• Welcome to Avian Avenue! To view our forum with less advertisments please register with us.
    Memberships are free and it will just take a moment. Click here

Vet visit with flighted bird?

haze

Sprinting down the street
Avenue Veteran
Joined
11/2/15
Messages
401
Location
Houston
Real Name
Sam
I want to take my cockatiel, Pepper in to our vet for a general wellness check, but he hasn’t gone since he was a baby, when his wings had been clipped by the breeder. He is fully flighted now and quite the flyer. I am concerned about how I should keep him from flying while at the vet. Of course I will travel with him in a cage, and he is completely tamed and trained, but he is very wary around people he doesn’t know well, and flies if spooked by anything unexpected. How can I keep him safe and comfortable at the vet?
 

EkkieLu

Rollerblading along the road
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
6/26/18
Messages
4,768
Location
Shelby Twp, Mich
Real Name
Tricia
Keep him wrapped in a towel or in a harness on a leash. Either works really well!
 

haze

Sprinting down the street
Avenue Veteran
Joined
11/2/15
Messages
401
Location
Houston
Real Name
Sam
Keep him wrapped in a towel or in a harness on a leash. Either works really well!
Thanks! I’ve been working on harness training him, he’s not too keen on it yet but we are getting there!
 

Mizzely

Lil Monsters Bird Toys
Super Moderator
Vendor
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avenue Concierge
Joined
8/9/11
Messages
39,968
Location
Northern Mitten Michigan
Real Name
Shawna [she/her]
I've taken untamed, unclipped birds to the vet before. It varies by vet, but most are used to them flying around ;) For my untame birds, they usually take the out of the carrier with a towel.
 

Zara

♥❀Livin´ in Lovebird Land❀☼
Super Moderator
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avenue Concierge
Joined
1/8/18
Messages
31,366
Location
Reino de España
All of my birds are flighted, My vet will get them out of the carriers using a towel, he´s really good, he manages to keep a hold on them and then puts them back in :)
One time Jaime, the wriggler, wriggled out and flew but came straight to me because he was unsure of the new place.
The windows and doors are always closed and the door is locked from the inside so that no one can open it from the outside incase the bird gets loose.
I took a wild dove to a different vet and he did the same, took the bird out using a towel and managed to keep a hold of this flapping bird, and managed to calm the bird so it stopped wriggling. Very impressive :)

How can I keep him safe and comfortable at the vet?
A good vet will have this down to an art ;)

Relax, you guys will be fine :hug2:


edit; I never take Sydney to the vet in his harness because I don´t want to associate the two.
Harness = fun days out seeing sights and being out in beautiful places.
 

Lady Jane

Ripping up the road
Avenue Veteran
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
8/25/12
Messages
26,570
Location
Maryland
Real Name
Dianne
My vet never used a towel or anything else like that for flighted budgies. His assistant took my bird out of the cage in her hand and there was only one time they got away and they let my bird fly until he actually landed on the vets head. They usually turn out the lights and birds are easily caught when the room is darkened. For small birds towels are not necessary and will sometimes frighten them if they are not used to them.
 

tka

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
4/4/17
Messages
4,433
Location
London, UK
What everyone else said. A good avian vet will see flighted birds all the time and will have developed protocols for handling, examining and weighing them. They know that flighted birds fly and won't be fussed if Pepper does decide to fly around the room. They'll be used to catching a bird again.

Leia is usually pretty good. Her vet puts her into a large tupperware tub (with holes drilled in it) to be weighed, she's wrapped in a towel for examinations and the transfer between these and her travel cage is usually pretty smooth. Once she escaped and refused to fly back to me, step up to a hand etc but this vet deals with so many birds that they have a net. I was a bit worried about this but it was very quickly done and Leia didn't seem particularly upset by it.
 

Dona

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
3/13/18
Messages
3,625
Location
Maryland
Linnies often need nail clips every 3 months so Gigi is becoming a pro at vet visits. For her first baby exam the vet did use a little towel, but hasn't since. Gigi flew around the room once but landed on the chair and we picked her up easily. All the doors are closed and the exam room is small so it is safe. The vet has great birdie skills and is able to hold her loosely but securely and Gigi never seems stressed by the visits.

But I too was worried when she became flighted, thinking it might be crazy with her flying around the room, but I think the situation is a little unusual/scary and it's likely that Pepper would choose to stay close to you. Maybe you could put your hand loosely over him and the vet/tech could take him securely for the exam.

edit; I never take Sydney to the vet in his harness because I don´t want to associate the two.
Harness = fun days out seeing sights and being out in beautiful places.
Perfect!
 
  • Like
Reactions: tka
Top