E-book advices on parrot care regarding vet bill

[DORIS123]

Hi everyone,

I'm currently in the process of writing an ebook on bird care, and I'm seeking your valuable input regarding vet bills. To provide readers with a realistic expectation of the costs associated with owning a bird, I would greatly appreciate it if you could share some of your vet invoices or recount a recent vet visit.

Please use the following format:

City: Parrot Species: Procedure Performed: Fee of the Procedure:

Your contributions will help ensure that readers have a better understanding of the financial aspects of bird ownership, allowing them to make informed decisions.

Thank you so much for your help.

 

[Zara]

I think that talking about the actual costs is problematic because the number can vary greatly. And if you include places outside of the USA, even more so.

I just took two lovebirds in for a beak trim. I paid 10 euros each bird. One had a lupron shot, that cost me 20. No consult fee - must have classed it as followup for my Nube.
A walk in with no appointment is about 28 euros. I have been given little pots of decanted meds costing between 3-8 euros. My check ups after incidents are free. I have been charged 10 euros for a gram stain in the past. Took Nube in for an emergency, total was 50 something, I think 55 - he was cleaned up, given meds, given a collar.

Cremation for an animal under 1 kilogram costs 170 euros.
Blood tests are around the 200 mark.

My previous vet charged 20 euros per bird just to register them before the consult fees.

I am almost positive that my costs are far lower than any American member. But I also live in a place where the average wages are also lower though.
For perspective, my first lovebird, Sydney, cost me about 8 euros from a professional aviary.

 

[Toy]

As Zara said the cost will vary greatly depending on location, procedure, species, etc.

All I can give is the amount it cost my egg bound U2 to have 2 eggs removed. $489.00. The vet (exotic) first suggested I take her to an Animal College/hospital, to see a certified Avian Vet, which would have cost an easy $2000.00 or more for the same procedure. I was quoted the cost for Lupron shots would be $600.00 for 3 shots given 2 weeks apart, with no guarantee they'd even work.

 

[Rebel]

I was quoted the cost for Lupron shots would be $600.00 for 3 shots given 2 weeks apart, with no guarantee they'd even work.

I was told by a vets tech that Lupron will not work if you dont do all of normal procedures of cage rearranging , diet change , hours of daylight etc. etc.
Whether its true or not i dont know. Just saying what i was told.

 

[Toy]

I was told by a vets tech that Lupron will not work if you dont do all of normal procedures of cage rearranging , diet change , hours of daylight etc. etc.
Whether its true or not i dont know. Just saying what i was told.

Vet never mentioned any of those things, but we've already tried them.

 

[Rebel]

Vet never mentioned any of those things, but we've already tried them.

My vet didn’t mention either. Her tech did. Maybe you should ask your vet about it. For $600 and no guarantee, id be asking lots of questions.

 

[Zara]

I was quoted the cost for Lupron shots would be $600.00 for 3 shots given 2 weeks apart, with no guarantee they'd even work.

Wowzer, that's expensive
We have to go back 10-14 days after the first shot, I haven't seen much change yet... my girl isn't laying, she's just extremely hormonal, way way way more than the usual.

 

[Shezbug]

I’ve thankfully never had an emergency or need for any vet care beyond annual check ups- every visit for those has cost me between $500-$600.

 

[sb sigmund]

Hi everyone,

I'm currently in the process of writing an ebook on bird care, and I'm seeking your valuable input regarding vet bills. To provide readers with a realistic expectation of the costs associated with owning a bird, I would greatly appreciate it if you could share some of your vet invoices or recount a recent vet visit.

Please use the following format:

City: Parrot Species: Procedure Performed: Fee of the Procedure:

Your contributions will help ensure that readers have a better understanding of the financial aspects of bird ownership, allowing them to make informed decisions.

Thank you so much for your help.

City: Fairfax VA
Parrot Species:Cockatiel
Procedure Performed: Yearly wellness check
Fee of the Procedure: $90 per bird ($270 for my 3)

Procedure Performed: Nail trim
Fee of the Procedure: $12 per bird

Procedure Performed: Bloodwork
Fee of the Procedure: $280 per bird

Only my female needed bloodwork to monitor a vitamin A defficiency

 

[GreenThing]

Agree with @Zara that vet care is very region specific-- birds and reptile exotics are very popular in SoFla, so I have multiple avian/exotic vets within just an hour's drive, but access (gas $$) and what kind of equipment the facility has (and do they run their own labs or have to send more things out) will all factor into overall cost.

For treating Percy (rapidly worsening polyuria due to gout/kidney failure that ultimately took his life, because it's important for people to know you can and should do all of this and still lose your bird)--

City: Boca Raton, FL (vets are in Greenacres and Deerfield):

Parrot Species: Budgie

Procedures Performed: Diagnostic visit + follow-up; blood work (CBC); boarding for 2-3 days to administer subcutaneous fluids; kidney-supportive herbal medication

Fee of the Procedures: $575


Treating Merlin's fungal infection:

Same cities and species.

Procedures Performed: Diagnostic visit + follow-up; blood work (CBC); gram stains; medications lactulose and prozyme powder

Fee of the Procedures: $500

Procedures Performed: Emergency visit (after misdiagnosis) fee + radiographs + anesthesia +medications Voriconazole and Nystatin + Harrison's probiotic

Fee of the Procedures: $650

Procedures Performed: Emergency visit to late night clinic; physical exam; medication Gabapentin

Fee of the Procedures: $250

I'm at $1400 with Merlin and did not include having to take Margo in for the same issues, being told she seemed healthy, and taking her back again when her breathing started to look labored.


Assessing just the cost of an individual treatment doesn't give people the whole picture-- sometimes it's trying to get an accurate diagnosis that costs the most. Budgies can't lose too much blood all at once, so that's automatically a charge for more than one visit, more than one blood draw, etc. I make considerably less than 60k annually as an academic librarian and live in an area with a full-blown housing crisis due to rents rising (a 1 bed 1 bath apartment down here is at minimum $1750/month, unless you are renting a room in someone's mobile home), so if I hadn't taken a second job as an adjunct I don't know how I would have paid for the latest crisis.

 

[sb sigmund]

Another thing- seeing an emergency vet same day is considerably more expensive than a scheduled visit. To have my Marco seen the next morning when he flew into my sliding glass door was $300. I also live in one of the most expensive/ highest earning areas in the US.