please help swollen like a balloon baby martin

[chickadee]

i have a baby martin that just has its eyes open. i have expected to find it dead by now but for the last week this has been going on. it is swallon on the belly and neck looks like with air like its just going to bust. we put a pen hole in the leg and it deflates the bird down. but the next day we go out it is back the same way we pick the scab he goes back down. whats wrong with this bird iv never seen anything like it? is it going to just die is their anything i can do? it jumps up for food. i am without a computer right now and am at my moms to type this witch is a drive away. so im . i need help i dont want to have any more dead young if i can help it. if anyone has advise or can tell me they have heard and or seen this i would appreciate it.

[Linda Reynolds]

chickadee, I can't be 100 % sure without seeing your bird or a photo, but it sounds as if it might be suffering from subcutaneous emphysema.

Information and photos can be found in two back issues of the UPDATE, Vol. 10(1), and Vol.11 (3), as well as on the Internet.

Subcutaneous emphysema is generally a non-life threatening condition that is caused by "excess accumulation of air under the skin".

According to the article in Vol. 10(1), "Mild forms of the condition seem to be harmless and clear up on their own as the trapped gases are slowly reabsorbed by the bird. In more severe cases, a licensed rehabilitator may need to deflate the bubbles by puncturing them with a sterile needle or aspirating the air out with a sterile syringe, rubbing the area first with a disinfectant. Antibiotics many need to be administered. The balloon may need to be emptied more than once on consecutive days."

"If Purple Martin landlords encounter this condition in a nestling, they should monitor the bird by leaving it in the nest, and if the condition doesn't correct itself in about a week, they should take the bird to a rehabber, or deflate the sac themselves using the above techniques. If the youngster is an otherwise healthy nestling that is being fed, leave it alone and allow it to fledge normally with its siblings. If the inflation has not reabsorbed by fledging time, the nestling may be doomed since the ballooning affect would likely render flying difficult or impossible."

I sincerely hope it simply a typo, and that you did not actually puncture the air sac using a pen. Perhaps you meant to type *pin*?? Please make sure you use sterile equipment, disinfectant, and antibiotic ointment if attempting to treat this bird at home.

[ToyinPA]

The "Crop" is located in the front, just below the base of the neck. Do NOT puncture the crop. It normally will look swollen if there is food in it.

The belly of a chick should look huge compared to the rest of the body.

If you are seeing actual bubbles under the skin then you have air sacs/Subcutaneous emphysema.

I tried to find photos, but can't seem to find any that show this on birds.

Toy in PA

[TX Rehabber]

Kelly & Toy

Here are some pics of "Ruptured Air Sacs"......This usually occurs from some type of trauma which causes one of the air sacs located throughout the birds body to leak air under the skin. Repeated puncturing of the skin as described by Linda will help, but may need to be repeated several times during the day or until the air sac heals. It may be life threatening, if the rupture prevents the baby from lifting its head to feed.

[ToyinPA]

Thank you Penny. I tried to find pics but all I got were articles.

Toy in PA

[chickadee]

i wanted to thank everyone for the calls.i had a nice gentleman from another site give me a call and alit of good information for me.louise, that is a typo. but i did mean i put a pin hole in the leg of the baby bird. a small one with a needle. i did not mean i used a pen. and what you describe is exactly what it is. and to the pictures someone else posted here is nothing compared to this bird. its not just a air sac. this bird is swollen so big everywhere under it belly chest legs and even the neck. the leg looked the safest place to put a pin hole with a needle and let the air out. he does not have feathers and when i deflate him i cant pick him out from the others. he looks healthy same size as others about 13 days old eyes open. and he trys to eat my hand.so he is eating. so i do not know of any rehabber around me. so at this point i will just reopen the hole everyday. i have never seen a bird this way.he gets so big he can only face up cant move around just opens his mouth for food.i will up date and let everyone know if he makes it.

[Louise Chambers]

I'd been trying to find this photo to post - this was taken in PA by PMCA's director Jamie Hill. I've seen one as bad here in TX, but most that I've seen are not this severe. The nestling in this photo recovered and fledged.

[TX Rehabber]

It took me a while to find this.....this picture was sent to me by Gisela Fregoe of the PMLNT. Sadly, this little martin didn't make it.

[DebA]

Chickadee

I'm glad you were able to get to a computer and post this question. Again, you learn something new here. If that ever happens to one of my babies, I will not freak out so much as I would have otherwise. I'm thankful for the wisdom on this forum. I hope your little puff bird is doing better by now.
Deb

[chickadee]

louise, that is a picture of my baby bird. but he was just as big in the neck. and i just wanted to up date the last time i deflated him and put seven dust in the gourd he has not blown back up. and thats been a few days ago.so he was this way for a week and now has stayed down. so it looks like he is in the clear and will make it. just wanted to let everyone know.

[DebA]

BUMP'ing this up. It's from a few years ago. There are several new forum members becoming active who may not have seen this thread. Istill haven't but in case you do...

One of my most memorable reads. Thanks, Chickadee.

Deb

[~Ray~Gingerich]

It's funny that you mentioned this, I found the same thing yesterday during my nest check. The little guy was so bloated he just rolled around. I sterilized a needle, applied alcohol and poked just under the skin of it's belly. After the air was out I put a little dab of triple antibiotic at the insertion spot. Will check how it's doing today.

[DornCounty]

interesting.. saw a nestling with a minor version of this during my nest check yesterday.