KevinC
Strolling the yard
- Joined
- 1/18/21
- Messages
- 125
- Real Name
- Kevin N. Carpenter
One of the biggest stumbling blocks I have right now in my search for a Macaw is the lack of an Avian Vet nearby. The closest is a 2 hour drive, and its curbside only service right now. I suspect a full 24x7 emergency avian vet might be available in Kansas City, St. Louis, or Des Moines - all of which are 3+ hours away.
Doesn't help that I hate hospitals with them being pools of infection. Kind of feel the same way about most vets... (we do our own cow vaccinations, cow and horse deworming, etc. Most large animal meds are readily available in all the local hardware stores. In fact, use some of those on ourselves occasionally - many are great (like Iodine spray with lidocaine for abrasions)). What I don't have for large animals some neighbor will - we share during animal emergencies.
We do have several small animal (and being a cow farm) large animal vets within 45 minutes, but none have avian experience.
So... its time to make a hard decision: Do I proceed with looking for a bird? Am I evil and self-centered if I do?
I believe we would provide a great home for a large bird, as we do for a dozen+ of my daughters smaller birds. As a family, we have even sketched out some indoor (20x20 L shaped in my workshop - goodbye tractor work area) and outdoor (40x60x12) flight aviaries. Both of which are doable, although I'd probably choose one. But all I hear for care is "Take it to your vet!". The Gabriel Foundation training virtually has that as a motto every paragraph.
Your thoughts?
Doesn't help that I hate hospitals with them being pools of infection. Kind of feel the same way about most vets... (we do our own cow vaccinations, cow and horse deworming, etc. Most large animal meds are readily available in all the local hardware stores. In fact, use some of those on ourselves occasionally - many are great (like Iodine spray with lidocaine for abrasions)). What I don't have for large animals some neighbor will - we share during animal emergencies.
We do have several small animal (and being a cow farm) large animal vets within 45 minutes, but none have avian experience.
So... its time to make a hard decision: Do I proceed with looking for a bird? Am I evil and self-centered if I do?
I believe we would provide a great home for a large bird, as we do for a dozen+ of my daughters smaller birds. As a family, we have even sketched out some indoor (20x20 L shaped in my workshop - goodbye tractor work area) and outdoor (40x60x12) flight aviaries. Both of which are doable, although I'd probably choose one. But all I hear for care is "Take it to your vet!". The Gabriel Foundation training virtually has that as a motto every paragraph.
Your thoughts?