Wing Clipping Hazards to Avoid

Trimming your bird’s primary feathers can be a great tool for keeping them safe.  It protects your pet from dangers like ceiling fans, hot surfaces, and window or wall strike. But performing wing clipping by yourself (or with the help of YouTube) also has its hazards.  Here are some of the problems you could encounter if you go it alone.

Cutting a Blood Feather

Immature feathers have a blood vessel running down the middle of the feather shaft.  Blood feathers will bleed copiously if you cut them. That can result in dangerous blood loss, particularly if your bird has certain medical conditions.

We’re experienced at wing clipping. We know how to recognize blood feathers and avoid them.  And if a blood feather does get damaged, we have supplies to stop the bleeding quickly. We can also remove the feather to prevent re-bleeds. (We don’t recommend doing that at home – it’s painful!)

Toweling Injuries

If you or your bird (or both!) are Nervous Nellies, getting them wrapped in a towel can be as stressful as the cut.  It’s possible to injure your pet in all the fuss.  These injuries can be serious, from broken bones to organ damage.

When you bring your bird here, you know that they’re safe. We’re old hands at toweling birds quickly and safely, with minimal stress.

Falls and Keel Injuries

When you trim a bird’s wings properly, they’re still able to glide safely to lower ground or support their hop to a higher perch.  Improper trimming can make them drop like a stone. Heavy-bodied birds may actually try to power through – they’ve been known to tear the skin and muscle from their keel.

Different birds need slightly different trims to accomplish the same goal – what’s good for a budgie is terrible for an African grey.  We have years of practice at getting those judgment calls right.

Before we clip your pet’s wings, we can talk about the degree of flight ability you prefer and how to accomplish that safely for your pet.

Let the Professionals Help

There are many other factors when choosing the right wing clip.  Does your bird need the ability to escape from other pets or toddlers?  Do they have a history of feather picking? What about their exercise needs? We can help you navigate these decisions to keep your bird happy and healthy.

Contact us today for a wing clipping appointment. We also provide nail and beak trimming services.

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