How to Do a Lavage From Home for Birds

Lavage is a surgical term that means "washing." During an operation a bird's internal organs may be lavaged but you should not operate on your bird at home. Sometimes poisoned birds may have their crops lavaged to identify the poison but a breathing tube should be inserted into your bird when that procedure is performed so you should not try that at home either. Wounds and cuts to your bird can be lavaged, or irrigated, at home as first aid before you take your bird to an avian veterinarian for treatment.

Things You'll Need

  • Clean cloth
  • Saline solution or clean water
  • Squeeze bottle, sports bottle or 35 ml syringe and 19 gauge needle
  • Sterile gauze
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Instructions

    • 1

      Stop the bleeding using direct pressure with any clean cloth. If you don't have a clean cloth use your hands.

    • 2

      Calm your bird to minimize shock. The first two commandments for any wounds to people, animals and birds are stop the bleeding and minimize shock.

    • 3

      Lavage the wound with saline solution or clean water delivered at 1/10 the pressure of your fully opened faucet using a squeeze bottle or a sports bottle. The Merck Veterinary Manual recommends a 35 ml syringe and a 19 gauge needle delivering fluid at a pressure of eight pounds. Wounds are lavaged to remove visible and microscopic debris. Washing the wound thoroughly is more important than the equipment you use.

    • 4

      Bandage the wound with sterile gauze and take your bird to an avian veterinarian immediately.