A true story. Once upon a time a surgical ICU RN working an extra shift came home exhausted. It was 2000 hrs. She had just worked a total of 69 hours in 5 days. Plans for nearly 2 weeks off scuba diving was anticipated. She got home noticing that her CAG was hanging oddly by his beak. Close up, he was holding on to side of cage. He had loosened a couple of screws on a large 'parrot safe' toy. Trying to dismantle it, he was successful enough to get a toe caught in it. Being trauma trained she reacted constructively. Fortunately toy was hanging in front of cage door. CAG was holding onto door. She managed to wrap him and toy (remaining attached to his toe) in a towel. Unfortunately she didn't have 4 hands. 2 to hold bird and 2 to unscrew toy. She and CAG were lucky. Her avian vets served on call for a after hours emergency vet hospital. She had been assured that an avian vet would be available there. So she bundled CAG and toy in towel and went there. There was an avian vet there for another emergency. He said..I never know what expect when a Congo, Amazon, Too or Macaw is brought through that door. The situations they got themselves into can be unreal. He couldn't understand why that CAG, calmly hung onto door waiting for me. Being used to travel and vet visits CAG was an excellent patient for a parrot. Instead of nearly ten days off scuba diving she was nursing a cantankerous irrational, irritated, and irritating CAG. Toe was damaged into quick. It was nearly 4K$$, x-rays, multiple returns to redo dressing. Eventually a collar was needed. Even that had limited success because he rubbed the toe dressing to loosen it. Then the bleeding would restart. It was fortunate that she had the time off scheduled. That toy had screws recessed. In theory screws were out of reach. She then reevaluated every screw, nut and bolt in and on every toy, and cage. It was discovered that most of the screws were loosened in toys. Especially the ones that had recessed screws were loosened. She suspected that her CAG viewed those types of screws a challenge. A couple of screws with bolts were loose. It was difficult to determine if deliberate or normal wear. She developed the policy that nothing is truly safe for an intelligent parrot. The question is not if but when will they do something.
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