Whether you have a parrot, lovebird, cockatoo or cockatiel our hospital is the perfect place to ensure their health is in top shape. Our veterinarians have years of experience treating birds. We are experts at providing care for birds from preventing and diagnosing illnesses to providing treatment.
Do birds need wellness exams?
Yes, your pet bird needs veterinary exams once every year. As soon as you bring your pet home you should schedule an appointment with an avian veterinarian. It is better to have routine checks to ensure they are healthy and to establish their baseline health. By nature birds hide any signs of illness as it would make them a target in the wild, this is why you may miss the signs of illness. Avian veterinarians are trained to detect the subtle signs of a problem in your pet during wellness exams. A wellness exam includes:
- Bloodwork and other diagnostics
- Sexing (determining their sex through laparoscopy)
- Checking for physical signs of illness
- Trimming their wings, beaks and nails
- Treatment for any illness they have
- Recommendations for diets and grooming at home
Why is trimming their wings, nails and beaks important?
Your bird needs these services because they can impede their movement, feeding and daily life. Beaks continue to grow throughout your pet’s life and if they aren’t trimmed properly, can cause pain resulting in them not wanting to eat. The same applies to their nails; we offer professional trimmings without cutting their blood vessels. We recommend at-home trimmings if your bird is young and has white nails which allow you to see the blood vessels. As a precaution we recommend having styptic powder on hand to stop nail bleeding. Clipping their wings gives them more freedom to fly without hitting objects that can cause injury. Having a professional clip their feathers prevents them from experiencing any pain or irritation during the process. Our staff can safely perform these procedures on your pet bird and ensure it’s done to your desired look. To book an appointment for your pet bird, please give us a call at 604-591-5304.
What are the dos and don’ts of caring for my pet bird?
With the right care your pet can live a long and happy life. Here are some ways to ensure your pet bird has a good quality of life:
- Don’t allow your pet to eat plants like lilies, mistletoe, morning glory etc. that can be toxic to their health. By ingesting certain plants your pet can have gastrointestinal problems, some of which can be fatal.
- Do a daily check of their droppings to make sure it’s normal. Changes in their droppings could mean they have an undiagnosed medical condition.
- Do clean their cage regularly.
- Don’t keep your bird in cages too small for them.
- Do activities with your pet and provide toys that stimulate their minds.
- Don’t feed your pet bird avocados. The fruit contains persin which can cause heart failure and death.
