Blood draws hard on birds?

thunderbird

New member
Aug 9, 2013
10
0
San Antonio, TX
Parrots
Sun conure
I would love to get my baby conure sexed and general work up, but am a little worried about how difficult the blood drawing is on these little birds? Any thoughts?
 

Pajarita

Banned
Banned
Jul 11, 2013
446
1
It also depends on where they take the blood from, the wing been more uncomfortable for them than the jugular.
 

Echo

New member
Dec 7, 2009
1,479
3
USA
Parrots
Green Cheek Conures, Crimson Conures, CAG, Pionus, Budgies, Goffin Cockatoo
I find the leg to be the least stressful...
 

ruffledfeathers

New member
Aug 23, 2012
1,970
Media
5
3
NJ
Parrots
Gilbert Oliver, Blue Crown Conure; Georgie, Sun Conure (2/8/01-8/8/12) RIP little girl; Percy, budgie 1993-1999. RIP Pepito-spanish timbrado canary
I was always surprised how little my birds have cared about it!! My dogs FREAK OUT but my birds totally take it in stride. Even when i had Georgie microchipped, the vet told me it can hurt and they often fuss, but she was over it right away.
 

Agapornis

New member
Oct 25, 2012
478
1
California
Parrots
Turquoise GCC - Fiji - Hatch Date: 8/14/12 and Yellow Sided GCC - Sundance - Hatch Date: 4/12/13
My vet gets a DNA sample from clipping the nails. She will clip one just a little too short, and use the little drop of blood that comes out. That seems less invasive than drawing blood with a needle.
 

MonicaMc

Well-known member
Sep 12, 2012
7,960
Media
2
43
Parrots
Mitred Conure - Charlie 1994;
Cockatiel - Casey 2001;
Wild Caught ARN - Sylphie 2013
My a-vet draws from the jugular vein and finds that to be the easiest, because of the way the birds neck is naturally positioned, once they draw the blood and allow the bird to sit normally, there is no reason to put any powder or bandage on the bird. The way that they naturally sit stops the blood from coming out.

I've heard blood draws from the leg and from the nail bed, too... never had a vet draw blood from either one.
 

Pajarita

Banned
Banned
Jul 11, 2013
446
1
Me neither, it has always been the neck. It's the easiest because it's completely exposed (you can see it if you blow on the feathers, it's a huge vein just under the translucent skin). My vet wets the feathers there, separate them (they don't actually grow on the spot but they grow in such a way that they cover it) with her/his fingers and just put the needle to the vein. Easy as pie. And you can't get blood from a feather or a nail for blood work, only for DNA sexing but what I do is ask the doctor to put a little bit of the blood they draw for the tests into the little vial they send for the DNA so the bird doesn't have to suffer needlessly.
 

Most Reactions

Top