The Well-Bird Check-up
What to Expect at Your First, or Yearly, Visit to the Vet
When you bring home a new bird, the first thing you should do is set up a visit with your avian veterinarian. This exam will help you both to determine if your bird is healthy, and if you should expect any health problems in the near future. Your vet can also advise you on dietary issues.
To Vet or Not To Vet?
Some people don't like taking their bird to the vet's for well-bird check-ups because they believe their bird will be exposed to all sorts of diseases. Other people bring their bird in every year for a check-up. You can decide what works best for you and your bird, but I do recommend at least bringing your bird in for a new bird check-up, so that you establish a relationship with an avian vet. The worst time to try to find a vet is when your bird is sick and you don't know what to do (this, by the way, usually happens on the weekend at night, when vet clinics are closed!). Discuss your options with your vet. I personally like having a vet in my corner, because birds instinctively hide all signs of illness. By the time you notice your bird is sick, it could be too late. Regular vet exams can help to catch illness and disease early.
Health Guarantee
If you obtained your bird through a pet store or breeder, you should have been given a health guarantee. This guarantee should have stipulated that you have a certain amount of time (a week or so is a good time-frame) in which to get your bird to a vet. If the bird is sick, the source of your bird should pay for any associated costs to get your bird healthy.
The well-bird checkup will most likely consist of the following:
• History. Your vet should take a thorough history on your bird. You will probably have to fill out an information sheet to be kept in your bird's file that will include a lot of this information. Your vet will want to know your bird's age, where you got her from, her sex (if you know it), what you're feeding her, what kind of cage she lives in, if you've given her any medications, etc.
• Physical Exam. Your vet should do a physical exam. He may watch your bird as she sits on a perch in the exam room. He should take your bird's weight and tell you if this weight is normal. He may towel your bird in order to feel her keel bone (the breast bone) to determine if your bird is the right weight, and to see if there are any abnormalities along the body.
• Droppings Exam. Your vet will probably want to look inside the carrier that you used to bring your bird in with, and look at any droppings. Your vet will look at the color and shape to determine if your bird could have any underlying illnesses.
• Cultures and Gram Stain. Your vet will probably take a swab of her vent (the opening below her tail) to send to a lab to be analyzed for any viruses or infections. The vet may also take a swab of the inside of your bird's mouth to send off for testing.
• Blood Tests. If your vet suggests it, or if you request it, you vet can draw blood from your bird to be tested for any illnesses such as Psittacosis. A Complete Blood Count will look at your bird's immune system to see if she's fighting anything. A Blood Chemistry panel can look for at other systmes in the body, including mineral and vitamin deficiences. I requested one Blood Chemistry Panel few years ago for my African grey to test her Calcium levels. A blood test can also be used to determine your bird's sex if you are interested, though the test can be a bit pricey.
• Possible Vaccines. Unless your bird is very young and you are concerned about Polyoma Virus, your bird most likely will not get any vaccines. There are very few vaccines available for birds, and the Polyoma vaccine is generally only used on young birds.
• Grooming. If your bird needs her nails or wings trimmed, your vet or a vet tech can do that right in the office.
• Question and Answer. You should use this time to ask your vet any questions you might have on diet and nutrition, bringing your bird to meet friends and relatives, caging, etc. Your vet might recommend some good bird books or bird magazines.
Cost
Your vet visits will cost a bit more than your vet visits for your dog or cat. Avian vets are specialists who have studied longer than regular vets, and their prices will reflect that. Prices for well-bird check-ups vary depending on what area of the country you live in, but expect anywhere from $50 to $100. For a brand new bird, your exam might be more thorough, and you should expect to pay upwards of $300 for a new bird exam. You need to factor in the cost of yearly well-bird visits into the cost of your bird, and you should also be prepared for emergency visits, which can be very expensive.
Spay/Neuter
Birds are not able to be routinely spayed or neutered at this time. Unless you are having severe behavioral problems that your vet feels are hormonally caused, there is no reason to have your bird spayed or neutered.
