[Birds4Life]

Hello.
Just a few days ago, my grandmother came across an injured young magpie. One of her wings was nearly gone. It was hanging by just a couple of feathers. Under normal circumstances, we would have had the bird put down. But the sheer amount of energy in this bird is absolutely shocking. So, we removed the damaged portion of the wing. We did not want to, but there was no other choice. After removing it, we gave her a good wash, disinfected the remaining portion, and wrapped her well. She found her balance surprisingly quickly, and is eating fantastically. It has been 2 days now since the wing was removed, and she is due to have her bandage changed again tomorrow. But through all of this, I hear faint chirps of pain whenever she moves wrong, or bumps it. So my question is, are there any weak over-the-counter pain meds that I can give her without any risks to her?

[YourBirdOasis]

I've never heard of any weak, easy to get pain medications used with birds. I've anesthetized birds with a ketamine and xylazine mixture before, but these are tightly controlled substances and can only be purchase with the proper licenses. Maybe a local veterinarian could provide some advice. Good luck to both you and the bird!

[Birds4Life]

Okay, thank you. She is still going strong, and seems to be in pain less and less every hour. She is still taking food and water brilliantly, and loves to wander and explore. One of the other things I'm curious about is her bandage. Does anyone know how long I should leave it on for? I want to give her as much healing time as possible before changing it, but I don't want to leave it on too long. If her age will make a difference (because of the healing speed), I would guess she is about 5 weeks old or so. She's about half the size of a grown magpie, has most of her plumage, and is just getting to the point where she can feed herself. Thanks!