Losing Weight After Wing Clipping

links1979

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Our CAG has been through a lot. I had posted about our issues before. We took her out of a HORRIBLE filthy breeders apartment and weaned her to solid foods. Turned out she had a tapeworm from the breeders filthy conditions. Her weight steadily rose after she fledged. However we did just get her wings clipped at 4 months for safety reasons. This was at the same time that she got her last de worming dose. She has now gone from 405 to 375. She has always been an erratic eater. We really love her. She acts more like a cat as far as her affection than what you normally hear about CAGs. What does your CAG like to eat?
 

ChristaNL

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Japie (m) & Appie (f), both are congo african grey;
All are rescues- had to leave their previous homes for 'reasons', are still in contact with them :)
Why did you clip the wings of a growing bird?
(I know it is a personal choice but the need that to develop their bodies- and they are not mature till they are at least 2 years old and really fullgrown even later.)
Safety reasons sounds a bit vague, sorry to say.
Opening a door takes a few minutes here because I need to secure the birds first etc. but that is no reason to clip (for me).

Anyway- if she was flying before and now can not do that any more -> she will lose lots of musclemass. She went from athlete to deskjockey.
Flyingmuscles really make up a lot of a CAG's weight.

Not burning much energy (on sports) will cut down on the apetite as well.
(A good thing, otherwise we all would have very very fat birds)

I agree on the catlike behaviour- the greys here behave like cats with wings (love to interact, but on their own terms thank-you-very-much), the macaw is more like a puppy (lick,lick, lets go crazy yes?)
They all love to cuddle though.

My CAG's are weird.
Appie (the girl) is crazy about humanfood, if you eat anything she wants it!
Japie would be just happy if the world only had pellets ...

but he loves pomegranate (Appie does not, she adores bananaas / Japie still thinks bananaas kill parrots).
And what they wil eat varies a lot.
Sometimes they copy each other, sometimes not so much: Appie likes millet, Japies does not ... untill she has been (seen) eating it, then he will have a go (usually the morning after... Appie survived, so it must be safe...?)
Just keep offering (and snacking yourself).
(after 3?4? years of offering banana Japie now sometimes will touch it with his beak and on very special occasions even lick it, so maybe in another ten years or so...who knows - bananaas may be extinct by then ;) )
 

Laurasea

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I haven't heard of tape worms before, but I know tape worms in other species are hard to get rid off, and these days there are a lot of resistance to de worming medication. There are places your veterinarian can send out a fecal sample, and they grown out the worms from the ova, specifically identify and then check for resistance to the medicine. It does coast more, but it can be done by a few places... I don't think this is weight loss from clipping wings. Giardia is tricky to diagnose, if she had other parasites I would worry about that one. I would talk to your vet again, 20 grams is a lot....if it is consistent over time, and not just a fluctuating weight as sometimes seen. Congratulations on your rescue! I hope just is a fluctuation, and she continues to thrive with you!!
 

charmedbyekkie

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I second the muscle mass. I noticed a huge difference when Cairo (ekkie, so not a CAG) was eating normally but still not strong enough to fly versus when he was eating normally (or even less sometimes) and flying. When he was in top form, his weight moves within 380-420g or so. Eating normally for about 3 weeks (and really pigging out this week) but not top flying form he's closer to 360-380. Those numbers freak me out, so I'm incorporating more short flights into his training sessions to build up his muscle mass again.

Then again, notice I gave you range, instead of a fixed number? Considering that they can eat 20g no problem in one sitting and that they can poo out 5g at one go, it really feels like a range, even if you weigh them at the same time each day.

The way my vet said to confirm whether at a good weigh is to feel their keel bone. If you don't know this (sorry, didn't stalk through your history on your experience), do ask your vet to show you how! I know it gives me a peace of mind.

That being said, if you are concerned, always bring her to the vet :)
 

SammyAndyAlex

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Alex - Congo AfricanGrey - Hatchday 19.1.2021
How much weight has been lost and how much did she weigh BEFORE/AFTER she started losing weight. Is she still losing weight? Are you weighing her at consistent times during the day?


I do have to second Christa's point when it comes to clipping. Obviously you cant glue the feathers back (whats done is done), but clipping at only 4 months old seems unwise, if you ask me.

If I were you I would go to the vet and when the feathers grow back NOT* clip them again.

*Obviously if there is a very specific threat to her that is eliminated or lowered significantly by having her clipped, you may need to think about the pros and cons of clipping/not clipping.
 
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links1979

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Thanks for all the helpful responses. She is up 10g today so from 373 to 383. I could use some advice about long term plans. We clipped becuase we had lost a bird before when someone opened a door. We can't always guarantee that a mistake won't be made with kids and general life style. I was living a constant state of stress terrified that one mistake would cause her death. I read that after they fledged it was safe to clip so we waiting a month and then had it done. It was depressing. We also are going to be having a baby soon. With everything in the mix we decided to clip. I just want to make sure she thrives
 

EllenD

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There's nothing wrong with your own personal decision to clip your bird's wings, it's just the time that you did it that is the issue...With larger parrots it takes a lot longer for them to develop both physically and psychologically than with smaller parrots, say a Conure or an IRN...Fledging and Weaning are tied-together, and if they are either "Force-Weaned", meaning a person chooses when to take away a feeding or when to reduce the amount of formula in a feeding instead of the bird making theses choices on their own by either eating less formula in a feeding or by refusing an entire feeding, OR their wings are clipped too soon, meaning either before they fully-fledge and/or fully-wean, or too soon after fully-fledging or fully-weaning, these can both cause severe psychological, behavioral, physical, and most of all neurological issues that can last for their entire lives...It's a big deal. That's why a point was made of this, and it's a hugely valid point...

Are you weighing him at the same time each day, every single day, and writing it down? You can't weigh them at different times of the day, nor sporadically, as you need to look at the entire picture and the trends within it...The best time to weigh a bird is first thing in the morning BEFORE they eat or drink anything, but AFTER they have their first morning poop, as they typically don't poop all night long, and a bird's first morning droppings can weigh 10 grams or more...So waking them up, making sure they have pooped, then taking them right to the scale, weighing them, and then writing down the date, time, and weight in a notebook is best...That way you'll be able to see the entire picture...

As far as the "tapeworm", which I have to say is extremely unusual in parrots, was this a Certified Avian Vet or Avian Specialist that diagnosed them? And what tests did they run to diagnose them? Did they take a Fecal Culture and send it out for a laboratory to grow-out in order to rule-out a Bacterial and/or Fungal/Yeast infection? Did they do microscopy on the Fecal sample in the office while you were there, and a Gram-Stain of the Fecal Sample to also look for Bacteria, Fungi/Yeast, and Protozoa, such as Giardia, as mentioned by Laura? And did they actually see Tapeworms, or did they base the diagnosis on what looked like Tapeworm eggs?

What medication did they put him on for the Tapeworms? This is a HUGE DEAL, because there are some Anti-Parasitics that are safe and cause little to no nausea/anorexia, and then there are others that are not only extremely harsh on the bird, but can actually cause serious issues such as Kidney-Failure...That's why I asked if your Vet is a Certified Avian Vet or an "Exotics" Vet, because an "Exotics" Vet is way more likely to mis-diagnose a parasitic infection, and much more importantly they are far more likely to give a bird an Anti-Parasitic medication that is inappropriate or even harmful...This could easily cause him issues with not only his eating habits/hunger in-general, but also with weight-loss through his GI Tract...
 
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links1979

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There's nothing wrong with your own personal decision to clip your bird's wings, it's just the time that you did it that is the issue...With larger parrots it takes a lot longer for them to develop both physically and psychologically than with smaller parrots, say a Conure or an IRN...Fledging and Weaning are tied-together, and if they are either "Force-Weaned", meaning a person chooses when to take away a feeding or when to reduce the amount of formula in a feeding instead of the bird making theses choices on their own by either eating less formula in a feeding or by refusing an entire feeding, OR their wings are clipped too soon, meaning either before they fully-fledge and/or fully-wean, or too soon after fully-fledging or fully-weaning, these can both cause severe psychological, behavioral, physical, and most of all neurological issues that can last for their entire lives...It's a big deal. That's why a point was made of this, and it's a hugely valid point...

Are you weighing him at the same time each day, every single day, and writing it down? You can't weigh them at different times of the day, nor sporadically, as you need to look at the entire picture and the trends within it...The best time to weigh a bird is first thing in the morning BEFORE they eat or drink anything, but AFTER they have their first morning poop, as they typically don't poop all night long, and a bird's first morning droppings can weigh 10 grams or more...So waking them up, making sure they have pooped, then taking them right to the scale, weighing them, and then writing down the date, time, and weight in a notebook is best...That way you'll be able to see the entire picture...

As far as the "tapeworm", which I have to say is extremely unusual in parrots, was this a Certified Avian Vet or Avian Specialist that diagnosed them? And what tests did they run to diagnose them? Did they take a Fecal Culture and send it out for a laboratory to grow-out in order to rule-out a Bacterial and/or Fungal/Yeast infection? Did they do microscopy on the Fecal sample in the office while you were there, and a Gram-Stain of the Fecal Sample to also look for Bacteria, Fungi/Yeast, and Protozoa, such as Giardia, as mentioned by Laura? And did they actually see Tapeworms, or did they base the diagnosis on what looked like Tapeworm eggs?

What medication did they put him on for the Tapeworms? This is a HUGE DEAL, because there are some Anti-Parasitics that are safe and cause little to no nausea/anorexia, and then there are others that are not only extremely harsh on the bird, but can actually cause serious issues such as Kidney-Failure...That's why I asked if your Vet is a Certified Avian Vet or an "Exotics" Vet, because an "Exotics" Vet is way more likely to mis-diagnose a parasitic infection, and much more importantly they are far more likely to give a bird an Anti-Parasitic medication that is inappropriate or even harmful...This could easily cause him issues with not only his eating habits/hunger in-general, but also with weight-loss through his GI Tract...



Thank you for that no she was taken to an exotics vet who does birds. I actually had one of the worms that came out of her and also had it on video coming out to show them. They didn't do a fecal test. She has had two shots of drontal. Today she is 376 again. Not dropping below that. But it is the same weight she was before she flew. What would you suggest?
 

bigfellasdad

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Why did you clip the wings of a growing bird?

Nothing more to add apart from don't put your feelings in front of your birds, if your bird has gone through a lot of hurt why kick it when its starting to recover.

Let your bird know how much you love it, they know your emotions more than YOU do.
 
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links1979

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Why did you clip the wings of a growing bird?

Nothing more to add apart from don't put your feelings in front of your birds, if your bird has gone through a lot of hurt why kick it when its starting to recover.

Let your bird know how much you love it, they know your emotions more than YOU do.

namely fear that it would die based upon previous experience of our bird dying because someone who had a key opening the front door unannounced. Three kids, one with autism. Sure if the context you impose onto my situation is whatever situation you are in it might seem like I'm "putting my feelings above the birds."
 

Laurasea

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You are definitely dealing with a situation in which wing clips are safer all around. I think a fecal exam and wet mount fecal exam, a fecal gram stain, and a fecal culture are a good place to start, plus a CBC chemistry. Dang she must have been in a bad situation before! Glad you have her now , thank you again for rescuing her! In my opion her weight loss is not from the wing clip, it takes a good amount of time to lose muscle mass, and frankly usually you get a fat bird when not flying. Some exotic vets are good, and sometimes it's worth the drive to find an avain specialist. Having had tape worms is concerning, and I mentioned in an earlier post can be hard to get rid of them, there us a lot of resistance to worming medication these days. Also tapeworms can make cysts in the body, so even an x-ray isn't out of the question. Sorry you have all this going on! Especially at this time if the year.
 

EllenD

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Okay, so I think that Drontal is the brand-name for Praziquental (spelling?) if I remember correctly, which is commonly used to treat Tapeworms in dogs and cats, but I've not ever heard of it used to treat birds, not ever...The reason that CAV's don't typically prescribe any of the Anti-Parasitics in that family of drugs is because of their extreme effects on the liver, and captive birds commonly have very sensitive livers/liver issues due to their diets. Gastrointestinal side-effects from Praziquental are extremely high in dogs and cats, it's pretty-much expected that they are going to have diarrhea, upset stomach, vomiting, anorexia, etc. So I'd imagine that the same is going to happen in birds, probably more-so.

***The problem with trying to figure out what is going on with your Gray right now is because there are so many different things going on with her right now that could be causing this issue...While it was obvious that she had Tapeworms if you actually brought a sample-worm in with you, I have to tell you that I am EXTREMELY SHOCKED that your Exotics Vet did not take a Fecal sample and at the very least make a slide of it, stain it, and look at it under their microscope right there in the office on the spot, and also didn't send a Fecal sample out to the lab they use to be plated for a culture/sensitivity. That makes no sense at all to me; the bird obviously had an active Tapeworm infection, which is extremely uncommon in parrots, so the likelihood that she also has other Parasitic Infestations, Bacterial and/or Fungal/yeast Infections, Protozoan Infections, an incorrect normal-flora load throughout her GI Tract,
etc. is extremely high, especially in the environment she was living in, which is no-doubt the reason she had a Tapeworm infestation (if they were bad enough to be visibly crawling/hanging out of her Vent/Cloaca then this was BAD).
So she needs a complete Fecal culture/sensitivity sent out, and simple, basic in-office microscopy/gram-staining done on a fresh Fecal Culture. The likelihood that she still has one or more GI infections/infestations is extremely high, and since her diet was likely horrible in that home as well, my guess is that she's probably lacking in healthy GI Bacteria, which usually results in them having Fungal/yeast GI infections...Plus the risk of a Bacterial infection is also huge in that situation...

***Did they do a repeat Fecal after she finished the last round of Drontal to make sure that her GI Tract is 100% free of Tapeworms/eggs? This is standard-practice, so I'm hoping she was cleared through a follow-up Fecal for at least the Tapeworms...If she did not have a follow-up Fecal after finishing both rounds of the Drontal, then she needs to have this done ASAP with a fresh Fecal Sample, and she absolutely should have a full culture/sensitivity sent-out and at the very least microscopy/Gram-Staining done on the fresh Fecal Sample at the same time to rule-out other, non-related infections/infestations. If she simply finished the Drontal rounds and that was it, that's not good enough in this situation...I'd actually be finding the closest Certified Avian Vet or Avian Specialist Vet to your home, which we can help you with, because of the situation she came from and the issues you're having, along with the rare Tapeworm infestation she had...No offense towards "Exotic's Vets", but in the US any General dog/cat vet can call themselves an "Exotics Vet", it means absolutely nothing but they went to Vet School, got their state license, and are "willing to see/treat" animals other than dogs and cats...They have no extra or specially concentrated education or training in birds or any other types of animals, and with birds they are so different than mammals that seeing a CAV is often the difference between life and death of the bird...And to be honest with you, even if this Vet had been a CAV, the fact that they didn't even run a basic Fecal culture/microscopy when the bird had an active Tapeworm infestation is really, really not a good sign.

***So, her eating/weight-loss issues could be because she still has Tapeworms/eggs, it could be that her GI Tract is upset/irritated from the Praziquental or the Praziquental could have caused a liver issue, or it might not be related to anything physical at all, but rather it's related to a weaning/fledging issue...There's really no way to know without a full Fecal work-up to test for Tapeworms, other parasites, bacterial and/or fungal/yeast infections, etc. I'd also highly recommend routine blood-work, it's almost a must, because that is going to show you whether she is suffering from an infection, anemia, nutritional deficiencies, metabolic issues, kidney function, and most importantly right now would be liver function...

I definitely would not clip her again right now, I'd let her wings fully grow back in so that she is again able to fly, and I'd then make certain that she can actually fly with full directional control, but more importantly you need to figure out if her behaviors/personality/eating habits/weight etc. show noticeable positive change...That is going to tell you quite a bit about how clipping her wings at such a young age has effected her psychological/neurological/behavioral development and maturity, and whether or not you're going to have any lasting issues...

Again, I have always believed that the choice of whether or not to clip a bird's wings was entirely up to their owner, and unless the owner is clipping their wings for a very cruel or selfish reason then there's no reason to be critical of the bird's owner for doing so, as there are several reasons why people keep their bird's wings clipped, some are safety reasons or other important and necessary reasons...Now at the same time, I do fully believe that if there is any way that it's possible to be able to keep your bird fully-flighted then you should do it at all costs, because a bird being able to fully fly is very much the same as us being able to simply walk...And clipping their wings can cause some birds a large amount of stress, distress, anxiety, etc. Parrots are just like people, especially as intelligent a parrot as a CAG. They have the intelligence of a 4 year-old human child, and the ability to use logic and reason. So huge changes like clipping their wings can cause huge psychological and neurological issues; that being said, clipping ANY BIRD'S WINGS before they fully fledge/fully wean or before they learn to fully fly properly can and usually does cause at least some extent of neurological and behavioral trouble...Though in this case there is really no way to know what is going on until all possible and probably physical health issues are properly ruled-out...
 
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links1979

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Okay, so I think that Drontal is the brand-name for Praziquental (spelling?) if I remember correctly, which is commonly used to treat Tapeworms in dogs and cats, but I've not ever heard of it used to treat birds, not ever...The reason that CAV's don't typically prescribe any of the Anti-Parasitics in that family of drugs is because of their extreme effects on the liver, and captive birds commonly have very sensitive livers/liver issues due to their diets. Gastrointestinal side-effects from Praziquental are extremely high in dogs and cats, it's pretty-much expected that they are going to have diarrhea, upset stomach, vomiting, anorexia, etc. So I'd imagine that the same is going to happen in birds, probably more-so.

***The problem with trying to figure out what is going on with your Gray right now is because there are so many different things going on with her right now that could be causing this issue...While it was obvious that she had Tapeworms if you actually brought a sample-worm in with you, I have to tell you that I am EXTREMELY SHOCKED that your Exotics Vet did not take a Fecal sample and at the very least make a slide of it, stain it, and look at it under their microscope right there in the office on the spot, and also didn't send a Fecal sample out to the lab they use to be plated for a culture/sensitivity. That makes no sense at all to me; the bird obviously had an active Tapeworm infection, which is extremely uncommon in parrots, so the likelihood that she also has other Parasitic Infestations, Bacterial and/or Fungal/yeast Infections, Protozoan Infections, an incorrect normal-flora load throughout her GI Tract,
etc. is extremely high, especially in the environment she was living in, which is no-doubt the reason she had a Tapeworm infestation (if they were bad enough to be visibly crawling/hanging out of her Vent/Cloaca then this was BAD).
So she needs a complete Fecal culture/sensitivity sent out, and simple, basic in-office microscopy/gram-staining done on a fresh Fecal Culture. The likelihood that she still has one or more GI infections/infestations is extremely high, and since her diet was likely horrible in that home as well, my guess is that she's probably lacking in healthy GI Bacteria, which usually results in them having Fungal/yeast GI infections...Plus the risk of a Bacterial infection is also huge in that situation...

***Did they do a repeat Fecal after she finished the last round of Drontal to make sure that her GI Tract is 100% free of Tapeworms/eggs? This is standard-practice, so I'm hoping she was cleared through a follow-up Fecal for at least the Tapeworms...If she did not have a follow-up Fecal after finishing both rounds of the Drontal, then she needs to have this done ASAP with a fresh Fecal Sample, and she absolutely should have a full culture/sensitivity sent-out and at the very least microscopy/Gram-Staining done on the fresh Fecal Sample at the same time to rule-out other, non-related infections/infestations. If she simply finished the Drontal rounds and that was it, that's not good enough in this situation...I'd actually be finding the closest Certified Avian Vet or Avian Specialist Vet to your home, which we can help you with, because of the situation she came from and the issues you're having, along with the rare Tapeworm infestation she had...No offense towards "Exotic's Vets", but in the US any General dog/cat vet can call themselves an "Exotics Vet", it means absolutely nothing but they went to Vet School, got their state license, and are "willing to see/treat" animals other than dogs and cats...They have no extra or specially concentrated education or training in birds or any other types of animals, and with birds they are so different than mammals that seeing a CAV is often the difference between life and death of the bird...And to be honest with you, even if this Vet had been a CAV, the fact that they didn't even run a basic Fecal culture/microscopy when the bird had an active Tapeworm infestation is really, really not a good sign.

***So, her eating/weight-loss issues could be because she still has Tapeworms/eggs, it could be that her GI Tract is upset/irritated from the Praziquental or the Praziquental could have caused a liver issue, or it might not be related to anything physical at all, but rather it's related to a weaning/fledging issue...There's really no way to know without a full Fecal work-up to test for Tapeworms, other parasites, bacterial and/or fungal/yeast infections, etc. I'd also highly recommend routine blood-work, it's almost a must, because that is going to show you whether she is suffering from an infection, anemia, nutritional deficiencies, metabolic issues, kidney function, and most importantly right now would be liver function...

I definitely would not clip her again right now, I'd let her wings fully grow back in so that she is again able to fly, and I'd then make certain that she can actually fly with full directional control, but more importantly you need to figure out if her behaviors/personality/eating habits/weight etc. show noticeable positive change...That is going to tell you quite a bit about how clipping her wings at such a young age has effected her psychological/neurological/behavioral development and maturity, and whether or not you're going to have any lasting issues...

Again, I have always believed that the choice of whether or not to clip a bird's wings was entirely up to their owner, and unless the owner is clipping their wings for a very cruel or selfish reason then there's no reason to be critical of the bird's owner for doing so, as there are several reasons why people keep their bird's wings clipped, some are safety reasons or other important and necessary reasons...Now at the same time, I do fully believe that if there is any way that it's possible to be able to keep your bird fully-flighted then you should do it at all costs, because a bird being able to fully fly is very much the same as us being able to simply walk...And clipping their wings can cause some birds a large amount of stress, distress, anxiety, etc. Parrots are just like people, especially as intelligent a parrot as a CAG. They have the intelligence of a 4 year-old human child, and the ability to use logic and reason. So huge changes like clipping their wings can cause huge psychological and neurological issues; that being said, clipping ANY BIRD'S WINGS before they fully fledge/fully wean or before they learn to fully fly properly can and usually does cause at least some extent of neurological and behavioral trouble...Though in this case there is really no way to know what is going on until all possible and probably physical health issues are properly ruled-out...


Wow this was the most thorough and helpful thing. Thank you so much. Yes they gave her the two doeses and send us on our way. The last one said they don't even like to do gram stains anymore. I could use help in finding one as I see exotics but no dedicated avian vet. These are the three she has seen so far:

https://www.oradell.com/boren


Next:
Franklin lakes animal hospital
Dr. Kristin Onesios
I joined the Franklin Lakes Animal Hospital in May of 2010 after working in Hoboken for 3 years. I had always hoped to return to FLAH after spending multiple summers and college breaks working here as a receptionist and veterinary assistant. I grew up a few towns over in Allendale. For undergraduate studies, I went to Cook College at Rutgers University where I received a degree in Animal Science. I pursued my veterinary degree at Tufts University. While there I developed more insight into caring for not only cats and dogs, but also birds, reptiles, pocket pets and wildlife.
While not at work, I enjoy spending time with my husband, Nick and my 2 kids, Claire and James. We currently share our house with 2 cuddly cats, Fritz and Amelia.


New Rutherforld Bird Cat and Dog:

Jacquelyn Arns, DVM
Associate Veterinarian
Dr. Arns is originally from Sussex County NJ, but then spent several years in upstate NY and CT. She graduated from Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine in 1997, and started out working on horses. She quickly moved to small animal practice. She has worked in the NJ/NY metro area since 2000, first in White Plains NY then Crestkill NJ, and now in Rutherford NJ. Dr. Arns enjoys seeing pets of many species including birds, reptiles, and small mammals such as, rabbits and guinea pigs, as well as dogs and cats.

Away from the office she spends time with her husband David and their cats Cody, Skylar, and AJ. She enjoys running, showing model horses, and seeing Weird Al Yankovic in concert (she met her husband at a weird Al show!)
 

EllenD

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Yeah, you definitely need to find an Avian Vet; I can't believe they said that they don't like running gram-stains anymore...what the hell do they do them, lol...

So you're obviously in NJ, but what city do live in/near? I'm assuming you're not far from NYC based on the Rutherford and the Franklin Lakes clinics...Let me take a look and see what pops up in northern NJ
 

EllenD

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Actually, without even looking I know of one of the best Avian Vets in the country, board certified and very, very experienced that is in Parsippany, NJ...His name is Dr. Wolf, I think his first name is Todd...I only know about him because he is a very renowned Avian Surgeon as well, and a friend of mine took her Macaw their for orthopedic surgery, and he was phenomenal...He works at "The Companion and Avian/Exotic Animal Hospital" in Parsippany...That's one good option...I'll look for more...
 
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links1979

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Actually, without even looking I know of one of the best Avian Vets in the country, board certified and very, very experienced that is in Parsippany, NJ...His name is Dr. Wolf, I think his first name is Todd...I only know about him because he is a very renowned Avian Surgeon as well, and a friend of mine took her Macaw their for orthopedic surgery, and he was phenomenal...He works at "The Companion and Avian/Exotic Animal Hospital" in Parsippany...That's one good option...I'll look for more...

Thanks so much that's close enough
 
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links1979

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  • #17
Actually, without even looking I know of one of the best Avian Vets in the country, board certified and very, very experienced that is in Parsippany, NJ...His name is Dr. Wolf, I think his first name is Todd...I only know about him because he is a very renowned Avian Surgeon as well, and a friend of mine took her Macaw their for orthopedic surgery, and he was phenomenal...He works at "The Companion and Avian/Exotic Animal Hospital" in Parsippany...That's one good option...I'll look for more...

One more thing. She will take formula if I offer it to her. But at almost 5 months is that a bad thing to offer her?
 

ChristaNL

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NL= the Netherlands, Europe
Parrots
Sunny a female B&G macaw;
Japie (m) & Appie (f), both are congo african grey;
All are rescues- had to leave their previous homes for 'reasons', are still in contact with them :)
LOL, I think this will make some people angry with me..but why not?

A CAG will hang around with its parentbirds till at least one year old, and since yours had a rough start with all the weightloss and parasites I do not think it will immediately land you with an obese bird.

Everything in moderation etc. - but if she likes a bit of a snack in the shape of formula- why not, till 2 years old she still is a growing child ...

and speaking of children: congrats on growing your own. :)
(arriving anytime soon? It would be great if you have your birdsissues all sorted out before that, parasites and newborns are not the best combination ever. Not saying that to alarm you- if it were dramatic the human race would no longer exist, we survived living with parasites for millenia- it just a thingy about timemanagement and exhausting new arrivals.)
 

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