I also prefer vets that do the exam in front of me, rather than in the back. I am lucky to have multiple options near me of vets, but it always sucks when you barely get to talk to the actual vet about your bird!
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Do you take your bird to the vet?
- Thread starter M&M Ninja
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I dont blame you.I only go to the vets now if there is something wrong
- Joined
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I went to a place that doesn’t allow you to be with your bird. It was my first time there as i wanted to get established. I took two of my birds for wellness exams. The tech came out to get them. Not only did it take forever but after they finished the actual vet called me on my phone as opposed to face to face talking. I really think she wasn’t actually in the building.
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- 1,902
Needless to say, i never went back there.
Hi! New here! Wanted to share that our cockatiel (Gus, 7 years old) recently had not one, not two, but three in person vet visits and three phone consults! She had a strange accident (night fright) that ended up in fractured left wing metacarpals and disunion of the radius and ulna (not operable). Weird accident. We're fairly new to our area so Gus didn't have an established avian vet, or any vet for that matter. Also we're experienced bird owners and have the same mentality of not taking birds in for wellness checks but watching behavior closely for illness clues and acting on those, if that makes sense. We just forgot to look around for someone close in case we needed them. And we did. Here's what we found out: "Vets who see birds" and board certified avian vets are entirely different entities! And you don't want to have to find the right one under pressure.
Vet 1: first diagnosis and bandgage that was promptly destroyed by one angry bird; Vet 2: 8 hour trip to nearest "bird vet" for second diagnosis (a different one) who turned out to be a recent grad and a little more comfortable with birds (got the bandage to stay) but still sadly not the expert; Vet 3: experienced avian vet who had some different things to say, removed the hated bandage (surprisingly), and basically confirmed what the 3 other avain specialists I consulted by phone had to say. A bit stressful, but in retrospect I recommend at least geting established somewhere while your friend is healthy so you don't end up scrambling when there's an emergency. Like me.
Vet 1: first diagnosis and bandgage that was promptly destroyed by one angry bird; Vet 2: 8 hour trip to nearest "bird vet" for second diagnosis (a different one) who turned out to be a recent grad and a little more comfortable with birds (got the bandage to stay) but still sadly not the expert; Vet 3: experienced avian vet who had some different things to say, removed the hated bandage (surprisingly), and basically confirmed what the 3 other avain specialists I consulted by phone had to say. A bit stressful, but in retrospect I recommend at least geting established somewhere while your friend is healthy so you don't end up scrambling when there's an emergency. Like me.
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Being that Cody isn't always willing to step up and she gets car sick, I will only take her when necessary. We were supposed to get an exotic/avian vet in our town but that never happened. So the nearest avian vet is about an hour away (Not bad). I don't really like either of the vets we have near by (one is just avian and one is avian/exotic) but I guess it comes down to choosing the lesser of the 2 evils if necessary. My dogs only go when needed (my cousin used to be a vet tech and I go to her if I have any questions). But I do have one that has to have allergy shots and gets chronic ear infections so he does go pretty often, but that's about it. Some of my other dogs have never been aside from puppy shots and getting spayed/neutered.
No I do not - but I come from a family of avicuturists. Parents had birds before they had me.
Locals come to us for help with their birds.
Only time I used to go to the vet for birds was to request another bottle of worming medicine. That vet knew mother and I and that we knew what we needed. He has since retired and sold the practice.
Mum gets her worming medicine in bulk from
www.birdhealth.com.au
who she has been dealing with for years now, and we both use the same stuff.
We know how to splint wings and legs, we know how to amputate legs and toes, we know how to trim beaks and toenails. We even know how to deliver a stuck egg - mostly with success - but even Vets struggle with this.
Locals come to us for help with their birds.
Only time I used to go to the vet for birds was to request another bottle of worming medicine. That vet knew mother and I and that we knew what we needed. He has since retired and sold the practice.
Mum gets her worming medicine in bulk from
Rob Marshall | birdhealth
www.birdhealth.com.au
We know how to splint wings and legs, we know how to amputate legs and toes, we know how to trim beaks and toenails. We even know how to deliver a stuck egg - mostly with success - but even Vets struggle with this.
I tend not to go to the vet after a poor experience with one, followed by a poor experience with a different one, followed by a poor experience with a different one, followed by a poor experience with a different one, followed... well, you get the idea. I have seen two non-avian vets that gave me some confidence but they were not vets I could reliably re-engage with. My nearest avian is about two & half hours away, one way, and they are not accepting new clients. My first budgie was treated by a clueless vet who wanted to PTS my lad but my girlfriend at the time knows John Chitty and we managed to get a telephone consult from him with the local vet.
I have no access to avian vets where I am. My last-but-one visit to the vet was somewhat successful although the circumstances were beyond stressful - I had lost Gurgeh to illness and a month later Eeyore was sick with partially overlapping symptoms. For the first time in my life I was able to persuade a vet to agree to arranging poop-testing to determine if there was a common infection affecting the flock. The testing proved negative, thankfully.
I will see a vet if I think my bird needs to be PTS in order to end suffering or if I suspect a flock infection but that's about it, unless there is a purely physical issue I want addressed. My last visit was with Herman for claw-trimming and assessment of a slightly over-grown beak. Another reason I would visit is if there was a repeat of Chocobo tearing up a carpet and wrapping the fibres around her foot but that is unlikely - the carpet in question was removed straightaway and she's not been nearly as daft since then (except for that time her foot was stuck in the skirting board... but that wasn't an issue for the vet).
Starting to feel anxious now, thinking about the amount of stress Chocobo has gifted to me over the years!
I have no access to avian vets where I am. My last-but-one visit to the vet was somewhat successful although the circumstances were beyond stressful - I had lost Gurgeh to illness and a month later Eeyore was sick with partially overlapping symptoms. For the first time in my life I was able to persuade a vet to agree to arranging poop-testing to determine if there was a common infection affecting the flock. The testing proved negative, thankfully.
I will see a vet if I think my bird needs to be PTS in order to end suffering or if I suspect a flock infection but that's about it, unless there is a purely physical issue I want addressed. My last visit was with Herman for claw-trimming and assessment of a slightly over-grown beak. Another reason I would visit is if there was a repeat of Chocobo tearing up a carpet and wrapping the fibres around her foot but that is unlikely - the carpet in question was removed straightaway and she's not been nearly as daft since then (except for that time her foot was stuck in the skirting board... but that wasn't an issue for the vet).
Starting to feel anxious now, thinking about the amount of stress Chocobo has gifted to me over the years!
Chocobo makes a note - be nice to dad.
Who will feed me if he dies of a stress attack.
Who will feed me if he dies of a stress attack.
Like I said, Chocobo is a lot less daft these days and she thinks about these things nowChocobo makes a note - be nice to dad.
Who will feed me if he dies of a stress attack.
I got a clearer picture of the whole process once I started looking into my own vet tech certification, which made the steps feel way more doable and less overwhelming. It helped me sort out the timing for school, exams, and picking a specialty without feeling like I was juggling too much at once.
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TikiMyn
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I do an initial exam and disease testing so nothing will be passed on to my other flockmembers. After that, usually as needed. If something happened or something is suspicious I get it checked out.
Sometimes just because it has been a while since they saw a vet, but that is for my older flock members. A young, fit bird I don't take every year. But if they act off, show a slight symptom or something, we make an appointment.
Sometimes just because it has been a while since they saw a vet, but that is for my older flock members. A young, fit bird I don't take every year. But if they act off, show a slight symptom or something, we make an appointment.
