The Avian Veterinarian

It is important to find a qualified avian veterinarian - one who is trained specifically to understand the health needs of birds. See the resources section for names and contact information for avian vets in the area.

We suggest your bring your new bird to your vet for his or her first check up as soon as possible, and annually thereafter (or as prescribed by the vet) for checkups.

Things to Be Done at First Visit and Annually

• Physical exam
• Weighing of the bird
• Complete blood count and blood chemistries
• Gram stains (choanal and cloacal)
• Fecal examination (bird stool assessment)
• Psittacosis titer
• A discussion about proper nutrition and other health issues relating to your bird

Optional

• Wing and nail trimming
• Sexing
• Microchipping
• Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease test (PBFD)
• Polyomavirus test

If your bird becomes ill, we advise you to contact your avian vet immediately. Until you can do this, you should take the following precautions:

• Isolate the bird from other birds to prevent possible exposure of disease.
• Keep the bird in a quiet and warm cage.
• Make sure the birds eats and drinks water, without using any force.

Illnesses

Birds are experts at hiding their symptoms when they are ill. So, it is important that you recognize even subtle differences in your bird's appearance and behavior.

Some changes to watch for include:

• Lethargy and other changes in behavior
• Coughing and excessive sneezing
• Changes in droppings
• Weight loss
• Fluffed-up feathers
• Nasal discharge
• Broken blood feathers

Blood feathers

There is a big difference between a blood feather and a broken blood feather, in that blood feathers are normal. As a young bird grows it first feathers, and molts as an adult, it will have blood feathers. Every new feather contains blood in its shaft until it is fully developed. As the feather ages, the blood recedes. Blood feathers are nothing to be alarmed about unless you are clipping the bird's wings, in which case you have to be very careful not to cut the blood feathers. Broken blood feathers, however, should be taken seriously, whether you choose to treat them yourself or visit your vet.

If your bird has a broken blood feather, you must administer first aid or take the bird to a veterinarian. If you do not remove the broken blood feather, your bird could bleed to death. If you do this on your own, apply styptic powder or cornstarch and light pressure to bleeding area until it stops. You must remove the broken feather with your fingers or a tweezer. Until you feel more comfortable with this procedure, you should take the bird to your veterinarian for immediate care.