Choosing an Avian Vet

By Theresa Pascarella

SO! You've got your bird...you're feeding it right and it seems healthy...all the more reason to choose an avian vet right now. It's very important to make contact with and maintain a good relationship with a qualified veterinarian.

"Why?" you ask. My bird's not sick. I'll just wait. If it ever does get sick, I'll find somebody then.

Well, if you are someone who takes that stance, by the time you observe your feathered friend's distress, locate a veterinarian skilled in avian care and get an appointment, your parrot may be beyond the reach of medical help. You need to establish a good regimen of preventative care and you must be familiar enough with your bird's daily routine to notice symptoms before they become something permanent, like death. Birds are extremely good at masking illness. And you know the old saying about an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure? Well, in this case, it rings true! The best thing to do is find a vet now.

And you ask, "OK, Ms. WiseBottoms, how do I find the perfect avian vet for my parrot and me?" Well, I'm here to help. If you have other pets and your current vet does not handle birds, ask that vet for a recommendation. Another place to start your search is the source of your bird: the breeder. Prior to purchase, ask them for a recommendation for good veterinary care. But the bottom line is, ASK! Get information from someone you trust and someone reliable.

OK, now, you think you're ready to make an appointment. But how do you know you made the right choice? What criteria will you use to judge whether or not you can be confident with the care your parrot recieves? I suggest that before you bring your bird in, you request a tour of the facility. A guided tour serves two purposes. First, it allows you to beome familiar with your pet care provider(s). Secondly, it shows the provider that you are serious about the quality of care your parrot receives. During the tour, you'll be able to tell whether or not this facility is suited to you and your bird. You can base this decision on four important factors. They are: office environment/equipment, the doctor & support staff, the financial factor (fees), and after hours (emergency) care. These factors are very closely related, so your overall opinion of the facility should guide you in this decision.

The first contact you have with the facility will be support staff, the receptionist, and the waiting room. He or she should make you feel at ease, be friendly and helpful. When you get to the office, your registration should be equally pleasant. The office and staff should present an atmosphere of caring. You may have health forms to fill out, asking for contain pertinent information, like biographical data (age, species, sex, if known, etcetera) for your bird, dietary information and a description of your bird's daily routine. You may be asked to bring things along besides you parrot, such as a sample of its droppings, or a whole day's worth (a cage liner would provide that). While you're waiting, look around the room. Are you comfortable? Is it clean? Are there reading materials to interest you in case of a 10 to 15 minute wait (which, unless there is extenuating circumstances, like an emergency, should be as long as you should truly have to wait) for your doctor.

Once inside, an avian hospital room should be well stocked, with a refrigerator, heat, oxygen and humidity sources, and there should be separate rooms for examination/treatment and surgery. Don't be afriad to ask about surgery, too, particularly anesthesics. Find out if they use isoflurane, which is the least harmful inhaled anesthetic, both for birds and humans. Although it is expensive, it is one of the preferred avian anesthetics on the market today.

The doctor and staff are next up for your scrutiny. The vet should handle his patients gently and firmly, with skill and confidence. Even the most large-beaked, uncooperative parrot has to be held calmly and carefully to be examined and treated. AND then there is the owner to deal with, too. Does your vet answer your questions in a way that you can understand, without a lot of unfamiliar terms? If the staff is at all patronizing and you are uncomfortable, walk away and keep looking for another vet.

While we would all agree that the quality of care our pets receive is priority one, you can't ignore the expense question. People in your community can tell you what to expect and whether or not the doctor's fees are in line with what is customary. Be sure to ask someone on staff about fees and payment policies, including large, unexpected emergency bills.

This is the last, but certainly not least factor to consider: emergencies. Sometimes, vetertinarians employ answering services after hours to screen calls and forward emergency cases. Some vets actually handle the calls themselves. And some offices (with more than one veterinarian practitioner) may have an on-call rotation for 24-hour-a-day client service. In any case, you need to ask about after hours care, since most potentially serious situations happen after everyone has gone home for the night, or left for the weekend.

And when you finally do take your parrot to the vet, please, Please, PLEASE...NEVER take your bird to the vet unrestrained. There are so many stories of parrot owners selfishly failing to consider the dangers to their pet while travelling to the vet. A vet's office is full of hazards which can result in a bird taking flight, and thereby flying into serious injury, or worse, death.

Well, that's a lot to think about, isn't it? But it's a subject that, as a caring parrot owner, you have to consider. It's your bird's good health. Until next time... get those pictures in for the contest and don't get your feathers ruffled!

About the Author:

I am married with two children, a dog, two cats and a parrot. One would think that living in Clinton, Iowa makes for a rather sheltered life, but my experiences have not always been as quiet and peaceful. And with my "zoo-ish household," my life is anything but peaceful!

I have a bachelor's degree in education, (which I earned after returning to school at age 30)and I teach natural science (K-8) at a local nature center. I have writing and editorial experience as I was heavily involved with our college newspaper. I do not shrink away from a challenge, well hardly ever, anyway. Another field that interests me is environmental education. I don't really have a lot of internet experience or knowledge but I do learn quickly. I believe in a life long learning philosophy!
So, that's it I guess. Unless you really want to get personal...and I really don't think we know one another all THAT well, do you? No, I thought not. In that case, case closed. Just give me a try.

Theresa may be contacted by email at  pascart@yahoo.com.

Article courtesy of Suite101.com.