Bird Broke Off Part of Toenail and the Bleeding won't STOP! Help!

[Gwynny7]

I have a male guinea who has a toenail that won't stop bleeding.

One of my male guineas somehow broke part of his toenail off. We separated him from the other birds when we discovered this. I cleaned off the blood / and toe and toenail with hydrogen peroxide. I held steady pressure with gauze around the bleeding toenail two times for many minutes each time and the bleeding won't stop.

I tried using the super glue and baking soda trick I saw
--- put super glue on the bleeding part and get baking soda all over it to "cure" the glue.

I have done this and the bird just wiped the powder off. My Dad tried it twice and the same thing happened. Big Boy (the guinea) keeps lifting his foot to his breast rubbing it on his feathers.... the toenail is bleeding so he is making his chest all bloody.

Do you have any method I can try to stop the bleeding? I don't have any bird meds on hand but if you tell me what I should look for I will go get it! Is Gentian Violet Spray something I should look at getting?

I am going to try to take a photo so you can see what is going on! I posted a post similar to this on the guinea sub forum but was not sure I would get a quick enough response hence why I am posting here.


Guinea forum link: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...oke-his-toenail-off-and-it-wont-stop-bleeding


Big Boy did eat some millet out of my Dad's hands and he did drink a few drops from my Dad's hand. He has eaten some grass from my hands and is picking at his food on the floor of his cage. He is separate from all birds so we can get him to rest / heal and be less stressed (if that is even possible for a guinea.... as they usually hate being alone but he is tolerating at the moment.)

 

[Angiebubs]

Cornstarch works better than anything else. Dip it into the cornstarch then apply pressure for several minutes till it coagulates. And if you happen to have any human "liquid band aid" that works really well too.

 

[Gwynny7]

Cornstarch works better than anything else. Dip it into the cornstarch then apply pressure for several minutes till it coagulates. And if you happen to have any human "liquid band aid" that works really well too.

Thanks for the information! I will have to try that if the nail starts to bleed again. At the moment it seems to have stopped.... apparently the combination of super glue and baking soda and time then flour seems to have clotted it for now. Let's hope it stays that way! Big Boy is eating and drinking and does talk when he hears the other guineas. I am hoping with a day or two of rest he will be ready to go back to join the others.


Do you have any tips on how to trim the toenails to try to prevent this type of injury from happening? What kind of tool do you need to trim the nails? How far do you cut?

 

[csaylorchickens]

I use regular clippers and file for my hens nails. I have faverolles their 5th toenail cant be filed down naturally with scratching, my little divas get a pedi once a month lol. You cut about the part in the nail where you see the wick. If you look at the nail it looks hollow but further down it gets darker, that's stay away zone or it bleeds. Cut just above that and file the edges soft and all done. Corn starch is what I use or flour if I accidently get the wick

 

[Gwynny7]

I use regular clippers and file for my hens nails. I have faverolles their 5th toenail cant be filed down naturally with scratching, my little divas get a pedi once a month lol. You cut about the part in the nail where you see the wick. If you look at the nail it looks hollow but further down it gets darker, that's stay away zone or it bleeds. Cut just above that and file the edges soft and all done. Corn starch is what I use or flour if I accidently get the wick

Regular clippers as in human toenail clippers? Or do they make bird specific ones? Ah you give your hens pedis <3 I will have to look up wick (new to raising birds). What about black nails? I know some of my guineas toenails are naturally black... how do you tell how far to trim those down?

 

[Angiebubs]

I use regular clippers and file for my hens nails. I have faverolles their 5th toenail cant be filed down naturally with scratching, my little divas get a pedi once a month lol. You cut about the part in the nail where you see the wick. If you look at the nail it looks hollow but further down it gets darker, that's stay away zone or it bleeds. Cut just above that and file the edges soft and all done. Corn starch is what I use or flour if I accidently get the wick

Hah! I also breed Faverolles ( 2 coops) and just notied mine are overdue for a trim.

Regular clippers as in human toenail clippers? Or do they make bird specific ones? Ah you give your hens pedis <3 I will have to look up wick (new to raising birds). What about black nails? I know some of my guineas toenails are naturally black... how do you tell how far to trim those down?

Yes human clippers will work. You can start with just taking off a tiny bit. Have you ever done this with a cat? Same idea...when you look at the nail the very end is a different color than the upper part. The wick is the part that has blood in it and is darker/pinker depending on the nail. Sorry no coffee yet I hope that made sense.

 

[csaylorchickens]

As far as black nails I would think clip only a little at a time every 2 weeks until decried length. I know if the nails get really long, the wick (blood vessel incapulation) gets longer as well so you can't cut an extremely long nail far down the first time around. If you do it every 2 weeks you are safe not to cut the blood vessels

 

[Gwynny7]

As far as black nails I would think clip only a little at a time every 2 weeks until decried length. I know if the nails get really long, the wick (blood vessel incapulation) gets longer as well so you can't cut an extremely long nail far down the first time around. If you do it every 2 weeks you are safe not to cut the blood vessels

Thanks! I will attempt to cut some nails once I get Big Boy reintroduced to the flock. Any tips how to hold the bird to keep it from squirming?

 

[csaylorchickens]

Thanks!  I will attempt to cut some nails once I get Big Boy reintroduced to the flock.  Any tips how to hold the bird to keep it from squirming?

Yes wrap them in a towel loosely cover their head for sure and keep one foot exposed at a time towel keeps them calm and keeps them from flapping and reassuring loving voice with a treat after

 

[wamtazlady]

My aunt and grandmother raised canaries. Whenever they were cutting toenails they always kept a lit cigarette nearby even though neither smoked. If the toenail started to bleed, dipping the tip of the toenail quickly against the cigarette to cauterize it worked very well. I saw them do it. I did it myself when I raised canaries.