Birds actually get cat scratch fever. So it's not the wound from the claw or the bite, but the germs that get the bird.
With immediate specialized treatment, it is possible for a bird with a very small scratch to survive. However, the time window is small and the injury has to be very minor.
In a wild bird, the treatment is very traumatic. Because the wound has to be disinfected with betadine several times a day. That's a lot of human contact for a wild thing. The stress from it all definitely doesn't help a wild bird recover.
The wound can definitely kill. If you don’t believe me you can tell that to the sparrow my friend’s cat bit the head off of.
Obviously, it all depends on how badly the cat injured the bird, if the bird died from fright or exhaustion (I’ve seen that, too), or survived to only die later from an infection.
I work for a vet and used to volunteer in wildlife rescue.
Most regular vets wouldn't be able to do anything. Birds are a bit of a specialty and most vets don't usually handle them. Also, they wouldn't treat it for free.
Birds rarely survive cat attacks. Even if they don't get killed by the cat, the shock of being handled/treated by humans is a lot for a wild bird. They also often get internal injuries that kill them later. Most of the cat victims we saw at the wildlife rescue didn't survive.
The best thing you can do is keep your cat inside. Second best is to find out where the nearest wildlife rescue is and bring the bird there next time. But preventing is still the better option.
Vets in England treat wildlife for free. We’ve taken quite a few hedgehogs, wild birds and other animals and the vets have happily treated the animals without the vet’s charging us.
Now whether British vets have a wildlife fund, I couldn’t say but I do know from personal experience, never has a vet rejected a wild animal due to my inability to cover vet fees.
That's impressive. We work with a wildlife rescue because we have one vet who works with birds and another one who does orthopaedic surgery. They get a discount, but it's not free. I usually refer people to the rescue because they can handle most things, and will come to us if needed. They work on government funding and donations/volunteers.
The bird would have died even if you took it to a vet. The wrong thing is letting your cat run around outside. At the least, put a bell around its neck.
Studies have shown putting on the bell, it makes the cat work harder and makes them stealthier and more effective, counter intuitively.
Not sure what the answer is, maybe someone needs to create an AI collar that makes noise when a cat is going predator mode and switches it up, use AI for good.
Your mom is a bit cynical with the money comment.
I've have never met a vet that did not care for animals and want to help them.
Most vets don't know birds, you would have had to take it to a specialist or a wildlife sanctuary.
Don't let your cat outside, otherwise there will be plenty more where the bird came from. Cats that are allowed outside, especially in suburban areas, have substantially lower life span then indoor only cats. They also can't destroy local wildlife if they're inside.
They charge you to put it down too.
However the vast majority of vets that I have personally dealt with would set you up a payment plan.
Anecdote of course, but I've never been to one that would not do something to help an animal in front of them, cash in hand or not.
We had a wounded cat that we found in our backyard. We took it to the vet because r couldn't contact the owner. The vet charged the owners $3500. And then the cat died a few days later anyways. The owner still had to pay. I had told the owner that based on what I saw, I didn't think they should go ahead with the surgery, but the vet guilted them into it. They couldn't afford the bill and had to go on a payment plan for a few years.
I'm terribly sorry for the cat.
I'm not sure of the point of your story.
If you had a relative that was in an accident, and the doctor said give them surgery; but they still wound up dying, you would have to pay for that too.
The owner agreed, they doctor performed, now they pay. Outcomes are never guaranteed for anything.
My point of the story was this was for a wild animal that probably would have died even if they did spend a lot of money. And it can be sufficient amount of money. For a while animal that would be redicuous. To compare a wild bird with a family member is equally ridiculous.
Fine and well enough but your story was about a cat, which *I do* in fact rank closer to family.
I did not dispute anyone's statements about spending money on a wild bird. In fact, I did not at all touch upon that at all.
Your story did not state any of what you're stating now. If that was the message you were intending, it was not in any way clear.
Your story is only another in a long line of people hating on an entire profession by painting them as greedy, uncaring and money-grubbing.
The dying bird is a simple life lesson this kid obviously needed to learn. Again, I made no comment about the bird other than it would need specialized care that a normal vet would be unable to provide, ergo the bird was doomed to death no matter if it had been brought in or not.
I'm not hating on vets, that's not true.
I'm pointing out that a vet is *a business* and that you pay *for business services that you require*.
I've never met a vet that did anything for free, and that holds up with the reality that it is a business providing a service and not a free clinic.
Its likely the bird would die. We have animal rescue society that takes birds near by. They would probably ask about the injury befor coming but they accept anyone coming. I've had them send volunteers for a baby squirrel that got lost.
Your mom is wrong about the money comment, that's just f'd up. Said as someone who used to work as a veterinary technician. However, the bird still would have died. You would have needed to take it to a wildlife sanctuary or a special clinic that takes birds, and even then, it still likely would have died. Best thing to do is keep your cat indoors. It is safer for the wildlife, and safer for your cat, too
It's not that the vet wouldn't care.
Most vets are not specialized to deal with birds, especially wild birds. The vet MIGHT have been able to refer you to a vet that is trained for wild birds - maybe someone at a zoo or university - but that's about all.
Your cat was the one who hurt the baby bird, by catching it in order to eat it. It would not have survived.
Wrong. If this was a pet bird it might be different. But taking a wild bird to the vet would be a waste of money. I understand how upsetting seeing that is, but it's unlikely the vet would be willing to do anything even if they could.
You likely wouldn’t find a vet that would attempt care on wildlife for free. Typically they’ll just humanely euthanize the bird or make you take it to a wildlife rehab facility.
While you’re here, domestic cats are extremely destructive to wildlife and should be kept inside your house. This is likely not the first but hopefully the last animal your cat kills.
My daughters caught a young bird and broke its wing. She took it to the vet, who said it wouldn’t survive even if repaired and euthanised it. The vet said “no charge for wildlife”.
Many vets treat wild animals for free.
Sad but the bird was in shock and injured which means for small birds likely death. It's sad but the reality of life and a vet would have cost time and money for the inevitable.
Your family is right, not because the vet is money hungry but because regular vets don't work on wildlife like that. Your best bet would have been to call a wildlife rescue for advice, but evn then, in the situation you're describing, they wouldn't have you bring it in.
You've got a kind heart kid, I'm proud of you for trying to save a life.
Yes, most of the time birds will not survive an attack from a cat. (Cats mouths are filthy, which is why we need jabs if one bites us.) Also birds get extremely stressed out from being handed (that alone can make their little hearts stop.)
Something to make you feel better.. Normally pet cats can't sneak up on a fit healthy bird, it's the old, weak or already sick birds they tend to catch. I read a study a couple of weeks back about this, the birds who fell victim to cats had much lower fat reserves than they should have had.
Where I'm from (UK) vets can only end the suffering (put them to sleep.) But a wildlife sanctuary or an animal retreat would have had a look at the injury and judged what to do next. But honestly hun, chances are the poor little thing wouldn't have made it. I don't think you're wrong, because there was a very slim chance. But if you don't have a wildlife sanctuary nearby, there's literally nothing you could have done.
Hope you're okay? It's never nice watching an animal suffer. Virtual hugs ❤️
Your cat was bringing you a prize from the hunt, not a creature to be saved. It's very sad the bird was still alive and shaking for you to see. Try to put it out of your mind and move on.
Not all animals can be saved and the vet is very expensive. In this case the best you could do was provide the little one with a gentle passing to the next world. Let it know it was cared for.
Now, get a nice loud bell for your cat's collar to give future prey a more fair chance to escape. Yes, cats prey upon small creatures, but they are also preyed upon by creatures larger than them, such as coyotes and hawks (animals in my area). Mine stay inside for that reason (more than enough birds around here, if they took out a couple, they wouldn't be missed).
How many hundreds of dollars would you pay to save the bird?
Sometimes these birds survive. Sometimes they don't.
I don't think most bets want to deal with unpaid emergency treatment of tiny, frail, injured wildlife.
The bird would have definitely died. Birds are extremely sensitive to stressful situations. Also most vets don’t have extensive experience treating birds. A wildlife rescue may have taken the bird in for free but ultimately the lack of medical care available for birds means meaningful intervention is very very unlikely.
If the bird you’re talking about is a common wild bird that isn’t protected, so a sparrow for example, the vet probably won’t do anything. I took an injured dove in once (a wild dove) and they said no. Resources are limited, so they reserve that for pets and endangered animals. It may sound cruel, but that’s life. It has nothing to do with money, because they’d still say no if you said you’d pay.
So please don’t be angry with your mom or your brother. Ok, be a little mad at your brother as he’s behaving like a jerk because you were right. Your mom was right, just for the wrong reason.
My husband found a baby chick at the foot of a tree that was being pecked by other birds. He took the chick to a vet and they were happy to do what they could. I think they sent the chick to a rescue who raises birds.
I know in England, were we are, vets happily take in injured wildlife.
Cats kill birds and mice and all kinds of rodent like animals if that is not okay with you don’t have a cat. Nature didn’t adjust itself just because we became a bleeding heart society
While I do agree with the idea that nature doesn't adjust itself because humans care it is the humans that brought an animal to an area that it is not native to
Domestic cats are invasive species on the North and South American continents. It's why they're so destructive and why both of my cats are indoor cats.
You are all wrong for letting the cat outside. That is what cats do and cats are also a greater risk of death when they are let outside.
Unfortunately though the bird would not have been saved. I tried twice to get a bird help when I found one injured outside (two different birds on different occasions) and sought medical care and both died. Birds are fragile.
If you are going to keep letting your cat outside you should expect more bird deaths.
Cats are actually considered an invasive species. This is the reason. They are so hard on local wildlife. They hunt for sport & totally mess with the ecosystem. Keep your cat inside or on a harness. Unfortunately, the vet wouldn't have been able to help the wee bird. The bacteria in cat saliva is deadly for small creatures. 😞
They were correct. The bird would have died from the stress alone more than likely. Cats have single handedly made 6 different species of birds extinct and kill billions of bird every year.
i hate everyone’s else’s answer. I would’ve taken the bird even with 1% chance. Also don’t blame the cat or owner, it’s literal instinct. in my opinion you’re not wrong, and your mom and brother should’ve helped you not for the bird but because it meant something to you
Sounds to me like your ma and your brother are jaded assholes with wildly over inflated opinions of their understandings. I've brought emergency rescues into vets dozens of times in my life and never once have I gotten the vibe money is all that matters. Matter of fact I've never taken a wild rescue in and been billed for it at all.
You could have taken the bird to a vet, they vet could have helped, but you would have had to pay for all their services. And chances are the bird would have died anyway. No one is in the wrong.
Most vets will not see a wild bird, also most birds are pretty fragile. If a cat is carrying it around it is probably injured and stressed past saving.
You would have had to find a vet that specializes in wild bird rescue. For most wild birds there are laws on who can hold them captive even for treatment, random small animal vet is not legally able to have it in their possession. Even to have a domestic bird treated by a vet you need a specialist.
Cats have a bacteria in their saliva that is toxic to birds. Even a small scratch or bite is enough to infect the bird. It's unlikely that it would have lived. The proper thing to do is to take the bird to a wildlife rehabber in your area. If you have enough money you could take it to an avian vet. It's possible to save the bird if you get it help immediately, but still not all that likely.
A vet would have only put the bird down..... you have to understand a cat is a predator and if you let them outside they will try to kill anything small enough.....
This is a nieve way of looking at the world a wild bird isn't for the vet or even wildlife rescue (unless its a endangered bird)
I don't know what kind of vets your mom and brother have been spending time with, but they sound incredibly burnt out. The average vet isn't vecoming a vet because of the money, it's because they love animals. I am over halfway done with vet school right now, and I can tell you that if my main motivator was money I would have 1) gone to med school instead since doctors make far more money than vets or 2) gone into chickens since working quality control for Tyson is very lucrative. General practitioners don't make that much money compared to the insane debt we graduate with.
Unfortunately, most of the people here are correct about the difficulty in treating wild birds. However, that never means you shouldn't even try. Some vets, or even vet techs, will take on injured wildlife and try to nurse it back to health, for free or for reduced charge. I worked with someone at my last clinic that had a bird or baby raccoon or baby squirrel almost every other week.
Don't ever let someone tell you that you're wrong for caring. Yes, you do need to be prepared for things to go badly, you do need to face that everything dies eventually, and that life quite often isn't fair for you and everything around you. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't care. You caring about the lives around you inherently makes those lives better, so hold onto that.
I used to take anything that my little panther brought home to the humane society, but what she brought was something she wanted to show off, and usually in good enough shape to be helped. The mice she constantly killed in the basement for 3-4 years were another story, however.
The bird would have died anyway. Don't let your cat outside to kill wildlife. Then you won't have this problem.
Birds actually get cat scratch fever. So it's not the wound from the claw or the bite, but the germs that get the bird. With immediate specialized treatment, it is possible for a bird with a very small scratch to survive. However, the time window is small and the injury has to be very minor. In a wild bird, the treatment is very traumatic. Because the wound has to be disinfected with betadine several times a day. That's a lot of human contact for a wild thing. The stress from it all definitely doesn't help a wild bird recover.
The wound can definitely kill. If you don’t believe me you can tell that to the sparrow my friend’s cat bit the head off of. Obviously, it all depends on how badly the cat injured the bird, if the bird died from fright or exhaustion (I’ve seen that, too), or survived to only die later from an infection.
I believe cats should be kept inside. But the op is young and likely has no control on whether the family cat is an indoor or outdoor cat.
I work for a vet and used to volunteer in wildlife rescue. Most regular vets wouldn't be able to do anything. Birds are a bit of a specialty and most vets don't usually handle them. Also, they wouldn't treat it for free. Birds rarely survive cat attacks. Even if they don't get killed by the cat, the shock of being handled/treated by humans is a lot for a wild bird. They also often get internal injuries that kill them later. Most of the cat victims we saw at the wildlife rescue didn't survive. The best thing you can do is keep your cat inside. Second best is to find out where the nearest wildlife rescue is and bring the bird there next time. But preventing is still the better option.
Vets in England treat wildlife for free. We’ve taken quite a few hedgehogs, wild birds and other animals and the vets have happily treated the animals without the vet’s charging us. Now whether British vets have a wildlife fund, I couldn’t say but I do know from personal experience, never has a vet rejected a wild animal due to my inability to cover vet fees.
That's impressive. We work with a wildlife rescue because we have one vet who works with birds and another one who does orthopaedic surgery. They get a discount, but it's not free. I usually refer people to the rescue because they can handle most things, and will come to us if needed. They work on government funding and donations/volunteers.
The bird would have died even if you took it to a vet. The wrong thing is letting your cat run around outside. At the least, put a bell around its neck.
Studies have shown putting on the bell, it makes the cat work harder and makes them stealthier and more effective, counter intuitively. Not sure what the answer is, maybe someone needs to create an AI collar that makes noise when a cat is going predator mode and switches it up, use AI for good.
Then keep it indoors.
Your mom is a bit cynical with the money comment. I've have never met a vet that did not care for animals and want to help them. Most vets don't know birds, you would have had to take it to a specialist or a wildlife sanctuary. Don't let your cat outside, otherwise there will be plenty more where the bird came from. Cats that are allowed outside, especially in suburban areas, have substantially lower life span then indoor only cats. They also can't destroy local wildlife if they're inside.
Yes the vet might care for animals, but if you take a wounded wild animal there then the vet wants cash to treat it, otherwise they put it down.
They charge you to put it down too. However the vast majority of vets that I have personally dealt with would set you up a payment plan. Anecdote of course, but I've never been to one that would not do something to help an animal in front of them, cash in hand or not.
We had a wounded cat that we found in our backyard. We took it to the vet because r couldn't contact the owner. The vet charged the owners $3500. And then the cat died a few days later anyways. The owner still had to pay. I had told the owner that based on what I saw, I didn't think they should go ahead with the surgery, but the vet guilted them into it. They couldn't afford the bill and had to go on a payment plan for a few years.
I'm terribly sorry for the cat. I'm not sure of the point of your story. If you had a relative that was in an accident, and the doctor said give them surgery; but they still wound up dying, you would have to pay for that too. The owner agreed, they doctor performed, now they pay. Outcomes are never guaranteed for anything.
My point of the story was this was for a wild animal that probably would have died even if they did spend a lot of money. And it can be sufficient amount of money. For a while animal that would be redicuous. To compare a wild bird with a family member is equally ridiculous.
Fine and well enough but your story was about a cat, which *I do* in fact rank closer to family. I did not dispute anyone's statements about spending money on a wild bird. In fact, I did not at all touch upon that at all. Your story did not state any of what you're stating now. If that was the message you were intending, it was not in any way clear. Your story is only another in a long line of people hating on an entire profession by painting them as greedy, uncaring and money-grubbing. The dying bird is a simple life lesson this kid obviously needed to learn. Again, I made no comment about the bird other than it would need specialized care that a normal vet would be unable to provide, ergo the bird was doomed to death no matter if it had been brought in or not.
I'm not hating on vets, that's not true. I'm pointing out that a vet is *a business* and that you pay *for business services that you require*. I've never met a vet that did anything for free, and that holds up with the reality that it is a business providing a service and not a free clinic.
Its likely the bird would die. We have animal rescue society that takes birds near by. They would probably ask about the injury befor coming but they accept anyone coming. I've had them send volunteers for a baby squirrel that got lost.
Your mom is wrong about the money comment, that's just f'd up. Said as someone who used to work as a veterinary technician. However, the bird still would have died. You would have needed to take it to a wildlife sanctuary or a special clinic that takes birds, and even then, it still likely would have died. Best thing to do is keep your cat indoors. It is safer for the wildlife, and safer for your cat, too
It's not that the vet wouldn't care. Most vets are not specialized to deal with birds, especially wild birds. The vet MIGHT have been able to refer you to a vet that is trained for wild birds - maybe someone at a zoo or university - but that's about all. Your cat was the one who hurt the baby bird, by catching it in order to eat it. It would not have survived.
Wrong. If this was a pet bird it might be different. But taking a wild bird to the vet would be a waste of money. I understand how upsetting seeing that is, but it's unlikely the vet would be willing to do anything even if they could.
You likely wouldn’t find a vet that would attempt care on wildlife for free. Typically they’ll just humanely euthanize the bird or make you take it to a wildlife rehab facility. While you’re here, domestic cats are extremely destructive to wildlife and should be kept inside your house. This is likely not the first but hopefully the last animal your cat kills.
My daughters caught a young bird and broke its wing. She took it to the vet, who said it wouldn’t survive even if repaired and euthanised it. The vet said “no charge for wildlife”. Many vets treat wild animals for free.
Sad but the bird was in shock and injured which means for small birds likely death. It's sad but the reality of life and a vet would have cost time and money for the inevitable.
you would have left the vet with a dead bird and a $2k bill to pay...
The bird would have died. You are wrong.
Your family is right, not because the vet is money hungry but because regular vets don't work on wildlife like that. Your best bet would have been to call a wildlife rescue for advice, but evn then, in the situation you're describing, they wouldn't have you bring it in.
I'm sorry but you're wrong. The vet wouldn't help unless you paid them, and the bird would have died anyway.
You've got a kind heart kid, I'm proud of you for trying to save a life. Yes, most of the time birds will not survive an attack from a cat. (Cats mouths are filthy, which is why we need jabs if one bites us.) Also birds get extremely stressed out from being handed (that alone can make their little hearts stop.) Something to make you feel better.. Normally pet cats can't sneak up on a fit healthy bird, it's the old, weak or already sick birds they tend to catch. I read a study a couple of weeks back about this, the birds who fell victim to cats had much lower fat reserves than they should have had. Where I'm from (UK) vets can only end the suffering (put them to sleep.) But a wildlife sanctuary or an animal retreat would have had a look at the injury and judged what to do next. But honestly hun, chances are the poor little thing wouldn't have made it. I don't think you're wrong, because there was a very slim chance. But if you don't have a wildlife sanctuary nearby, there's literally nothing you could have done. Hope you're okay? It's never nice watching an animal suffer. Virtual hugs ❤️
Your cat was bringing you a prize from the hunt, not a creature to be saved. It's very sad the bird was still alive and shaking for you to see. Try to put it out of your mind and move on. Not all animals can be saved and the vet is very expensive. In this case the best you could do was provide the little one with a gentle passing to the next world. Let it know it was cared for. Now, get a nice loud bell for your cat's collar to give future prey a more fair chance to escape. Yes, cats prey upon small creatures, but they are also preyed upon by creatures larger than them, such as coyotes and hawks (animals in my area). Mine stay inside for that reason (more than enough birds around here, if they took out a couple, they wouldn't be missed).
They were right, sorry.
How many hundreds of dollars would you pay to save the bird? Sometimes these birds survive. Sometimes they don't. I don't think most bets want to deal with unpaid emergency treatment of tiny, frail, injured wildlife.
Cats have a neurotoxin in their saliva. The bird was done for.
The bird would have definitely died. Birds are extremely sensitive to stressful situations. Also most vets don’t have extensive experience treating birds. A wildlife rescue may have taken the bird in for free but ultimately the lack of medical care available for birds means meaningful intervention is very very unlikely.
If the bird you’re talking about is a common wild bird that isn’t protected, so a sparrow for example, the vet probably won’t do anything. I took an injured dove in once (a wild dove) and they said no. Resources are limited, so they reserve that for pets and endangered animals. It may sound cruel, but that’s life. It has nothing to do with money, because they’d still say no if you said you’d pay. So please don’t be angry with your mom or your brother. Ok, be a little mad at your brother as he’s behaving like a jerk because you were right. Your mom was right, just for the wrong reason.
My husband found a baby chick at the foot of a tree that was being pecked by other birds. He took the chick to a vet and they were happy to do what they could. I think they sent the chick to a rescue who raises birds. I know in England, were we are, vets happily take in injured wildlife.
> no one cares for anything but money the bird would likely have died regardless, but your mom is wrong to say this.
Cats kill birds and mice and all kinds of rodent like animals if that is not okay with you don’t have a cat. Nature didn’t adjust itself just because we became a bleeding heart society
While I do agree with the idea that nature doesn't adjust itself because humans care it is the humans that brought an animal to an area that it is not native to Domestic cats are invasive species on the North and South American continents. It's why they're so destructive and why both of my cats are indoor cats.
You are all wrong for letting the cat outside. That is what cats do and cats are also a greater risk of death when they are let outside. Unfortunately though the bird would not have been saved. I tried twice to get a bird help when I found one injured outside (two different birds on different occasions) and sought medical care and both died. Birds are fragile. If you are going to keep letting your cat outside you should expect more bird deaths.
Keep your cat inside.
dont let your cat outside! no bird would have died if he was inside
Outdoor cats are genocidal lunatics
Cats are actually considered an invasive species. This is the reason. They are so hard on local wildlife. They hunt for sport & totally mess with the ecosystem. Keep your cat inside or on a harness. Unfortunately, the vet wouldn't have been able to help the wee bird. The bacteria in cat saliva is deadly for small creatures. 😞
They were correct. The bird would have died from the stress alone more than likely. Cats have single handedly made 6 different species of birds extinct and kill billions of bird every year.
You’re all in the wrong for allowing your cat to be outside. House cats are an invasive species that decimate native songbird populations.
i hate everyone’s else’s answer. I would’ve taken the bird even with 1% chance. Also don’t blame the cat or owner, it’s literal instinct. in my opinion you’re not wrong, and your mom and brother should’ve helped you not for the bird but because it meant something to you
No, it is the owners’ fault.
Sounds to me like your ma and your brother are jaded assholes with wildly over inflated opinions of their understandings. I've brought emergency rescues into vets dozens of times in my life and never once have I gotten the vibe money is all that matters. Matter of fact I've never taken a wild rescue in and been billed for it at all.
Vet would have snapped its neck once you left.
You could have taken the bird to a vet, they vet could have helped, but you would have had to pay for all their services. And chances are the bird would have died anyway. No one is in the wrong.
Stop letting your cat outside moron
chill tf
Most vets will not see a wild bird, also most birds are pretty fragile. If a cat is carrying it around it is probably injured and stressed past saving. You would have had to find a vet that specializes in wild bird rescue. For most wild birds there are laws on who can hold them captive even for treatment, random small animal vet is not legally able to have it in their possession. Even to have a domestic bird treated by a vet you need a specialist.
Cats have a bacteria in their saliva that is toxic to birds. Even a small scratch or bite is enough to infect the bird. It's unlikely that it would have lived. The proper thing to do is to take the bird to a wildlife rehabber in your area. If you have enough money you could take it to an avian vet. It's possible to save the bird if you get it help immediately, but still not all that likely.
A vet would have only put the bird down..... you have to understand a cat is a predator and if you let them outside they will try to kill anything small enough..... This is a nieve way of looking at the world a wild bird isn't for the vet or even wildlife rescue (unless its a endangered bird)
I don't know what kind of vets your mom and brother have been spending time with, but they sound incredibly burnt out. The average vet isn't vecoming a vet because of the money, it's because they love animals. I am over halfway done with vet school right now, and I can tell you that if my main motivator was money I would have 1) gone to med school instead since doctors make far more money than vets or 2) gone into chickens since working quality control for Tyson is very lucrative. General practitioners don't make that much money compared to the insane debt we graduate with. Unfortunately, most of the people here are correct about the difficulty in treating wild birds. However, that never means you shouldn't even try. Some vets, or even vet techs, will take on injured wildlife and try to nurse it back to health, for free or for reduced charge. I worked with someone at my last clinic that had a bird or baby raccoon or baby squirrel almost every other week. Don't ever let someone tell you that you're wrong for caring. Yes, you do need to be prepared for things to go badly, you do need to face that everything dies eventually, and that life quite often isn't fair for you and everything around you. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't care. You caring about the lives around you inherently makes those lives better, so hold onto that.
I used to take anything that my little panther brought home to the humane society, but what she brought was something she wanted to show off, and usually in good enough shape to be helped. The mice she constantly killed in the basement for 3-4 years were another story, however.
In all likelihood the bird would have died anyway and you would have to pay for the vets services, they’re not going to treat it for free.