I cut my Parakeet nail too short. What can I do?

So you decided to clip your parakeet's nails, and you managed to get him in your grasp and into a secured position so you can snip at its little talons. Everything is going perfectly well until he kicks just as you clip and it becomes evident to you, as small drops of blood emerge from the tip of his nail, that you clipped the vein to cut too short.

We hope you are reading this before any of this happens to you. This article will help you prepare in case it ever happens.

How to Stop a Parakeet's Nail From Bleeding

1. Keep holding your parakeet, and try to keep it relaxed if it gets squeamish.
2. Clear your bird's nail with some lukewarm water.
3. Put some cornstarch in your hand or a bowl and dip the bird's nail in it to solidify its blood. To do this, you may want to dip the nail many times before it stops bleeding
4.  Ensure the cornstarch does go into your parakeet's eyes and make sure it doesn't inhale it at all!
5. Put your parakeet back in its home, and keep an eye on it. Ensure it does not let it bite the nail.
6. Clean your parakeet's perches and toys so their nails don't get infected while it starts healing.
7. Ensure you call a vet if you're worried.

How short can you cut your parakeet nails?

Parakeets have little veins in their nails that are called a "quick." A quick run through the upper part of the nail and usually ends at about the halfway point. Since most parakeets have lightly coloured nails, the quickness can be seen if you look very closely. It looks like a tiny red line. If you clip your parakeets' nails too short, the quick gets clipped, too, leaving the vein open and exposed.

The answer to this question is to ensure it is short enough not to get the quick

What can be done when your Parakeets quick is accidentally cut?

1. Start by cleaning your Parakeet's broken nail and making sure that it is washed with lukewarm water. Never use alcohol on your parakeet's open wound! Alcohol on your Parakeet is not only bad but it could lead to burns on your pet. Warm water is perfect.
2. Don't try putting pressure on the bleeding area. It won't work. The vein is inside of a solid nail, and putting too much pressure on the area won't even affect the vein that's bleeding.
3. You must plunge the nail into cornstarch, instead of sprinkling it onto the nail. Powdery substances are chaotic, and if sprinkled they may end up on your parakeet's face. If this gets into its eyes or if it inhales any of it, this could be very dangerous.
4. After you have been able to stop your parakeet's bleeding, take your parakeet back to his cage and keep a close eye on him for a while so he doesn't bite the nail you just cleaned.
5. Keep his cage neat to help reduce the likelihood that the nail will get infected before it has had a chance to heal well.
6. It never hurts to have your parakeet's nail checked out by a professional veterinarian

Please note that this article is detailed and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. It is not meant to replace the diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, or formal and individualized advice from a veterinary medical professional.