Emmy21
New member
- Mar 11, 2022
- 2
- 18
- Parrots
- Pearly Conure
Hi everyone! I'm new here, but I've been reading all your posts for a long time and am so impressed with the wealth of knowledge and care you possess.
Firstly, I don't believe my darling bird is ill -- he just had a routine physical and consultation yesterday. My main question is whether I should immediately book another "first" visit for my conure with a different vet or if it can wait 6 months. I'd also very much love to hear your thoughts in general about this visit. Sorry for how long this is, it's partly for my records and partly because I don't speak brevity.
Little Emmy (short for Emerald) is a 4-month-old pearly conure whom I've had for 5 weeks. He was co-parented; his previous owner isn't a breeder but supposedly received copious amounts of help from her breeder friend. Baby Emmy (who may be a boy or a girl) is fully flighted; spends all day outside of his cage with me, as I work from home; eats pellets/fruit/veg with seeds for rewards; and gets 10-12 hours of sleep nightly. He's as big as your hand and weighs approx. 62 g. I weigh him every day or two to *try* to catch any possible sign of an illness. Although I raised a Great Tit that fell from its nest last spring, Emmy is my first companion bird, so I'm new to all this. I have a lot to learn!
So, I wanted to take Emmy to the vet right away, but I waited until now because I was concerned about two things: his stress levels and finding the right vet. He was understandably skittish and fearful in the beginning, so I wanted to start bonding to make him feel safe in case the visit was scary. We practiced getting used to the travel cage and nail file with lots of treats and kisses. I also felt the first visit was supremely important, so I made lots of phonecalls and did a lot of googling. The problem is, I'm an expat and there are only 3 proper avian vets (who treat birds exclusively) in this country, and they all have clinics in the SAME city, 5 hours from my town. Researching this has been challenging because I don't know the veterinary system here and I'm not fluent in the language yet.
Due to distance, I widened my search to vets with years of bird expertise, at the very least. Not cat and dog vets, nor general small/exotic animal vets. I found one an hour away, a Dr. Anna, confusingly referred to as "specialising in birds" but not listed as one of the 3 CAV. During the consult I learned she used to be an avian vet who sometimes still does "regular" visits, but mainly does avian surgery(!) now, which surprised me.
Well, I went in there with a very long list of things I wanted Dr. Anna to do for Emmy. I prepared by consolidating all of the amazing information I found on this forum, plus articles and books. I wanted everything from baseline blood work to DNA testing for common diseases to a gram stain. Normal things, I thought.
However, Dr. Anna only gave Emmy a basic physical and visual examination. She checked him over and listened to his heart and lungs. I have to say, she handled him beautifully and he was really relaxed. I'm incredibly relieved to report that according to her, he's "very healthy and lean." She asked lots of questions (diet, sleep, exercise, socialisation) and was satisfied by my answers.
BUT when I asked about DNA testing to figure out Emmy's sex, she said that wasn't necessary. I mentioned egg binding, but she said it wasn't a concern right now, plus it's expensive -- roughly $250. I also mentioned getting a baseline, checking for psittacosis and other diseases, getting blood drawn through the jugular vein. But Dr. Anna said Emmy was too tiny and young, and that the amount of blood needed would be too much for his little body, which scared me. When he got his nails trimmed, I asked her to use a file but she said she never does, that it's quicker and less stressful for the bird with a nail trimmer. She also plucked a feather in case I changed my mind about the DNA test to determine sex. I feel bad if Emmy felt pain for nothing, since I might not do it.
A couple of times during our visit, Dr. Anna smiled and said, "No one's ever asked me that before!" I guess bird owners in this country are a bit lax... or I'm a worrier. Still, she was very, very nice and seemed quite experienced, both with the parrots she owned (we chatted about them) and those she treated. I don't think she's in it for the money because she recommended another local "avian vet" -- who advertises herself as specialising in birds and reptiles -- for Emmy's general check-ups and bloodwork and such. But I don't like the reptile part since it feels like getting sushi at a pizza restaurant. It's worth mentioning that this is a first world country; the culture highly values nature and animals but not in a "doting" way, I suppose; they've established new avian vet schools because there's such an incredible shortage; everything is RIDICULOUSLY expensive; and, well... I feel like I'm lost at sea.
Either way, Dr. Anna seemed competent and compassionate, but I have some doubts. I don't know if Emmy's too young for all the testing I thought he needed; maybe I misunderstood what a first visit entails. Or maybe she was careless? But maybe this is the best I can hope for in my circumstances?
Emmy's my heart. I love him so much and want to give him the very best life. Money *is* a bit of an object, but I'd rather eat rice for the next few months than risk his health and happiness! So I'd be glad to see another vet. Any insight is so very appreciated, thank you.
Firstly, I don't believe my darling bird is ill -- he just had a routine physical and consultation yesterday. My main question is whether I should immediately book another "first" visit for my conure with a different vet or if it can wait 6 months. I'd also very much love to hear your thoughts in general about this visit. Sorry for how long this is, it's partly for my records and partly because I don't speak brevity.
Little Emmy (short for Emerald) is a 4-month-old pearly conure whom I've had for 5 weeks. He was co-parented; his previous owner isn't a breeder but supposedly received copious amounts of help from her breeder friend. Baby Emmy (who may be a boy or a girl) is fully flighted; spends all day outside of his cage with me, as I work from home; eats pellets/fruit/veg with seeds for rewards; and gets 10-12 hours of sleep nightly. He's as big as your hand and weighs approx. 62 g. I weigh him every day or two to *try* to catch any possible sign of an illness. Although I raised a Great Tit that fell from its nest last spring, Emmy is my first companion bird, so I'm new to all this. I have a lot to learn!
So, I wanted to take Emmy to the vet right away, but I waited until now because I was concerned about two things: his stress levels and finding the right vet. He was understandably skittish and fearful in the beginning, so I wanted to start bonding to make him feel safe in case the visit was scary. We practiced getting used to the travel cage and nail file with lots of treats and kisses.
I also felt the first visit was supremely important, so I made lots of phonecalls and did a lot of googling. The problem is, I'm an expat and there are only 3 proper avian vets (who treat birds exclusively) in this country, and they all have clinics in the SAME city, 5 hours from my town. Researching this has been challenging because I don't know the veterinary system here and I'm not fluent in the language yet. Due to distance, I widened my search to vets with years of bird expertise, at the very least. Not cat and dog vets, nor general small/exotic animal vets. I found one an hour away, a Dr. Anna, confusingly referred to as "specialising in birds" but not listed as one of the 3 CAV. During the consult I learned she used to be an avian vet who sometimes still does "regular" visits, but mainly does avian surgery(!) now, which surprised me.
Well, I went in there with a very long list of things I wanted Dr. Anna to do for Emmy. I prepared by consolidating all of the amazing information I found on this forum, plus articles and books. I wanted everything from baseline blood work to DNA testing for common diseases to a gram stain. Normal things, I thought.
However, Dr. Anna only gave Emmy a basic physical and visual examination. She checked him over and listened to his heart and lungs. I have to say, she handled him beautifully and he was really relaxed. I'm incredibly relieved to report that according to her, he's "very healthy and lean." She asked lots of questions (diet, sleep, exercise, socialisation) and was satisfied by my answers.
BUT when I asked about DNA testing to figure out Emmy's sex, she said that wasn't necessary. I mentioned egg binding, but she said it wasn't a concern right now, plus it's expensive -- roughly $250. I also mentioned getting a baseline, checking for psittacosis and other diseases, getting blood drawn through the jugular vein. But Dr. Anna said Emmy was too tiny and young, and that the amount of blood needed would be too much for his little body, which scared me. When he got his nails trimmed, I asked her to use a file but she said she never does, that it's quicker and less stressful for the bird with a nail trimmer. She also plucked a feather in case I changed my mind about the DNA test to determine sex. I feel bad if Emmy felt pain for nothing, since I might not do it.
A couple of times during our visit, Dr. Anna smiled and said, "No one's ever asked me that before!" I guess bird owners in this country are a bit lax... or I'm a worrier. Still, she was very, very nice and seemed quite experienced, both with the parrots she owned (we chatted about them) and those she treated. I don't think she's in it for the money because she recommended another local "avian vet" -- who advertises herself as specialising in birds and reptiles -- for Emmy's general check-ups and bloodwork and such. But I don't like the reptile part since it feels like getting sushi at a pizza restaurant. It's worth mentioning that this is a first world country; the culture highly values nature and animals but not in a "doting" way, I suppose; they've established new avian vet schools because there's such an incredible shortage; everything is RIDICULOUSLY expensive; and, well... I feel like I'm lost at sea.
Either way, Dr. Anna seemed competent and compassionate, but I have some doubts. I don't know if Emmy's too young for all the testing I thought he needed; maybe I misunderstood what a first visit entails. Or maybe she was careless? But maybe this is the best I can hope for in my circumstances?
Emmy's my heart. I love him so much and want to give him the very best life. Money *is* a bit of an object, but I'd rather eat rice for the next few months than risk his health and happiness! So I'd be glad to see another vet. Any insight is so very appreciated, thank you.
