One of my birds fell into a water tank and was soaked through when I found her. Don’t know how long she was in there.
She’s alive but shivering. What do I do? Hair dryer? Heat lamp?
It’s cold outside and I’m worried about hypothermia.
Act fast - hypothermia can kill.
- Wrap her in a dry towel, hold against your body for warmth
- Move to a warm, draft-free space
- DO NOT use high heat directly - hair dryer on LOW held at distance, or heat lamp far enough not to overheat
- Room temperature of 25-30°C is ideal
- Once she stops shivering and is alert, offer warm (not hot) water with electrolytes
Monitor breathing. Inhaled water can cause respiratory issues later - watch for wheezing over next few days.
I’ve rescued birds from water before. They recover well usually.
The danger is not the wet itself but the cold. Get her warm and dry as the doc said.
After she’s recovered, watch for respiratory issues. Sometimes they aspirate water and get infection. If she seems off in a few days, consider antibiotics.
Update: she’s dried off and warming up. Stopped shivering. Now just sitting fluffed up but alert.
Will keep her inside tonight and watch for any respiratory signs. Thanks for the quick advice!