Deworming YES OR NO ???????
What a day......
so tired now.
Got an appointment at the vet today, travelled over 100km
BUT it was so worth it.
What a fantastic friendly avian vet, so patient and what a love he has for birds.
Handled Mishka so gently, could swear they were best buddies. She just kept kissing him LoL
He examined her from A to Z. Said she is in excellent health, feather's arein great condition. Said I am doing an excellent job in clipping hers wings and trimming her nails.
Spoke to me about her diet, asked what she eats etc. He is happy with the pellets she is eating. Then gave me a big packet of Avi.Plus, Parrot maintenance, at no charge.
It's complete Extruded Diet for Parrots, containing proteins, vitamins, minerals and trace elements. Mentioned it is imported, but recommends it is the best.
Happy Mishka is eating fresh fruit and veggies daily.
Asked is she ever eats sunflower seeds, I told him she has never eaten them.
Was so happy no seeds, said it's best to avoid seeds at all cost.
I did a lot of research before becoming a guardian to parrots, read seeds have no nutritional value.
Asked what I give her for treats when training her. Told him plain popcorn and nuts.
Mentioned nuts are excellent for their diet. No harm in giving her popcorn as long as it's plain.
I asked should a bird be dewormed or not.
He said every bird should be dewormed once a year. Said many birds living in a cage together should be dewormed twice to three times a year. I asked what are the signs of worms in a bird. Mentioned, it's difficult to detect, sometimes they can be seen in the birds droppings. Some birds eat bits of their dropping without realizing what they are eating. Best take the bird for a check up, let them test the droppings under a microscope. If there are worms they could assist you. If not worms still deworm the bird.
He showed us the intestines of a cocktail that had had worms. I could not believe it, vesturing with worms, it was in a bottle. The cocktail had no chance at all.
Then he shocked me totally.
The cocktail belonged to a bird breeder.
He went over to her place,
all the birds had worms. Most infected with worms were the Congo African Grey's. I was in tears.
He reported her, she was penalized, had to closed down and not allowed to continue breeding birds.
He mentioned that he had 24 birds in his care, people bringing in lost birds. He took pictures, gave out flyer's etc, and no one has come forward to claim them.
He complimented me, saying Mshka was one of the healthiest and calmest African Grey's he has ever examined. Happy to see someone, so caring and loving towards their bird.
We chatted for over two hours, the most interesting two hours I have ever experienced. We spoke about birds in general, exchanged experiences and knowledge.
THEN he surprised me..
Asked me how come I know so much about birds,
Where do you find all the great tips, advise and knowledge about birds.....
I was bursting with joy and pride, told him I joined a parrot forum and mentioned the site. Said he is so proud of me, wishes many more people would take the time, gain vast amounts of knowledge before and after becoming a guardian to a bird.
I AM SO PROUD TO BELONG TO A GREAT FORUM THAT HAS TAUGHT ME SO MUCH !!!!!!
When we got back into the car, my son Steven said Mom have you ever considered marrying again? I asked why? You should marry a avian vet. He said he has never seen two people so passionate about something ever LoL
Hope this info settles the confusion !!!!
Take care
