Valentino goes in for his yearly exam

[noblemacaw]

Today was Valentino's yearly visit to see Dr. Blair for his yearly exam and have his blood drawn.

What a freakin nightmare.

First he bit me so hard when I was getting him into his carrier...the same carrier he was shipped in....the same carrier I put him in when I wheel his cage outside to be power washed and he had a fit about having to go in there. He bit my finger pretty good but it was the pressure that got me. The sharp part on the side of the beak got my nail bed and cut me a little bit but it was the pressure that hurt. Granted it didn't start really hurting until about half hour later my finger is pretty sore.

While at the clinic he CRAPPED DOWN MY PANT LEG so much the tech had to bring me a wet towel not paper towels so I could clean myself up. He also crapped on Dr. Blair's leg too. I wanted to crawl into a hole and die of embarrassment. Never has any of my boys ever crapped on Dr. Blair.

On the way home he kept screaming in the carrier. Try being in a tiny car driving in the rain while your macaw is screaming. He drove me insane.

In a positive note he did really well during the exam and blood draw. His heart rate did not reflect him stressing at all. The Freak just does not like being restrained and he kept waggling his tongue at the doctor. Valentino is doing very well with his current diet and his plumage is perfect. She liked his weight which was 468 grams (he only had breakfast I weight him before I put him to bed and he will weigh between 478 to 484 grams.) So there is nothing physically wrong with Valentino. He was kind of a pain today though.

After I got home I fed him some pistachios which are his favorite nut. He is now in his cage stuffing himself and is pretty quiet.

 

[ShellyBorg]

My birds play in there crates all the time. As soon as I am heading for the vets, bets are off and the crates are EVIL!! Do you ever just go for a ride with him in the crate? I do this with my Zon and he now thinks rides=french fries! LOL

 

[Kimmied]

I just have to say first Valentino is gorgeous, if he is the guy in your pic. Your story made me laugh. My U2 also turns into demon bird when it's carrier time. She is getting better only because I bribe her with pine nuts ( her form of crack). I think I will have to have an intervention one day about these. I was surprised at your macaws weight. What kind is it? Mina weighs 476 grams and I think she is too tiny. I feel her keel bone. I love Valentino's colors. Macaws have always intimidated me, the size THAT BEAK lol. What is he like.

 

[JerseyWendy]

Rebecca, feel free to slap me, but I'm laughing my butt off at your description of Valentino first taking a massive poop on YOUR leg and then the doc's leg, too. BAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!

Sorry he tried popping your ear drums on the ride home, that had to have been so unpleasant.

You and Lupe are extraordinary parronts!!!

 

[crimson]

ROFL!!, oh Rebecca, sorry for laughing but it was just so darn funny the way you described what happened.

I can't even imagine what a bite would feel like with that large beak , that must have really hurt!!! I hope your finger doesn't cause you too much pain.

I'm sure your vet has been pooped on many many times.

You try so hard with Valentino, I wouldn't worry about a bird pooping when they are stressed....you are an excellent parront!!

I'm sure you are glad this day is over

 

[noblemacaw]

Thanks for all the support and understanding. It's really nice to be understood and who else but other parrot people understand my woes. LOL.

My finger did not start hurting me until AFTER I got home from my rotation. The bite happened about 12:45pm. I bled a little but nothing that needed a bandaid. I wanted to leave the wound open so it would heal faster..have the air at it. The lower part of the finger below the nail looked bruised but by the time I went to drive to the leather making place for my rotation it was 4:30pm and that discolor seemed to go away. I spent from 5pm to 9pm sewing leather products using heavy industrial machines and my finger still didn't bother me. It was not until after I got home and I was relaxing it began to HURT REALLY BAD. That was so strange that it really didn't bother me until after I got home from sewing. It still kind of hurts as I type. Sometimes I think parrot bites especially ones where a lot of PSI was used the damage seems to come out later. I have had Julio draw blood on my finger but it was more a scratch and didn't really hurt but took forever for the cut to heal. Valentino almost bit me hard again when returning him to the carrier after he was done with his appointment. I helmet gripped his head this time and just shoved him in there. Still was pissed from the first bite.

None of my boys ever bit me as bad as Valentino got me today. He sure is making up for all my parrot ownership lack of maladies over the years. I have to say that Valentino is the worst behaved most untrained parrot I ever had. All of it falls on me because even though I work with him he can be such a ..oh well I am just gonna type it... LITTLE ****!

Like Lupe says if I don't love him who is gonna love him.

Here is a picture of him when his colors started coming in. Taken back in May and he sure has exploded with color since this pic. His shoulders are much more orange with red tips on the tiny shoulder feathers and his red head has become more deep. Dr. Blair was stunned with how colorful he exploded. The wing and tail feathers are more blue with the new growth too.

I realize I need to get more updated pictures of his whole body so you can see how much he has blossomed.

Minimommy. Valentino is a Red Fronted Macaw. They are the smallest of the large macaws or the biggest of the mini macaws. His night time weight is between 474 and 484 grams but when he was weighted at the clinic his weight did not reflect his eating. He had some breakfast but did not eat a full meal before I forced him to go his appointment.

Valentino is by far the largest parrot I personally ever lived with. He is fully flighted and I had requested for his flight feathers not to be trimmed when he was ready to come home from the breeders. He is recall trained and trained to fly down to me from a height aboove so if he ever gets out of the house I have a very high chance of getting him back. Valentino is also the most challenging parrot I ever had because even though he is trained he does what he wants when he wants to. He has a strong personality and is very affectionate. He does the famed RFM meltdown where he is a pile of mush in my hands. Here is he is chilling lying on my chest on his bonding blanket.

There are days I just want to cook him for dinner as he can frustrate even the most experienced loving bird caretaker but I tell myself "if I don't love him who is going to love the freak."

Lucky for him his positive attributes outweigh the negative ones. I admit I have days (like today) where I am not liking him very much but in the end when I am putting him to bed I always tell him I love him.

 

[GladeWing]

Awwwww... crap happens, literally! I'm sure they weren't laughing at ya! The bite though-- yee-ouch! I'm sorry you had such a bad experience! :C

 

[Birdman666]

I have a birdie car seat. I haven't used carriers with my own in years. (Only fosters... and sometimes not even them. Children who are experienced bird handler's come in handy that way...)

I remember when Sweepea's orange feathers came in. Major molt, and poof suddenly, she changed colors... And when she opened her wings - WOW!

She's still getting new colors in... every time she molts.

They're quite amazing that way.

From just a tiny red spot on their ear hole, to vibrant.

And, if it makes you feel any better, my last macaw bite required six stitches to close, and I know what the bone in my index finger looks like without an X-ray...

If it doesn't require stitches, it's just a "hard pinch."

 

[noblemacaw]

Whoa...I have never had any bite more than just a little bleeding. I have never had stitches or broken bones. I have had soreness the next day from the PSI crushing of their pressure but nothing more damaging that that.

Julio the Noble macaw bit Lupe savagely in the same place twice and her finger swelled and her joint was very sore she could barely move it. I will knock on wood as I have done very well considering what damage the parrot's beak can do.

 

[Birdman666]

I've had two ER visits requiring stitches...

One from a very unhappy Severe macaw. (One of my least favorite species to work with.)

One from a very, very loving, Shamrock (GW/Military mix) Macaw who didn't mean to hurt me, he just didn't know his own strength. (I was scratching his head, and he grabbed my finger cuz he didn't want me to stop. Only he grabbed JUST A BIT too hard!)

Now keep in mind, I rehabbed "the evil birds." Primarily the biters. So, two bites in twelve years after handling around 350-ish birds isn't bad.