Vet opinions on foraging

[gibsongrrrl]

have any of you ever had an avian vet say they don't agree with/support foraging? Mine did today and I thing my jaw is still unhinged. I'm too furious to discuss the rest of the visit, but am just curious if anyone has ever heard that before.

 

[MandaExotics]

have any of you ever had an avian vet say they don't agree with/support foraging? Mine did today and I thing my jaw is still unhinged. I'm too furious to discuss the rest of the visit, but am just curious if anyone has ever heard that before.

errrr... can I ask the vet's logic behind that? I've never heard that one.

 

[janicedyh]

What the XXXX! Really? Did he attempt an explanation WHY?

 

[gibsongrrrl]

Because parrots are diurnal. Seriously. Mind blown. I didn't really care to ask her to elaborate because I was so mad at that point. I was given quite a bit of "interesting" opinions today. I was so mad I actually left and pulled into a parking lot and cried before I could drive home.

 

[janicedyh]

Possible to change vets?

 

[gibsongrrrl]

Yeah I'm looking already. There is one left in the area for me to try that is board certified but his clinic also sees dogs and cats. I haven't been able to get a reference on him until last week actually. A guy remembered talking birds with me at my work and brought his white front Amazon in to visit and we talked about this vet because he's been treating the bird for aspergillosis. Thinking its a sign.

 

[gibsongrrrl]

Have to take Weeble back to this vet for a second Lupron shot in 12 days and I'm going to stick it out through that, but will probably try the other after. Everyone is coming due for their annuals in the next few months.

 

[janicedyh]

Did this guy make any sense at all?

 

[gibsongrrrl]

You know I thought she was very capable and knowledgeable, which is why I have put up with the attitude this far, but today no sense was made. If I did what she said my bird would be sitting in the cage all day with no toys or food. There seems to be a need to have everyone be wrong but her. I mean like after I listed all the environment, diet, and attention giving changes I have already made in relation to this hormonal business we have been dealing with, she acted like I had said none of that and told me to do all of the things I had just said I had done before coming in for the hormone shot. Didn't even believe me when I said she had lost 10% of her body weight. said it was speculation. I said "no I weigh her every other day". Weight was exactly what I said it would be. I just don't get it.

 

[rocky'smom]

My brain exploded reading that first statement. WOW!!!!!
Dr. Tony & Dr. Barb both encourage forging for my two. Tony would prefer that all their food other then their soft food be forging. that is a lot of making of food toys for them. here is his reasoning, in the wild they have to find every speck of their nutrition by working for it. whether it's flying from place to place, digging up their seeds from the ground, working hard to eat every day. they a forging animals period, WTF does she think the wild ones do to eat run the grocery store. DUHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! time to find a different vet.

 

[janicedyh]

Who knows, maybe when you go back she will recommend foraging

 

[gibsongrrrl]

Who knows, maybe when you go back she will recommend foraging

Lol! I would probably fall out dead right in the office

 

[gibsongrrrl]

My brain exploded reading that first statement. WOW!!!!!
Dr. Tony & Dr. Barb both encourage forging for my two. Tony would prefer that all their food other then their soft food be forging. that is a lot of making of food toys for them. here is his reasoning, in the wild they have to find every speck of their nutrition by working for it. whether it's flying from place to place, digging up their seeds from the ground, working hard to eat every day. they a forging animals period, WTF does she think the wild ones do to eat run the grocery store. DUHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! time to find a different vet.

Totally agree!

 

[MandaExotics]

I let my nocturnal hamster forage as well as my diurnal birds. Honestly if I kept my IRN the way some people do and nothing for her to tear into she wouldn't have what few feathers she still has left and after testing her for everything except magical pixie dust over the years I've accepted that so long as she's not mutilating she may not ever be a fully feathered fid. I can't bring myself to try lupron not knowing if it will work just for a few feathers even though my vet has mentioned it on the list of maybes.

 

[rocky'smom]

I make forging toys for the birds in the clinic, they provide the food, and toy making supplies, I provide the time. let's see if I can remember all the types of toys I have made. nutriberries wrapped in coffee filters, tied with raffia, forging pockets with pumpkin seeds in them, Dr. Paul is wood worker, and made these nifty 1x 4 pine boards that are about 4 to 10 inches long with holes drilled in here and there that nutiberries fit in then they are wrapped with hemp cording or jute from top to bottom. there is pear hook to hang in from the top of the cage.
JMHO, yes birds are diurnal but that means to me that you feed them during the day and remove food from their cages at night. Right???

 

[gibsongrrrl]

Yeah I have no idea what the reasoning behind that was.

 

[gibsongrrrl]

I literally just stared at her when she said that. Was at a total loss for words

 

[gibsongrrrl]

Meanwhile, Weebs is worn out and sad. Breaking my heart. I pulled the eggs and rearranged the cage AGAIN when we got home. She wandered around not knowing what to do with herself and came over, closed her eyes, and put her head down for lovies. The first time she layed eggs with me was almost two years ago and she just gave them up no problem. I know I had to do it since she never gave them up after the first round this time, but I'm sad for her. Hard being a bird mom sometimes. Sigh.

 

[Ankou]

Yeah, never heard that one before.
I can see why it made you suspicious of the care she can provide, it totally would have made me as well. I'd definitely be shopping around if I were you and there were other options in my area. (For the record, Peanut's AV and even the desperation "exotic" vet she seen think foraging and other enrichment opportunities are fantastic. Peanut's primary vet loves that she has so much to do, I really get the impression she sees a lot of small birds with lacking care.)

I will say the same thing a friend said to me when I had a similar rant when Shadow's vet recommended an utterly rubbish dog food years ago: Care for the animal isn't always the same as the medical treatment for that animal. The food was terrible advice but the level of medical care my dogs got at this place is the best I've found in my area. So occasionally they will recommend some care I find questionable but are never disrespectful of me when I ignore some of their advice. (Which sounds like a major problem with this woman, that she knows she is right and doesn't respect decisions you've made, whether she agrees with them or not.)

So I guess ask yourself, are you happy with the level of treatment and how they care for you and your birds? It sounds like no, and that is good enough reason to try and find someone else.

Edit:
Also, I'm so sorry for your baby. I hope she feels better soon.

 

[gibsongrrrl]

Yeah, never heard that one before.
I can see why it made you suspicious of the care she can provide, it totally would have made me as well. I'd definitely be shopping around if I were you and there were other options in my area. (For the record, Peanut's AV and even the desperation "exotic" vet she seen think foraging and other enrichment opportunities are fantastic. Peanut's primary vet loves that she has so much to do, I really get the impression she sees a lot of small birds with lacking care.)

I will say the same thing a friend said to me when I had a similar rant when Shadow's vet recommended an utterly rubbish dog food years ago: Care for the animal isn't always the same as the medical treatment for that animal. The food was terrible advice but the level of medical care my dogs got at this place is the best I've found in my area. So occasionally they will recommend some care I find questionable but are never disrespectful of me when I ignore some of their advice. (Which sounds like a major problem with this woman, that she knows she is right and doesn't respect decisions you've made, whether she agrees with them or not.)

So I guess ask yourself, are you happy with the level of treatment and how they care for you and your birds? It sounds like no, and that is good enough reason to try and find someone else.

Edit:
Also, I'm so sorry for your baby. I hope she feels better soon.

Yeah I am definitely asking myself those same questions. I do trust her medically, but the care part we just don't agree on. I really don't appreciate her treating me like I'm some kind of idiot but have been happy with the medical care she has provided.

And thank you for the well wishes. I'm sure she is just tired and I'm overly sensitive now. Probably should go bowling or something to clear my mind. Ugh. Nobody messes with my Beep Boop, lol.