This past Saturday was Big Bird’s turn to visit the vet, He did very well going into the travel carrier (I placed on his favorite toys in there to make it easier for him).
He had his wellness check which includes a physical examination and any nail/wing/beak trimming. Apart from that I went ahead and also had a full blood work done on him to check his stats and have a base number. It really helps to get this done at least every couple of years so if in the future you need to have blood work done because they aren’t feeling well, the doctor can compare those numbers with a base of what he has had in the past.
Aside from that he also had stool sample exam done to check for giardia and other bacterias.
Everything came back excellent.
So in regards to his plucking, the vet told me he isn’t actually plucking as much as over preening. He still has his grey down , he just over preens his feathers. She asked me about his cage size, the number of toys he has and the type of foods he eats. She told me a lot of birds pluck and over preen out of boredom. some others might do it due to dry skin. In Big Bird’s case, his skin is a tiny bit on the dry side but nothing alarming that might cause him to over preen.
She told me about foraging and how placing his food in foraging toys might help him with his boredom if he has any. Keep his mind active so to speak. I have known all this before and already doing a lot of these things with Big Bird.
So the battle against him over preening continues. It is good to know he is healthy and there are no medical issues. Our vet also recommended I bathe him at least 3 times a week. She told me to just use water, no special misting sprays…
My big Bird behaved very well. He really is the sweetest boy! He didn’t bite anyone and would step up readily. He hated being toweled to trim his nails (they used a dremmel on him) and to have blood drawn for the blood tests
But he didn't hold any ill will towards me or the vet so he got extra treats and toys when we got home.
link: La Magdalena
He had his wellness check which includes a physical examination and any nail/wing/beak trimming. Apart from that I went ahead and also had a full blood work done on him to check his stats and have a base number. It really helps to get this done at least every couple of years so if in the future you need to have blood work done because they aren’t feeling well, the doctor can compare those numbers with a base of what he has had in the past.
Aside from that he also had stool sample exam done to check for giardia and other bacterias.
Everything came back excellent.
So in regards to his plucking, the vet told me he isn’t actually plucking as much as over preening. He still has his grey down , he just over preens his feathers. She asked me about his cage size, the number of toys he has and the type of foods he eats. She told me a lot of birds pluck and over preen out of boredom. some others might do it due to dry skin. In Big Bird’s case, his skin is a tiny bit on the dry side but nothing alarming that might cause him to over preen.
She told me about foraging and how placing his food in foraging toys might help him with his boredom if he has any. Keep his mind active so to speak. I have known all this before and already doing a lot of these things with Big Bird.
So the battle against him over preening continues. It is good to know he is healthy and there are no medical issues. Our vet also recommended I bathe him at least 3 times a week. She told me to just use water, no special misting sprays…
My big Bird behaved very well. He really is the sweetest boy! He didn’t bite anyone and would step up readily. He hated being toweled to trim his nails (they used a dremmel on him) and to have blood drawn for the blood tests
But he didn't hold any ill will towards me or the vet so he got extra treats and toys when we got home.
link: La Magdalena
wonderful news!! what peace of mind uh? you give that snuggle bunny a big kiss from me...awwww
