Care of Parrot

You don't have to be a veterinarian to be able to take care of an injured bird on your own. Of course, anything major is beyond your control but you can do some first aid before hand. It can save the bird's life.

1. Heat

Temperature is important with parrots. At least 85 degrees are needed to keep these birds warm. If they are warm enough, they will use their metabolic energy and their resources to keep their body temperature to at least 104 degrees.

This is the reason why, you need to increase the temperature if you have a sick bird in your hand. You will be able to save a lot of their energy when the temperature is close to what their body needs. This will allow them to conserve most of their energy to fighting the illness.

2. Humidity
Humidity is vital when you are dealing with an illness that is caused by a respiratory problem. If it is just a wound or a physical energy, humidity is not that essential. This is because humidity allows the parrot to breathe easily as it eases the passage of air. Respiratory problems in parrots are often seen through the odd noises that they make when they breathe. Their breathing will be wheezy and raspy. There will be significant movement in the tail when they have problems in breathing.

Another sign is when they hold their beaks open to breathing. If you have it in your house, use a vaporizer or a humidifier to help keep the humidity stable. If you don't have this, you can improvise and take the parrot inside a bathroom. Turn the hot water faucet on. This will help keep the room humid.

3. Water or liquids
Like humans, parrots need water or liquid to keep them going. High temperature such as fever and problems in the body can drain the body of its fluids. To give water to parrots, you can use a spoon or syringe. Your finger can even be used. Do not use just water. Grape or apple juice are good choices. So is a bottled water with honey on it.

4. Taking it easy and rest
Rest is what everybody needs to help the parrot regain its strength back. An injured or ill parrot may be placed in a dark room where he cannot do much of anything but sleep and rest. Noise will jar them awake while the lure of toys and colorful and shiny stuff will only tempt them to move around.


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First Aid for Parrots

Unfortunately, accidents can - and DO happen, so it's always a good idea to be prepared! While accidents usually produce obvious injuries, illnesses are often kept well hidden by birds. In nature, if you're sick you pose a threat in making your whole flock vulnerable to predators, so parrots have become adept at masking signs of illness. This is one reason that it's vital to have a "well bird" check-up annually. Needless to day, once a bird is showing obvious signs of illness, he's often very sick and needs immediate vet attention. First Aid is intended to help you get by until you can see the vet, or in treating minor injuries.

It's helpful to have a "hospital cage" for emergencies - a smaller, easily portable cage where you can isolate a sick or injured bird and easily move him to a warm, quiet, area of your home. It's advisable to have a quarantine area as well - for new birds coming into the home, as well as sick birds recovering from an infection. This area should be well separated from the rest of your birds to prevent air-borne transmission of germs, as well as those spread by direct contact.

Some of the signs of possible illness include: more time on cage floor, talking and playing less, fluffed feathers, lack of appetite, drinking more water, personality changes (such as becoming bitey or not wanting to come out of the cage), tail bobbing, puffy eyes, sleeping on both feet with head tucked, droopy wings, sneezing or coughing, "clicking" in chest, vomiting, diarrhea, soiled vent, etc. I won't go into specific diseases here, but hopefully you get the general idea - if things are "different," get to the vet! Other problems include broken blood feathers or egg binding.

It's a good idea to put together a first aid kit (Your Parrot Place has a nice one for sale!) 

Include:

· Eye and skin wash

· Styptic powder

· Corn starch

· Antiseptic wipes

· Cotton Swabs and balls

· Eye dropper

· Assorted bandages - gauze, adhesive, vet wrap

· Scissors

· Latex Gloves

· Forceps or hemostats

· Betadine or iodine swabs

· Adhesive tape

· Penlight

· Heating pad and/or lamp

· Hydrogen peroxide

· Pedialyte (Electrolyte solution for babies)

· Hand feeding formula and syringes

· Phone number for vets and poison control

Generally, with any illness or injury, remove the bird to a hospital cage and put him in a warm, quiet, dimly lit room (bathrooms can work). Provide fresh water (and Pedialyte if needed). Feed favorite foods (healthier things you know he'll eat) plus warm foods like cooked rice or oatmeal. IN addition, spray millet is often enjoyed by smaller birds. If he's not eating well on his own, offer some warm food with your fingers or a spoon. If need be, you may have to mix up hand feeding formula and give by cup or syringe. If you've kept your bird in the habit of eating from a spoon or cup, this will be easier. DO NOT use over the counter remedies from pet stores. It's too much of a guessing game. I know a Pionus who became psychotic after being given an OTC bird "remedy" and would not stop thrashing around her cage. A little chamomile tea can help the bird relax and ginger tea is good for digestive upsets. If you're familiar with herbal remedies, you can safely 

use those without causing harm to your bird. NEVER give antibiotics without knowing your bird actually has a BACTERIAL infection (and which bacteria!)

Broken blood feathers (or those accidentally clipped) can be hard to stop bleeding. Do not use styptic powder on skin or soft tissue - only on bleeding nails. Otherwise, use corn starch as a coagulant. If the blood feather (immature feather with live blood supply) won't stop bleeding, it has to be pulled or the bird can bleed to death.

A note on egg binding: If a hen is on the cage bottom, fluffed up and straining, she may be "egg bound". Put her in a warm, humid place (like the bathroom). You can rub some vegetable oil around her vent. Egg bound hens can die fairly quickly, though, and if the egg does not pass within several hours, she needs to get to the vet immediately (a good diet with extra calcium will help prevent this.)

So get in the habit of inspecting your birds on a daily basis, and being alert for signs of distress. Read up on diseases and gain a basic knowledge of illness in birds. "Bird proof" your home, avoid toxic fumes and unsafe toys. Have a first aid kit and hospital cage available. No what's "normal" for your bird and act quickly if things don't seem right. Find a good AVIAN vet and see them annually. Be sure your house and your bird's cage and play areas are as safe as possible. Feed the best diet you can to ensure your birds best possible health. Wouldn't it be nice if your first aid kit never gets used?!

The First Aid kit available at Your Parrot Place (under accessories) contains most of the essentials such as: Styptic Powder, Latex Gloves, Eye Skin Wash, 1"x6 yd Sterile Bandage, Scissors, Locking Forceps, Iodine Swabs, Antiseptic Towelettes, 2"x2" Gauze Pads, Cotton Swabs, Adhesive Tape, Hand Wipe, Emergency Info Card, Directions, and Case. Perishables, like hand feeding formula, should be stored in the freezer and replaced every six months.

Your Parrot Place

Marilu Anderson, Bird Nutrition and Behavior Consultant, (503) 771-BIRD. Marilu is a regular contributor to the Your Parrot Place Newsletter. YourParrotPlace.com [http://www.yourparrotplace.com] - Only the Best for Your Parrot!

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Over 170 pages! A compilation of parrot articles.

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Avian vet

It's 2:30am, you hear a crashing sound in your bird's cage and rush to investigate. Your bird has crashed to the bottom of the cage from a night fright and appears to have a broken wing. What do you do? Hopefully you never find yourself in this position but if you do, are you prepared? Often the most critical part of any emergency plan is having a good Avian Vet. And 2:30am is NOT the time to fumble through the yellow pages to find an avian vet. Right now is the time to start your search for an avian vet BEFORE you have an emergency! Here are the top ten questions to ask when looking for a good avian vet.

1. Are They Recommended? - Use all available sources to create a list of recommended avian vets in your area. Here's a list to start with. Can you think of more?
   • Local, State and National veterinary associations
   • Local Veterinary schools
   • Local and National pet and bird groups
   • Local Animal Shelters
   • Local Pet owners
   • Local Pet breeders
   • Local Pet stores
   • Local Yellow pages and newspapers for veterinarians
   • Local avian rescues and sanctuaries
   • Local Zoos
   • Your friends and family
   • Internet Search Engines
   • Internet bird boards and forums
2. Are They Avian Certified? - Check to see if they're a Board-Certified Avian Veterinarian and/or a member of the Association of Avian Veterinarians. Warning Flag - If they are not certified or a member, this doesn't immediately disqualify them. But it should raise a very serious warning flag.
3. Do They Treat Birds? - Not all veterinarians treat birds so be sure to ask if they treat birds. If they do, ask them how many avian patients they have and how frequently they have avian patients. Do their patients routinely visit them or do they use them mostly for emergency cases? If most of their patients use them for routine checkups then that may indicate that they have a happy and dependable patient list. Warning Flag - If they mostly treat emergencies then it may be an indicator that they are just the most convenient vet and not necessarily the most qualified. Don't forget to ask how long they've been treating avian patients.
4. Will They Provide References? - If they're willing to provide references, call the references. Ask the references if they're willing to give you additional names of people and contact information for people that also use the veterinarian and call them too. Warning Flag - Refusal to give references should be a warning flag.
5. Are They Up To Date? - How do they stay current on avian knowledge, procedures and treatments? Avian veterinarian science isn't as mature as that for dogs and cats so it's important for veterinarians to keep up to date on the latest procedures and technologies. Warning Flag - It may be difficult to evaluate their plan for staying current but they should at least HAVE a plan.
6. Is Their Facility Clean and Orderly? - Take a tour of their facilities and don't forget to leave the pets and kids at home for this tour so you don't cause any disruptions. This should be just a quick walk-through tour and not a site-seeing guided tour. Are all areas (public AND non-public) clean and orderly? Obviously all areas won't be dining room clean but you should get the impression that all areas are routinely cleaned. Warning Flag - If they won't allow a quick walk through tour this could be an indication that they have something to hide.
7. What Are Their Hours of Operation and Emergency Plans? - What are their normal working hours? Do their normal hours mesh well with your work/school/family schedule or if not, are they flexible? More importantly, what is their plan for emergencies that occur after normal working hours? Warning Flag - Not having a plan for after hour emergencies is a major problem. Murphy's law dictates that this is a requirement.
8. What Type of Personal Pets Do They Have? - Does your vet have pet birds at home? While this is obviously not a disqualification, it gives you an idea about their interests and may indicate their area of expertise.
9. OMG! It Costs HOW much?!?!?!? - Compare their cost of routine services to other comparable vets. While this shouldn't be high on your list of qualifications, it should be considered. Warning Flag - Routine costs being abnormally high or abnormally low could be a warning flag. If their costs are way out of line compared to other vets, make sure you ask why their costs are not comparable to other comparable vets services.
10. What is Their Staff Like? - Make sure to interact with their supporting staff when contacting the vet and when visiting the vet. They should be courteous, helpful and knowledgeable. The Proverb "Birds of a feather flock together" is very appropriate in this situation. A good vet will surround themselves with a good supporting staff and a good supporting staff will flock to a good vet. Warning Flag - If the vets entire organization doesn't work well together, this may be a warning flag of other problems in the office.

Selecting your avian veterinarian may be the most important decision you make for your pet. You owe it to your pet to make a careful and informed decision. So please use this top ten list to help make your decision BEFORE you and your pet bird have an emergency requiring a good vet.

The Author is the creator of the InfoSuperFlyway.com. It's a webpage dedicated to Kibibi a Congo African Grey Parrot with parrot recordings, funny parrot videos, top ten lists, parrot jokes, clicker training info and a large database of parrot articles. For more articles about African Greys and other Parrots, check out Kibibi's Parrot Article Archive.

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Vets for birds

We've all been there, done that. Made an appointment with a vet that claims to see birds, only to find out that the only bird they 'see' on a regular basis is the one that eats from the feeder outside their office window. How do you find a good vet in your area? Take the following questionnaire and see if it can't help you in your search.

1). Is the vet you are considering listed in the AAV -Association of Avian Veterinarians?

2). Is this vet recommended by any local clubs or rescue organizations? (1 point)

3). Go visit the clinic. Is it clean? Does the staff seem friendly and knowledgeable? Are there bird magazines or other tell-tale paraphernalia in the waiting area? (2 points)

4). Call other local vets and ask for a referral to a 'bird' vet. What names do you get? Do any of them suggest the prospect? (1 point)

5). Does the vet you are considering own a pet bird? (yes, 1 point) Do they breed birds? (if yes, add an additional point)

6). How many years has the potential vet been treating exotics?

1-3 years (1 point)

3-6 years (2 points)

6+ years (3 points)

Suggested Evaluation:

14 points or more: Is that the choir I hear singing? Book an appointment!

10-13 points: Probably a decent bird vet.

6-9 points: Worth a try, if this is one of the few in your area.

Less then 6 points: Is this the only vet you can find? Yikes! Be very careful.

Now that you've found a vet you want to try, lets go over some basics for the first visit.

The First Visit:

1) Are there any other birds waiting? Can you hear any other birds in the back?

2) Are there appropriate bird related items in the exam room? For example, towel, gram scale, perches, etc.

3) How does the vet handle your bird? Is he/she confident, and gentle? Pay close attention to how your bird reacts around the vet- their intuitive feelings are oftentimes better then ours. Does the vet talk to the bird? Does the vet ask the bird to step up instead of just grabbing it?

4) Be sure to ask questions! If the vet gets annoyed with your desire to understand as much as possible, be aware. Most vets automatically explain the process of what is happening (eg, "Now I am going to towel Pickles and palpate the breastbone"). Are your questions answered carefully and thoroughly?

5) Is the vet explicit about home care, and what to do with the bird once back at home. Does he/she provide any information about the best possible home setup for a sick bird, and offer any additional advice? If the vet is recommending measures such as handfeeding, giving medication, or other measures, can they explain the proper protocol for carrying out their instructions? Are they willing to show you how to best restrain your bird and give them oral medications?

6) If possible, consider paying the first bill with a credit card. That way, if anything is to go wrong, you'll have someone 'on your side' with leverage- you can dispute the charges and the vet won't get paid until or unless the card company is satisfied. The vet is more likely to try and satisfy you if they have not yet received payment.

Finding a good avian vet can be a long and often frustrating process. Don't be afraid to ask questions, seek recommendations, and interview any prospects before actually bringing your animal into the clinic. Once you find that gem of a vet, you'll want to keep them for years to come!

If you read this article and found it helpful, consider stopping by my website http://www.BirdToys.com

You can also find me and over 22,500+ other parrot owners at http://www.BirdBoard.com where you can ask questions and get immediate feedback.

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