Sad Eclectus.

Hi, earlier today our rat was out of her cage having a run & our boy Huck let himself out of his cage, normally this wouldn't be a problem but today the rat & parrot decided to get into a fight both seemed fine, Huck(eclectus) made a lot of noise but apart from a few small feathers on the floor neither animal seemed injured, I comforted Huck then placed him in his cage. Since then he's been very quiet & I have noticed the yellow part of his beak looking slightly grey. Could this be something serious? (its 11pm on a Saturday night here) our vet should be open tomorrow.
Thank you.

I am sorry if this isnt what you want to hear but I would get Huck to see a vet ASAP. You must be able to find an out of hours or even try yours for emergency treatment.
Yes this could be serious as he may have puncture wounds you cannot see and is at serious risk. He will probably need antibiotics. That fact he's quiet is a sign please do not wait for anymore!

I am asking myself why didn't you intervene with a towel, your bare hands, whatever? Never let this happen again PLEASE!

No not what I wanted to hear, very worried now ... I was outside when this happened(didn't let this happen, it was an accident) & I did intervene, I picked him up with my hands, no towel needed, neither pet is vicious & I have checked both pet over several times.
... will contact an after hours vet.
Thank you.

Ok Haylee thanks. How is Huck now?

Puncture wounds are very small though.

I've contacted a lovely after hours vet who has suggested I keep an eye on him as we don't have 24/7 clinics so he's better off being accessed at home. From what I've told her she seems to think he is just in shock so to continue the cuddles & keeping him calm, the discolouring of the beak can be due to shock.
He seems fine physically, He lets me spread his wings & doesn't seem to be in any discomfort while I check him over, He's just wanting to cuddle
Thank you for helping.

OK Haylee thanks so much for updating. You have had the professional advice so that's good. Does the AV want to see him in the morning?

Give your baby lots of love and hope he will be right as rain again very soon.

BTW is your rat OK too. Prob best to check him out of sight of Huck btw.

Take care

Hello Haylee, and welcome to the forums.

That had to have been incredibly scary! Please make sure and follow up with an avian vet just as soon as he/she is open, and have Huck checked out thoroughly. IMO he may need a round of antibiotics, especially if your rat bit him. The puncture wound(s) may be too small to see.

It certainly is an alarming sign that Huck's beak color has changed so quickly after the incident.

I would try and keep Huck and calm and quiet as possible until he can be seen by a professional.

Best of luck, and please keep us posted.

No the vet is certain he will be fine but did say to contact her again if anything changes.
The rat is fine too,thanks... if the kids have them both out its normally Huck chasing after her tail, they aren't normally out together unattended we had forgotten to peg his door closed before going out to see our neighbour.
We will definitely be more careful with them now!

Haylee said:

No the vet is certain he will be fine but did say to contact her again if anything changes.
.....

Click to expand...

That's a bit odd, given that rats' saliva poses a serious (and potentially deadly) risk.

Hello, and welcome to the forum Haylee!

I'm so very sorry this had to happen to Huck. Relieved to know that Huck and your rat seem to be fine and that you contacted a professional.

For now, I'd give Huck lots of love and keep a close eye on him for any changes.

Be sure to keep us updated!

Hi Wendy, I will have him checked over asap ... the discolouring of the beak has happened
about 5-6 hours after the incident which was why the vet wasn't too concerned & says its due to shock, but to keep an eye on him over night, she didn't want to admit him as the clinics aren't attended over night.
Thank you for your concern & advice.

Hope he feels better soon. That sounds like a terrifying experience. best of luck to everyone involved.

I have small request and I don't want to overstep my boundaries but is there any chance we can see a before and after of the beak coloration? If and when you have time and are comfortable in doing so, of course. Might be good for the rest of us Eclectus folk to know about.

Again, good luck and i hope he makes a full recovery.

Hello Haylee, and welcome to Parrot Forums!

I hope that all is indeed well with Huck as your veterinarian believes. I definitely agree with both Plumsmum and Wendy, though, in that you should still bring Huck in to be checked out by a vet. An avian certified vet if at all possible. It does make a difference.

As Wendy mentioned, rat saliva (indeed, the saliva of any mammal) is potentially deadly to birds. Mammalian saliva carries gram negative bacteria, against which avian have no immunological defense. So if the skin was broken, even slightly, there is a danger that Huck could suffer an infection capable of going downhill very swiftly.

Granted, your vet may very well be right and there really is nothing wrong, but I don't see how she can be so certain without an actual examination. Personally, I wouldn't chance it.

Please keep us updated, though. I'm hoping it turns out that Huck really is just fine.

Welcome Haylee! I don't have anything to add ...just wanted to reach out and tell you how sorry I am for your unintended incident. Accidents happen...even in the best of intentions...hoping all turns out well for Huck and your pet rat. Lisa

How is Huck doing today?