How to vaccinate a pigeon

[Lovebirds]

I just found this on YouTube by accident. This is the exact way we vaccinate our birds, except for a couple of things.
First of all, it takes TWO people for us to do it. I don't know how he holds the bird and sticks it by himself. I mean, obviously he does, but that's one calm pigeon is all I got to say.
Second of all, he states that he uses a 22 gauge needle. I can see the pigeon flinch two different times when he sticks it. I've never seen any of my birds flinch when we stick them with a 20 gauge needle, which is what I've always been told to use.
I guess a 22 is bigger than a 20 so the vaccine probably flows through a little easier, cause it is a bugger to push that stuff through. Maybe THAT'S why he can do it alone...........
Anyway.......I posted this mostly so that you can see how to give the shots in the leg, rather than the neck.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhHmReK9SJ0

PS: ok, just watched it again with sound....... He also says "5 milliliters"...........he means .5 or 1/2 cc/ml..........I don't know what would happen if you gave the bird 5 mls.........

[Maggie-NC]

Man, I can do a lot of things but this ain't one of them!!!!!

I like this man's videos a lot. Wish he would join the forum.

[Lovebirds]

Originally Posted by Lady Tarheel

Man, I can do a lot of things but this ain't one of them!!!!!

I like this man's videos a lot. Wish he would join the forum.

You mean stick em' with a needle????? Me either. I'll hold the birds all day long for someone else to stick em'........
I also noticed that the needle he's using seems to be a bit long...........I think it's a 1 incher.......not a 1/2 inch.

[DEEJAY7950]

22 gauge needle is a finer needle, very thin! Dennis is great!

[DEEJAY7950]

One of our member's also shows how to vaccinate!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=DQHpoJWLa1s

[AZWhitefeather]

Originally Posted by Lovebirds

I just found this on YouTube by accident. This is the exact way we vaccinate our birds, except for a couple of things.
First of all, it takes TWO people for us to do it.
I don't know how he holds the bird and sticks it by himself.

I was always in awe when I would take a rescue to Nancy. If she felt it needed a shot of dex or whatever, she would have that injection done in a second. No flinch from bird whatsoever. She's good!!

Cindy

[Trees Gray]

Thanks, Renee and Deejay for sharing those links.

I can't imagine doing either of those by myself

Anyway, if you would like those links "stickified" for examples, let me know.

[DEEJAY7950]

That would probably be a good thing! Yes?

[Lovebirds]

Originally Posted by Trees Gray

Thanks, Renee and Deejay for sharing those links.

I can't imagine doing either of those by myself

Anyway, if you would like those links "stickified" for examples, let me know.

I think it would be a good idea, .......we've had to try to explain how to do this quite a few times and seeing is much easier to understand.
The one I posted was MAINLY to see how to stick the bird in the leg area rather than the neck. About the worse thing you could do sticking them in the leg is hit a muscle and the bird would limp for a few days, but it would get over it. In the neck,......the wrong mistake and you've got a dead bird on your hands.

[Maggie-NC]

Well, I can and do give "normal" injections with no qualms but from what I read about the thickness of these injections and the size needle, no thanks.

[EgypSwiftLady]

Originally Posted by DEEJAY7950

One of our member's also shows how to vaccinate!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=DQHpoJWLa1s

Thats the way I was told to vaccinate.

[maryjane]

I promise, you guys, it's not that bad!! I have had to sew up animals before in emergencies, and giving injections isn't bad, but I was really worried about doing the vaccinations. It can seem overwhelming but once you get the hang of it, it's pretty easy and goes fast. I did 50 of them by myself both times, with no problems thankfully. It's really much easier than it seems.

[ezemaxima]

So basically you just go a little under the skin and inject right. Do you atleast sterilize or change the needle for the syringe for every bird?

[spirit wings]

Originally Posted by ezemaxima

So basically you just go a little under the skin and inject right. Do you atleast sterilize or change the needle for the syringe for every bird?

I was wondering this myself....

[Lovebirds]

Originally Posted by ezemaxima

So basically you just go a little under the skin and inject right. Do you atleast sterilize or change the needle for the syringe for every bird?

Use ONE needle to pull the vaccine from the bottle. After syringe is filled, take that needle off and attach another one to vaccinate the birds. When you need to fill the syringe again, take the needle off, put the first one back on, fill syringe, then take it back off and attach the one you were using to vaccinate.........so, you actually need two needles. As long as you use the same one to fill the syringe, there's no need to sterilze the needles.
Never use the needle that you vaccinate the birds with to fill the syringe. That would contaminate the whole bottle of vaccine.