# Chopstick Technique Difficulties



## ChickWas (May 6, 2021)

I've got to give one of my budgies medicine. Up til now, I've had to catch them in the cage as it's the only way I can get them. It's traumatizing but there's nothing else I can do, other than not give them the medicine they need and letting them die. My go-to grabbing technique is to hold her in my left hand, with her back against my palm, and I use the gentlest pinch with my thumb and index finger to try and hold her head still. 

This doesn't work very well, as she wiggles like a demon and is able to use her legs to push or pull herself around, which just prolongs the entire ordeal! If I try and hold her head in place, she pulls herself down into my palm to try and back out, if I don't hold her head, she pushes to squeeze out through my index and thumb. I watched this video, where he uses the chopstick technique, but he makes it look so easy! My budgie doesn't keep her head still and it makes getting the drop in almost impossible (I always worry about getting it on her feathers as I read this can cause irritation).

How hard am I able to "chop stick" her neck? She's such a gentle little thing and I worry about squeezing too hard. In the video, his budgie readily opens it's beak, but my little terror clamps her beak down. I end up putting a drop on the corner of her beak and tapping with the syringe until she opens and it falls in, but it's not perfect. Can someone please give a step by step detailed walkthrough of how to properly restrain a budgie? My two biggest issues are her wiggling her body around - which means I'm taking precious extra seconds trying to get her back into position, or wiggling her head around, which makes getting the drop in difficult.

When I'm not giving medicine, she is the most lovable and cuddly bird that trusts me to her core. As soon as I'm done administering the medicine, she flies to my neck as she considers it her safe spot, and she isn't scared of my hands (only slightly irritated following the medicine ordeal). It's just the whole grabbing forcefully is something we've both never prepared for and so it stresses her out.


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

I don't use the technique in the video. I find that any bird I have medicated does not like to have it's feet loose they all want some security on their feet, they are much less wiggly if they are sitting with their feet on a flat surface or on something they can grasp. Try sitting her on a flat surface with your hand over her just enough to restrain her and then see if you can get the meds in. Don't worry if the meds get on the feathers, I have done it many times with no ill effects, you can clean it off or if she likes to take baths she can do it.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*If you aren't able to do it with Cody's method, take a small wooden dowel and let her feet grasp that while you hold her in your hand on her back with your middle and index fingers supporting her neck.*


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## ChickWas (May 6, 2021)

No bueno, even with my thumb acting as a perch for her whilst she's on her back, and trying to soothe her with a calming voice and cheek scratches, she still fights like the devil and uses the perch to springboard around. It's a constant push / pull move she does, which makes it so hard to keep a grip on her, as she'll push forward through my fingers, then pull back and back out of my palm and I'm so deathly afraid of holding her too tightly.

If I do grasp her head, how much is too much? Right now, I'm holding too softly if anything. But this can't keep going on, her constant fighting makes it even worse and no amount of soothing or calming will make her realise there's no reason to be terrified. I feel like the reason she fights so hard is because she has a decent chance of escaping, but if I were able to hold her in such a way where that wasn't even a remote possibility, she would just stop fighting and let it happen. She's not even full strength yet, so I have no clue how I will catch and hold her when the medicine starts getting her back on her feet...


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

Have you tried wrapping her in a small towel or wash cloth with just her head sticking out? If you try this don't wrap too tight or you will prevent her from breathing.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Have you seen these videos?

How to Safely Restrain Pet Birds
*
*How to Medicate Your Pet Bird*


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