"I'm bleeding seriously from a bite" or "The demon-bird strikes again"

[everythingsxen]

The bird was out of his cage, I felt bad for having to leave him home for a few hours, which he was very good and didn't squawk while I was away.

So I begin vacuuming and he starts flipping out. I tell him to calm down and that I will be done shortly. He doesn't...

So I finish vacuuming ASAP, only getting the areas totally covered in destroyed remains created by the demon-bird. So after I finish vacuuming, I grab the bottle of "poop-off" (bird poo cleanning stuff) and begin heavily scrubbing the carpet where he has left a mark...

He leaps off of his cage and begins attacking the bottle and me. I pull the bottle away and firmly tell him no and he continues. So I try to get him to get out of the way and he bites. He bit me harder than he has ever bit me before. It was so hard I heard the skin tear and possibly mucle too. It's very deep and sort of painful. It's painful in the sense that parts of my arm (like my elbow and hand) can feel radiating pain from that area, however the wound itself is numb.

Maybe I should go to a doctor?

The actual "gushing" has stopped, so I don't think anything vital was hit..... but the numbness scares me. I imagine it's just limited shock.... but still.

[amazona]

1. oh dear get well and be careful

What kind of bird? Many parrots, even small ones like cockatiels, perceive a vacuum cleaner as a threat. I don't vacuum unless my parrots are in their cages, I want them to feel they are on safe territory when "the beast" comes out to growl. It's complicated because your bird wanted to come out and play first, but I think it's better if you do one at a time -- he can be out or you can clean but not both together.

When you were lower than your bird, cleaning the carpet, it's possible that he took it as an opportunity to re-establish his feelings of safety and territory. Unfortunately, by biting.

I don't know if you should see a doctor, but the bite sounds pretty bad. If you think you might need stitches or real pain medicine, you may need a doctor.

I have an Amazon who has the instinct to bite but I have kept him from biting for many years (knock on wood!) by a combination of tricks. He is a sweet bird but he is an Amazon with Amazon instincts and I have to be aware of that when I handle him or move around him. For instance, his playplen is kept low, so he is at waist level, rather than at a level where he could decide he is dominant. I have a few other ideas, but maybe I should resist expounding too much.

Get well soon! Bites are not the fun part.

[babylonsister]

2. Get to doctor ASAP!

Don't know what kind of bacteria birds carry but my husband got his skin pierced from a dog's tooth. Long story short, some unknown bacteria got in there; he had to spend a week in the hospital under heavy antibiotics, had 4 surgeries, and to this day still can't straighten out his finger, which he almost lost.

[Ladyhawk]

5. Luckily birds' mouths are fairly clean, but I'd go to a doc anyway.

I had to get a tetanus shot after a Triton cockatoo nailed me. I worked with large parrots for years and was only bitten severely a few times. Lucky me!

[Trish]

3. Keep a close eye on it......

My greater sulphur Too once tapped a vein when I returned from a long holiday.....let us know how you're doing

[Ladyhawk]

6. You have a greater? galerita galerita? Wow. :)

That's an impressive bird. He'd dwarf my Amazon.



Here's my double yellowhead, ringing his bell. :) He loves that thing.

[Ladyhawk]

4. I have an Amazon parrot and used to raise African greys and Senegals.

Parrot bites can be serious! Allow me to recommend a good book:

Guide to a Well-Behaved Parrot by Mattie Sue Athan.

I've had my Amazon for 17 years and he's very sweet to me. I've kept him sweet by employing certain behavioral tips found in the book. I can also send you an old copy of my parrot training tips. It's a condensed version of what you'll find in the book. PM me.

[Ladyhawk]

7. It might be a good idea to maneuver him into his cage during vacuuming.

Don't even touch the vacuum before you put him up or he'll know. Most probably he sees the vaccuum as an evil machine that's invading his territory. You are getting bitten as a consequence of misplaced aggression. The bird is really angry at the vacuum, but is so angry, he will bite you, too, if you're handy.

The only times my bird has bitten me hard have been in circumstances of misplaced aggression, which is always directed at people, never at other birds or inanimate objects. My Senegal, however, views the phone as a rival. After I get off the phone, I have to let her calm down for awhile before I can handle her. She's also jealous of the Amazon.

[yardwork]

10. My Myers Parrot hated the telephone and the vacuum cleaner

He bit me hard one day when I was cleaning the edge of his cage with the skinny vacuum attachment.

I had to give him away because he fell in love with my son's female parrotlet and became extremely male-aggressive toward my husband. The woman who took him has dozens of birds and last I heard he was happy but falling in love with a conure.

[ronnykmarshall]

8. I'd go to the doctor.

Is this your bird?

[AlienGirl]

13. Yes!

Gideon is an evil genius! Here he is, plotting to take over the world:

[Kat45]

9. What kind of bird do you have?

None of the birds I've ever had have been too thrilled about the vacuum. :-)

[yardwork]

11. Grace looks just like my son's parrotlet!

Is she a Celestial Parrotlet?

[Kat45]

12. Yes, she is a celestial parrotlet, also known as a pacific parrotlet.

Parrotlets are so adorable. What's your son's parrotlet's name?