Taping the wings - alternative to wing clipping

[Budgie the budgie]

I talked to a vet today and he recommended against wing clipping and taught me to use strips of masking tape to tape the wings instead.

Is there anything wrong with this approach? Is it potentially harmful? I wasn't sure whether it was safe because I couldnt find anyone else who had done the same thing. Has anyone done this? How did you do it?

Thanks

[Budgiekin]

Gosh, taping the wings?? I have never heard of that in the over 7 years I have had budgies. I really don't think I would do that. Were you talking to an AVIAN vet?:eek: Wouldn't taping be awkward for the budgie when he/she is moulting the flight feathers? How and where are you supposed to use the tape?

Another thing is I wouldn't want my budgies to ingest any of the sticky adhesive from the tape if they were to preen their feathers where the tape is.

[abel]

:mad: And, how would you take the tape off without hurting the budgie?! I think that vet has some strange ideas!!

[Adottybird]

This is a new one on me. I haven't heard of taping a birds wings. I would like to find out more about this approach. I suppose you are only to do it when you are having a training session. I too would worry about the adhesive causing problems. I have never had my birds wings clipped and they all became hand tame.

Dotty

[ETAHoffman]

I would VERY STRONGLY recommend NOT using tape on the bird's wings. A good friend of mine used masking tape on the sharp edges of his home made cage and his birds chewed and ingested some of the tape and became quite ill. Plus, since the tape would be binding, you know the poor bird is going to try to chew/pull the tape off....not to mention the fact that they are natural chewers anyway. I would suggest either clipping the wings or simply making sure you have a net and leave the wings unclipped. (I have strong feelings about clipping wings. If a bird should get out, I'd much rather see it have a chance to escape unharmed than to fall prey to a cat or dog.......)

[Blue Moon]

Tapping wings? I have never heard of that. You know how bad it hurts to take off a band aid in an area that has hair...imagine if you tryed to take off tape from a feathered area! Ouch! Try to imagine of how a budgie might feel. I am not going to clip my budgies wings because we have predators walking around, and I wouldnt want Moon to be defensless if a situation like that ever occured.

[Dinky]

I agree with the rest. Taping does not sound like a good idea. I think it would cause all sorts of problems...how would the bird spread his wings without a lot of pain. Or maybe that's what they had in mind to keep them from flying? No way would I do this. Clipping is painless and doesn't hurt them a bit. I think taping would be cruel and cause emotional as well as physical problems.:ohno: :crying2:

[Joey]

I think thats cruel...:(

[jayjay]

the only 'new' clipping method i know of is where you clip the primary feathers all the way at the base. it gives an uncut look to the birds wings when they are by its side and you don't have to cut as many of the feathers, 3 or 4 on each side. as for taping... what an odd thing to come up with. however, never having seen how it is done, i guess i cant jump to conclusions. for all i know it is a better method of doing things.

[Lace]

How cruel sounding o.o the vet told you to do this?? how ubsurde! This would not be good at all. Taping the budgie will not only be unconfortable but also his or her feet would tend to accually get up arond the ring of the tap causing them to be unbile to move or to sending them unbalanced falling to the bottom of the cage with no way to stop their fall. Also, it would hurt to take if off as well. dont listen to the vet, in my opinion most vets are quacks out for only money. If you want a good opinion, see an Avian vet. I recomend that you just clip the wings, it may seem cruel, but its for their own safty and causes them no real harm if you do it right.

[Budgie the budgie]

Yeah it makes sense that taping the wings will cause the bird great pain so I didn't do it in the end. I won't see that vet again, he is very unconventional and takes a holistic approach rather than resorting to traditional and proven medicines (so he claims on the phone with me).

Thanks for the advice. I will bring my bird to another vet to have the primary feathers cut.

[abel]

You made us feel good by saying that. Thank you!!;)

[Budgiekin]

Good decision! Pat on the back for you!!:p

[Adottybird]

I think you have made the choice!!

Dotty :)

[bird nerd]

I agree, I mean how are suposed take it off the budgie with out hurting it. just think of it as putting masking tape on a head and then trying to take it off if that would a person imagine how much it will hurt a budgie. I'm sorry but that vet of your's has some pretty dumb ideas. :mad: