Question on vet checks?

[Ronda477]

Ok I know this is going to be a touchy subject. But I want to know the views on it. I think it will basically be almost like clip or no clip well almost.

 

I agree and totally understand with no doubt that if I were to see behavior that wasn't normal I would take my birds to the vet. But the question lies here. As parents of our own children when they are babies we take them to the doctor for well visits. Do we do the same for our birds? I have had our Quaker now for 9 years and she has never seen a vet. SweetHeart our TAG has never seen a vet. The closest avian vet around here is almost 2 hours away, and of course in a heart beat would take them if something were wrong. I didn't take SweetHeart because I didn't want to put her through anything else after what we had to deal with the flight we had. That was bad enough and she seemed very healthy and was eating fine and still is, although a little picky, but still eats her pellets and seed all the time. I know I will get some people upset by this and I do not wish harm on my birds at all, just hope you all understand what we went through and didn't want to put her through any more. When besides the terrible flight she seemed perfectly healthy and still does. So do you take them when they are acting strangely? Or do you take them every year regardless? I hope I went get bashed for this I honestly would like to know, cause even though I took my children when they were real young, I don't now unless they are sick. So would appreciate your responses to this and please keep in mind I'm not trying to start anything!! Just would like to know what everyone does with their birds. Thank you!!!

[judygram]

Here is the truth from me, I did take Josey to the avian vet for a well checkup and to have bloodwork done and probably will every year but I have yet to take Sunny, my sun conure in to see the vet, don't ask me why I take one and not the other.

 

It really is a personal matter, if you feel better with Sweetheart getting an annual workup on her then do it otherwise just take her in when you suspect she is ill. But if you do an annual thing then the vet becomes more familiar with her and can better diagnose and prescribe meds when he/she knows a little of the history of a particular bird.

 

I know you don't want to create any more stress for her since she has come thru so much but in my opinion it would benefit her in the long run.

[spookyhurst]

My vet suggests having a well-bird checkup once a year, and bloodwork once every other year. I'm going to follow his advice. Since birds don't generally show illness until they're very sick, you can't really rely on them to let you know when they don't feel well. The vet could discover a problem while it was in it's early stages and still easily treatable. Also, if you have some baseline bloodwork done, it's a good way to detect a problem down the line if any of the numbers drastically change.

 

When I adopted Nikko, the rescue did a full work up on her. It turned out she had a bacterial infection, although she looked and acted perfectly healthy. I treated her with antibiotics for a couple of weeks, the vet retested her, and the infection was gone. It's hard to say if the infection would have eventually made her real sick, or if it would have cleared up on its own.

 

The costs aren't as bad as people think. My dog's vet bills are much higher than Nikko's. I think the checkup was $50, and the bloodwork was maybe $80 or $90.

 

Also, in case you ever have a bird health emergency, it's good for you and your bird to already have an established relationship with a vet

[danmcq]

I took Dayo in for a wellness check-up the same week I brought him home. this was even though I knew he was fine at the breeders and still was after I had got him home. I just did it for peace of mind in knowing that he had a clean bill of health.

 

One thing to note on behaviour issues. The first thing anyone will tell you, is to take them in for a wellness check. The underlying cause could be a health problem.

 

That is a long haul for a visit when you think all is well. But, since sweetheart has never been, she could well have an underlying issue causing her to be irritable and not wanting to be handled.

 

I would do it just for peace of mind. I figure your asking because you aren't at peace with NOT taking sweetheart, just to make sure. :-)

 

So your probably asking us, hoping we'll all probably say "Na, she's fine", but we won't B)

 

I say this with the utmost respect for you and love for you and Sweetheart as beloved friends. :-)<br><br>Post edited by: danmcq, at: 2008/02/05 22:23

[HilaryQ]

Ronda, as a veterinary student about to enter my final year of clinics, here is my humble advice. A bird vet is obviously ideal, but if the closest one is 2 hours away I personally wouldn't hesitate to call around locally and find out what vets are familiar with (and like) treating birds. They may not be a boarded avian veterinarian but that doesn't mean they aren't more than qualified anyway. I myself plan on treating birds, dogs, and cats equally (and equally well) but I do not plan on getting boarded.

 

 

If you have a local vet, if you ever have a crisis you don't need to drive 2 hours (and let's face it, two hours may be too long if your bird is having a traumatic or respiratory crisis). Also, the yearly checkups won't seem so bad -- just a quick pop-in pop-out visit and you're home again - no ordeals necessary!! So call around to your local vets and find out who sees birds on a regular basis. I bet you'll be surprised!

hilary<br><br>Post edited by: HilaryQ, at: 2008/02/06 03:16

[Ronda477]

Thank you everyone! I will check into the vets around here but to be honest with you almost all of the ones around here just deal with horses and cows lol.

 

One reason I was asking is, we are seriously considering getting a Goffin Cockatoo and well we probably will be shipping again. I'm crossing my fingers!! I have already told this breeder what happened to SweetHeart and she assured me she would check more than twice that she has the right airport. But since we have to drive already almost an hour and half to get to the airport the Vet is just 10 minutes away from there. I planned on taking the new one just because, and thought that maybe I should go ahead and take SweetHeart as well. I just hate to put her through a car ride that long and in a carrier. We are barely making progress with her and I do believe that would set us back, way back! So if anyone has any advice on that note let me know lol. I don't want anyone to talk me out of it, just don't want to push what sweetheart and I already have built, which by the way she did really good today!! But thank you all so far! It's just soooo confusing lol!

[judygram]

Ronda have you ever put her in a travel carrier? You really should be doing that to get her used to it and take her somewhere fun so she will not associate the carrier with just going to the vet.

 

I have taken Josey to work and out to other places in her travel cage and she does not mind it at all. I even take her with me when I go visit my son in WV and that is a little over a 4 hour ride, she does fine, plays and rides well.

 

I hate to see you have a setback but this is something you should do.

[Ronda477]

lol Judy never thought of that but actually that would be really hard for me right now cause I can't even really handle her too much. Like I said I am working with her every day, but in baby steps. The last time she was in the carrier was when she was shipped to us, so yes I do have one but she is afraid of it. I will have to work on that one I guess as well

[spookyhurst]

I tried to "ease" Nikko into getting used to her carrier, but after a few months of no progress, I decided to stuff her in. Sounds cruel, but it all worked out. As soon as she was in, we took her to the park. The second time I had to stuff her in as well, but after that she started associating her carrier with fun times. Whenever she sees it now, she stretches, poops, and puts her foot out to be picked up . I never have a problem getting her in it anymore.

 

Perhaps you should get Sweetheart a different carrier. I highly recommend the Adventure Pack, which many online pet stores carry. Talon has one too.

[judygram]

Josey has one too and I had no problem getting her into one either but you may just have to do like Spooky said and stuff her in anyway but take her somewhere fun and keep doing it until she knows it means having fun, and do this a few times before you ever take her to the vet.

[Tari]

I have taken all new birds in for a well pet check up when I first get them. Moslty so the vet knows them and they have a record. And to make sure they have nothing to give my birds before QT is up.

But unless they get sick I don't take them again. If they did not charge an arm and a let I would go every year.

Joey has been three times.

Que has been once.

Tapaz has been once.

Dandy the plucker has been a dozen or so times cause of the plucking.

Budgies have never been.

Doodlebug the p'let has been once right after mate passed away.

 

Post edited by: Tari, at: 2008/02/06 14:48<br><br>Post edited by: Tari, at: 2008/02/06 14:49

[Shamelessmuse]

I strongly believe in well checks. I have seen many times where they have made a difference. I was a vet tech for a long time and often on a well check we found a problem. And, when you catch it before it is obvious you often take a problem that would not have been that expensive and turn it into something really experience. Also, I know with many of the avian vets in my area...they will allow you to call them durning closed hours if you are a regular client. So if I have a problem at 2am I can call versus if I am not an active problem I am going to the ER with a doc that rarely treats birds in an emergency. I personally for Greyce would prefer an Avian boarded or board eligible doc over a regular vet that sees some birds. The reason being is that Greys have some health issues that are unique to the breed that can quickly get out of hand. I do know one vet that isn't boarded, that I would use if she was still in the area...but she has done 50% birds with a high Grey and Cockatoo population for over 10 years. She should honestly go ahead and get boarded really. Anyway...my 2 cents!

[Talon]

Spooky, that's a great story. But it worked!! Talon loves her adventure pack. I use it a lot. I never had to stuff her in it tho, she always went willingly, but even more so now, as you said, it means a trip and fun for them. She loves the car, she happily goes in it for that ride! :woohoo: