# Incompetent vet clipped secondaries and most of the primaries of my three birds



## InnocentGrey (Jul 15, 2017)

So I have three parakeets. My first yellow budgie is a rescue that I got from the wild. The second is from a bad pet store that had 10 crammed in a small cage. The third comes from a good pet store. They are all separated because they seem to not 100% get along. I've been trying to tame them but it's been 7 months and because of the trauma the first two experienced they never came around. I just wanted them to be able to roam with no fear because my home is not budgie safe and I wanted a safety clip. I've been reading here that you DO NOT clip secondaries and to go see a vet for it to be done. The vet clipped secondaries and I am SO upset because I explicitly told her to only do primaries and I want my babies to be able to glide down. I feel so upset with myself because I've been trying so hard!!!! I tried my best to educate myself as I am a first time bird and budgie owner. I love them so much and just...wanted them to be safe and to be able to roam outside but not fly away. I feel entirely responsible and I am worried that they'd hurt themselves because she left the first primary or two, cut the rest and some secondary. I don't think that cut EVEN makes sense and I am upset. You'd think a veterinarian would know about this!!! Please help me ensure my babies don't get hurt. I'm considering getting some rope perches and putting them as "helper perches" around so they can move about easier and not hurt themselves. I am so frustrated. They do not feel comfortable on low perches. All three feel comfortable eating from my hand and drinking water from their water dish as I hold it, but none feel entirely comfortable on my hand (they may bite, or not go onto the hand at all). The last and littlest one stays on my hand without biting for a few seconds and leaves (she is the most tamed and I got her to try and condition the others to let them see that I am not dangerous).


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

Hi there and :welcome: to the forums!

I'm sorry for the experience you had at the vet, but all is not yet lost :hug: Although it's unfortunate that the vet didn't know what she was doing, eventually they'll moult back their flight feathers and be fully flighted again. Putting some extra perches would be a good idea to help them around their cage meanwhile! Rope perches are a good idea but be sure to watch them very carefully to ensure that they do not chew on them as ropes and ingested fibres can be very dangerous if left frayed.

http://talkbudgies.com/your-budgies-health/288546-dangers-rope-perches-tasseled-toys.html

Also, if you want to take your budgies outside, make sure you do so only when they are securely in their cages. Budgies should never be allowed to roam outside freely in any way. Not only are they very small and easily lost (even with clipped wings they can be carried off by a gust of wind or fall into a hole or gutter), they are prime target for predators like hawks with their bright colours, and could be poisoned by plants, chemicals, and other things present outside. 

http://talkbudgies.com/general-budgie-talk/295049-taking-your-birds-outdoors.html

Your little ones are probably feeling a little confused right now with all the stress of the wing clipping. If needed, take a few steps back on taming and just go back to talking to them from the outside of the cage a lot, etc. for a few days until they are more comfortable. Always remember to go at their pace and only proceed when they're ready! :thumbsup:

Meanwhile, come to the best possible place to learn even more about budgies! 

To start, be sure to read through the forum's many Budgie Articles and "stickies" (threads "stuck" to the top of each subform for easy reference) to ensure you're up to date on all the best practices for budgie care!

If you have any questions after reading through everything, be sure to ask as we'd love to help :thumbsup:

We look forward to seeing you and your budgies around the forums!

Cheers! :wave:


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Hi! :welcome: to Talk Budgies

I'm very sorry you had such a bad experience with the vet clipped your budgie's flights incorrectly.

Hopefully, this clipping was done on just one of the three birds?

Was the vet an Avian Vet or a regular vet?

StarlingWings has given you excellent advice.
You can use ladders in their cage to help them get around but they should also be able to climb from perch to perch using the bars of the cage. This is true even when the bars are vertical, that won't prevent a budgie from being able to climb them as it uses it beak as well as it's feet when climbing.

Please take the time to read through the Site Guidelines, all of the How To Guides, the FAQs, the Budgie Articles and the stickies located at the top of each section of the forum.

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These are great resources for Talk Budgie members and have a wealth of reliable information which will assist you to learn the best practices in caring for your budgies for their optimal health and well-being.

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http://talkbudgies.com/articles-general-budgie-info/227841-50-common-budgie-dangers-watch-out.html

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## Hunterkat (Mar 29, 2017)

I had a similar experience, my budgie had 10(!!!) feathers clipped on each wing. They'll adjust to it, I promise, and while you're waiting for their flight feathers to grow back, add plenty of extra perches to their cage so if they fall they can get back up with only short "flights" between each perch. Make their food and water dishes easy to get to. You may only have to have a lot of perches for a little while- at least with my guy, he adjusted fairly quickly and I was able to take out a few perches. If they're falling a lot, put a towel at the bottom of the cage for now so they fall on something a little softer. 
Best of luck, and I promise everything will be okay :hug:


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