Update

 Against all odds, Jake is still alive.  That's about all that can be said, but it's something.
And I'm slowly becoming functional again.  I had to do some running around yesterday - to the museum to get more anti inflammatories, some Chlorhexidrine (an antibacterial/antimicrobial spray, and Wringer's lactate.  Then I went to visit Gill, who gave me tea and sympathy (and cookies), and a big hug.  Also her shepherd Trevor, who did his best my snuffling my ear and sticking his nose in my butt.

It's really up to Jake now whether he lives or dies, but I'm doing what I can.  He needs to be bathed daily to keep the wounds clean.  About an hour before that, I give him the meds to at least help with the pain.  Three times a day I get some fluids into him - via a feeding tube.

It's not that difficult with birds.  You wrap the bird in a towel, get someone to hold it steady, and pry the beak open.  The trachea is just at the base of the tongue.  You hold the bird's head in one hand and tilt it up, which helps to close off the trachea.  You then slide the catheter down the esophagus into the crop and administer the fluids.

That's how it works in theory land.  In Real Life - the "someone to hold the bird" seems to be absent.  So instead you put the bird down on the floor, and kneel to tuck it between your knees.  With one hand you hold up the bird's head and stretch out the neck and with the other hand you pry the mouth open and slip the tube down the trachea - by feel, because your eyes are nowhere in line with the bird's head.  With your third hand you press down the syringe.  Repeat three times a day.

My concern here is that it's not enough.  You can only put about 10 cc (1/3 ounce) at a time.  Otherwise it could spill back up out of the crop (because he can't hold his head up yet and aspirate.  I don't want to do more than 3 (maybe 4) feedings a day because I'm shoving a tube down his throat and that has to get irritating after awhile.  The alternative is subcutaneous infusion.  This is easy to do with cats (I've done it quite a bit in the past) because of their loose skin.  Birds - not so much.  Time to study YouTube.

The best place to find loose skin turns out to be on their underside, between the top of the thigh and the keel.  It's not easy to pull up the "tent" of skin (and hard to see because he still has feathers there) but it can be done.  So - have "someone" (meaning your thighs and knees) restrain the bird on its side, pull up the tent of skin with one hand, insert the needle with the other, and with the third hand reach over to open up the valve on the Wringer's lactate.

It can be done - it's just a bit stressful.  Until he's feeling better it's going to be a pattern of 1) tube fluid and meds, let rest for meds to take hold; 2) sub q fluids.  Let rest for awhile.  3) tube fluids and meds, let take hold; 4) bathe and medicate wounds, and finally 5) one last set of fluids and meds and we both get to rest for the night.

Really hoping all this works.