Found a vet!

There's a practice about 1.5 hours from me that I found on birdline.org.uk, their chief vet is more of a zoology vet but seems to work alot with birds (big and small). They are also the first vet I've seen to stock harrisons.

Now I've talked to their receptionist and she even commented that they get alot of birds coming from far away (only actual avian vet is 2 hours from me and won't take us unless it's a referral, which every practice I've talked to will do if need be but I don't want to go through those hoops every year on basic tests).

The actual question I have is after talking to them on the phone the receptionist has said "we'd discuss micro chipping", "have you got your bird on Harrison's" , and "we'd gas your bird to get the blood sample as to not over stress the bird".
I mentioned my surprise at chipping a small bird but she did say it would be discussed with the vet at the consultation (not til march, no rush). I was expecting some kind of harrisons pushing but that doesn't bother me really. I understand especially with smaller birds that getting a blood sample or enable sample would not be easy but is this normal procedure for vets with birds? Or smaller birds?

This thread is me basically hoping to see if this vet seems normal or if there's any red flags. Costs seem normal.

Here are some more if you'd like to obtain another opinion?

Mine does use a whiff of gas to take blood etc. Mine is all Harrisons also but as soon as they realise you are a lost cause usually button it.

Avian Vets | Parrot Veterinary Services

Cranbrook! It's reassuring to see it on another list. I'm in the southwest and there aren't as many or close together vets here that can handle birds besides chickens. They wont touch a small bird like Pazu.

That's sounds like how the receptionist put it, didn't push it anymore once I explained myself. Plus she said they'd recommend an xray too (under the gas) to be thorough.

Thank you! I forgot you were UK too. I just want to make sure pazu can be checked very year or so incase I miss something.

I don't see any issues with discussing chipping or suggesting a specific food, but gassing for blood? I've never had a parrot so out-of-control that required sedation to take blood.

There is always a tradeoff between calming an anxious bird with anesthesia and the inherent hazards of sedation. AFAIK the current gas of choice is Sevoflurane, far safer than past substances. Always a slight risk, but mitigated by cardiac monitoring.

Well I could call back for clarity their process but if I were to opt for an xray anyway wouldn't that be completely under?

ZephyrFly said:

Well I could call back for clarity their process but if I were to opt for an xray anyway wouldn't that be completely under?

Click to expand...

An X-Ray would require sedation, but isn't normally done for a well-check in my experience. Imaging is usually a diagnostic tool for suspicion of disease or abnormality.

Scott said:

ZephyrFly said:

Well I could call back for clarity their process but if I were to opt for an xray anyway wouldn't that be completely under?

Click to expand...

An X-Ray would require sedation, but isn't normally done for a well-check in my experience. Imaging is usually a diagnostic tool for suspicion of disease or abnormality.

Click to expand...

That's fair, I think their suggestion/recommendation probably spouted from my want for a thorough check up as this would really be Pazu's first one. But again maybe another call is in order. I called the one of their branches but was told that I would want their other (luckily closer) branch as that is where they are equipped for avian treatment, also I called at the end of their working day (my bad).
I'll probably call the Cranbrook branch soon at a better time and see if they can explain that a bit better.

Thank you for the input!

Please remember that the person you are talking to more than likely is read or stating a series of answers from a discussion provided by the Vet during a training class.

It is likely the individual would not know a Tiel from a MAC (not being mean, only truthful). My own Avian Vet is constantly working with the staff to 'hear' specific words that places different levels of emergencies with Parrots. And, therefore what needs to be seen NOW and what can be scheduled for two weeks from now.

I recently ran into this with a call into by Avian Vet's office to obtain a copy of the most recent blood screen for my Amazon. The non-Avian Vet Tech could not see any reason why I would want it, since there would be nothing on it that I would /could understand! I thanked the Tech for that opinion and stated that he would be well advised to repeat that statement to the Avian Vet. Three hours later, the document was at the front desk ready for me with a kind note inside the folder from my AV thanking me for directing the Tech for clarification from the AV.

Gassing for blood? I have found that non-certified Avian Vets tend to rely more on slight amounts of gas to assure a Parrot does not become overly 'Stressed.' To a level, they (and rightfully so,) have a fear of loosing a Parrot that 'Stresses-Out.' When Avian Certified Vets was as rare as Hen Teeth (and still are), it was not uncommon for Vets to lose one or more Parrots a year! That 'fear' of an overly Stressed Parrot strongly supported the use of a little gas! Avian Qualified Vets are still the largest number of Vets that are seeing Parrots! And, this group are the ones that are seeing the vast majorities of Parrots. We would be in serious trouble if this group choose tomorrow not to see Parrots.

My yearly Well-Birdy checkups for all of my guys include physical exams, fecal smears, blood work, x-rays, and nail trimming. They give them gas before because of the x-rays and they are out for the blood as well. However, if I just take one in that's sick or needs blood work they don't put them out, my vet is slick at it, comes out of their necks and they don't make a peep (although they stare at me the entire time like "why?")

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Oh, and the chips now are really tiny! I was shocked. The needle hole they make before injecting the chip into the breast bone doesn't even bleed anymore. They did my Quaker (he was pissed with the anaesthetic shot beforehand but the chip part was nothing) in less than a minute and the chip is less than half the size of the last one I saw.

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Yes it was only the receptionist, I'll try and have a call tomorrow at a better time and see if I can have a word with the vet about his process.

As for the micro chip, I did a quick search and I'm surprised how small they are. Pazu is 73grams so he's is in the realms of possibility but I would discuss that in a proper consultation. I didn't realise it was out into the breast area but I understand why. Interesting read

Thanks everyone for your input, at least for now I'm gunna talk to them further and just see how it goes from there.