contained him in the carrier cage at the bottom of his cage. Set up all the stuff, then tried to get a decent hold of him before getting him out of the carrier cage. The thinking was that if he got free, he'd still be in the big cage, so there would be the opportunity to grab him again (which happened!) I tried the blowing first but that wasn't effective, so I went to the wetting of feathers method. I had already put 3 drops into a separate dropper so I knew that releasing all the medicine would be the right amount, rather than wondering if a drop actually came out the other bottle. The dropper nozzle was such that I hopefully got it between the feathers, onto the skin. But who knows.... He's currently looking sorry for himself, with a wet & probably very uncomfortable back. I've left some millet in for him that he hasn't had yet. My heart is still going like the clappers.... Oh, I think I read somewhere ( Ira ?) to change your top to signal start/end of ordeal, which I also did. God I hate doing this stuff!  It would have been a lot easier (though still not easy!) with a second person! |
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Post by Ira on Sept 13, 2023 10:33:05 GMT
sweetpea I use the same red hoodie every time I handle them and I never wear it the rest of the time, so they know that it means my hands are coming for them. It's the only bright red bit of clothing I own. Although I don't think they've realised that I'm not going to randomly grab them the rest of the time.  I only had to do spot on once, to Pippin when I first got him as a precaution. His neck feathers looked so raggy with how wet they were by the time I was done.
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Post by sweetpea on Sept 13, 2023 10:49:43 GMT
sweetpea I use the same red hoodie every time I handle them and I never wear it the rest of the time, so they know that it means my hands are coming for them. It's the only bright red bit of clothing I own. Although I don't think they've realised that I'm not going to randomly grab them the rest of the time. I only had to do spot on once, to Pippin when I first got him as a precaution. His neck feathers looked so raggy with how wet they were by the time I was done. The red hoodie technique sounds logical to me... I mean red indicates danger, doesn't it?! Yes, that's how Finkleberry's feathers look now. I'm not sure how much of that is due to water or medication. I have seen other birds who have had spot-on applied & their back looks the same. That said, when the vet did it, there was no wetness at all or any sign that she'd done it! Poor boy is still wound up & hasn't even had any millet yet... though he's now talking to his mirror, most probably describing what a terrible ordeal he was subjected to... |
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Post by Loz on Sept 13, 2023 10:55:56 GMT
Finkleberry, it'll be fine and all will return to normal soon. Especially if you decide to be a good boy for Mummy. I had yet to comment I see but "Finkleberry" is a fantastic name for a budgie |
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Post by sweetpea on Sept 13, 2023 11:06:08 GMT
Finkleberry, it'll be fine and all will return to normal soon. Especially if you decide to be a good boy for Mummy. I had yet to comment I see but "Finkleberry" is a fantastic name for a budgie It's one of those names that just fit immediately! His full name is Ferdinand Finkleberry - the character Stan Laurel plays in their short Do Detectives Think. I wanted to name Frediano "Sherlock Pinkham", after Ollie's character in the same short, but it didn't quite fit! Finkleberry is still wound up, but preening a bit... |
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Post by Ira on Sept 13, 2023 11:40:08 GMT
It's such a great name!
Frediano makes me smile too
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Post by blueelephant on Sept 13, 2023 11:53:19 GMT
I love all these names. I'm coming to you Sweatpea next time I have a budgie to name for suggestions! I tend to have ordinary names and then come up pet names for them as a collective. They are currently referred to as 'the little smidgles'
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I just tried doing so with Piper which was a little harder to find the skin than I imagined, and he was a relatively calm subject. It would be a lot harder with a wriggly-worm such as Bunji.
