Parrot attacked by dog - advice?

[mllesra]

We are watching my parents dog for the week while they are out of town. My boyfriend took the dogs (ours and my parents) for a walk this evening, and I took the opportunity to let our ringneck out while they were gone. My boyfriend came back earlier than expected, and not thinking let the dogs off the leashes. Tikkie, who is used to our dog, flew into the room they were in. Since our dog is usually very good with him, I do not think he felt threatened. Long story short, my parents dog got a hold of his tail feathers and pulled him to the ground and got his mouth around him.
I was able to get Tikkie away from him, minus some feathers, and there was no blood.
We put the dogs away in another room, and gave him some of his favorite snacks. He is eating, talking and was able to fly around the room without any perceivable problems. Should I be worried? He still seems to be doing okay, and we are calling our avian vet asap tomorrow morning to get him checked out. This has never happened before, and I'm not sure what to look for. He seems a little skittish, but not super off from normal (minus a good chunk of his beautiful tail feathers )

 

[Flboy]

You are so fortunate he didn't go into shock! Our tango died in our hands from a dog attack!

 

[mllesra]

I know we are lucky. He is my little man; after the adrenaline wore off I just cried.
I'm just hoping there is nothing internal going on. Hopefully his vet can help with that. His wings seem to be okay.

 

[mllesra]

Also I'm very sorry about your tango

 

[Allee]

You must have been horrified to say the least. I'm glad you were right there to rescue Tikkie. I would definitely have him examined by your avian vet just to be certain, even the tiniest abrasion can cause infection. Dog saliva is highly toxic to birds.

 

[SilverSage]

I would also be worried about internal damage that he is hiding, so I would for sure take him in and get him looked at just to be on the safe side.

Thank God that went as well as it did! Just another example of how even those of us who are careful can have bad things happen!

 

[BoomBoom]

Sorry this happened

I also urge you to take him to a vet, just because you mentioned the dog had him in his mouth. He might have applied a lot of pressure that even if the skin wasn't punctured, you want to rule out any possibility of damage to the bones or organs. The sooner, the better! Good luck!!!

 

[Scott]

What a horrific event! So glad Tikkie appears largely unscathed, but as others have suggested, a visit to an avian vet is best. Imaging may be required to detect internal damage, while a blood panel at some point may be necessary to determine whether harmful bacteria created infection.

 

[mllesra]

Thanks for the advice, everyone. He seems to be doing okay, but we have him going into the vet Saturday AM just to make sure. I will let you all know what she says!

 

[DexMom]

I hope Tikkie is OK. You must be tied up in knots. I'm glad at least he seems OK for now, it could have been much worse.

 

[mllesra]

Hi everyone! Some good news - Mr. Tikkie has some muscle bruising and lost feathers, but other than that is okay. No puncture wounds were found, and no other internal injuries. The vet says he was very, very lucky. He should be in tip top shape once his feathers grow back in ~ 6 weeks.
He has been chatty today and we have been spoiling him a little

Thanks for all your input.

 

[Scott]

So glad to hear Tikkie will be OK! Thanks much for the update.

 

[Allee]

I'm glad to hear Mr. Tikkie had only minor injuries, thanks for the update. Extra pampering is always appreciated.

 

[Betrisher]

Our dog once got hold of a wild Sulphur Crested Cockatoo that was in our yard. I was able to make her release the bird immediately, but when we got it (the bird) to the vet, he said the tissue damage was extensive and all the bleeding was happening under the skin. He put the bird down, saying 'dog bite is almost always fatal to a bird'.

There's more to this story, but I just wanted to get the vet's words out there to remind us ALL not to take chances with our furry pets and our birds. It only takes that one bite, so be vigilant: have rules about supervision of your pets and stick to them!

I'm so glad Mr Tikkie is going to be OK! His story is a good one to show how quickly and easily an accident can happen, despite all the care in the world.

 

[jasper19]

Angel had a real close call with our scotty. I keep a very close eye when they are in the same room, but all it took was her flying over and landing on a gate that was near him. I jumped up and over there super fast, but he had already been able to jump up and grab a tuft of her tail feathers. SO LUCKY

He is no longer allowed to hang out with us in the bird room. I bout had a heart attack myself.

 

[SilverSage]

When I was a child my lovely little budgie Emerald was killed by my best friend Jewell the dog. In an instant. They hadn't even been in the same room less than 2 seconds before. I think we can all agree that in the case of the OP they had rules in place for safety, but a miscommunication happened, and we are all glad that their little guy is ok!!