Sassy's Vet Visit

[PickleMeDickles]

We ended up having a late appointment, at 5 pm tonight. This was Sass's first outing with us and I was worried about how she would do. I have meant, for the longest time, to get her used to her backpack, but never had the chance. Well, this little girl is one tough cookie. Birdie Backpack...no problem. We let her out on the car ride there and she was like a little dog, peering out the window! Except this puppy had a running commentary on everything she saw.

Once at the vets we ended up in the waiting room for over an hour. My bird turned into a ham, literally. Once she figured out that when she "talked" at the TOP OF HER LUNGS that it made everyone in the waiting room crack up there was no stopping her. It was like she was a stand up comedian and the waiting room her very own audience.

As far as her toes, the vet said it looked like pressure cracks from gripping the perches. Somehow I really doubt this. First it was the right foot, now that looks healed and it is the left foot. Whatever it is, hopefully it is self limiting and will just go the heck away. Vet said it is definitely not Bumblefoot.

When I asked Sass to step up on their bird perch scale thing she completely owned it. In fact she stepped up and immediately asked the vet tech "What are you doing? Huh? Huh?". Everything looked great during the exam. She is a shrimp....only 481! They ran all the cultures, timmed her toes and did a beak groom. Her beak has always been super flakey and they took a dremel and smoothed it all out. Oh, and they have her a vitamin shot. They are going to email me the results with their interpretation in a couple of days. They tried to get me to start her on powdered vitamins that you sprinkle on their pellets, but I held off. I would like to get the opinion of other Amazon parronts first. Oh, and I had the vet check her right wing. She has never grown in 2 flight feathers from her clip before we got her. The vet said one feather was split and the other broken, but the base of the feather was intact within the follicle so the body "thinks" the feathers are fine and doesn't try to fix them prematurally. I was told they should grow in normally eventually.

Of course the worst part was that they had to restrain her and my girl was not a happy bird after all was said and done. She growled at us for a good 15 minutes on the way home. But, as always, she was a trooper in the end. I left my arm "near" her in her backpack. After the growling dwindled out she started messing with my sleeve. Soon enough she climbed up my arm, sat on my shoulder and fell asleep...her cheek against mine. We finished the almost hour drive home like this, it was magic. Now she is a worn out bird and is out like a light. Hopefully she will still be in a forgiving mood in the morning!

Btw, our grand total was $355 for everything. It was 230 for the health panel, 50 for the visit, 40 for the vitamin shot and the rest was the nails/beak. This bird is more expensive than my kids...I only had a $10 copay for them! Do any of you guys have Nationwide Pet Insurance for your bird(s)? I'm trying to figure out if it is a good idea or not.

 

[Inger]

It seems she was correctly named! Sassy indeed. Glad it went so well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[LaManuka]

A local consumer advocacy magazine here did an article recently about pet insurance and reported that many of them represent poor value due to the number of exclusions they write into their policies and the sheer number of claims they decline. I have no experience of this myself and do not have insurance for my guys, I just shell out and help my vet pay for his holiday home/European river cruise/Lamborghini whenever it’s required...

Many people just set up an extra bank account and just take the amount they would pay in monthly premiums and divert it into that account in order to set funds aside for vet bills. I must get around to doing that myself one day!

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

"Amazon's have more fun"!....with car rides and new places! As I've said a million times before,Amy loves the car! Wide-eye'd watching the world go by thru the window! And he gets very chatty to boot! As far as the vet,he also does his best to get laughs from other patients...another Amazon thing So happy it went so well for Sassy. I think 481g's is a good weight...Amy ran 485 for the longest time,now at 507...ish.
I was also thinking about birdie insurance for my kids. I think there is just a few companies that offer it...forgot who I looked into. They wanted $47 amonth to cover both Amy and Beebs. You had to pay the bill outright and then they would reimburse 80%. I'm still thinking about it. Amys' heart problem visit was over $700 When both fid's visit Doc Kristin for just a wellness/groom without bloodwork it's $300...ish.

I'm in the wrong business.


Jim

 

[SailBoat]

As stated by Jim, typical Amazon in so many regards. Our DYHA loves too travel and he is constantly on 'Look-Out' for prey flying overhead (including aircraft). Since he travels with us so much, a trip to the CAV's clinic can come as a surprise to him. As soon as we pull into their parking lot, he states with clarity: NO, No, no! But once inside, its entertainment time!!! On the way out, the scale changes and the individual that takes payment always errors in asking if we had been happy with the service? At that point, Julio provides a list of complaints, sadly most of it is in Amazon speak.
FYI: When the visit comes to that point that requires restraint, it requires the CAV, the AVT and me! He is one STRONG Amazon!

Regarding 'powdered vitamins!' Not at the top of my must do list. Only time that I use added vitamins is when there is a clear indication in the Blood screen(s) that there is a specific need. The use of general wide-spectrum vitamin packets is rarely of benefit, 'IF' your Parrot is receiving a good, healthy diet. And, in some cases can result in providing too much.

Great comments from your Avian Professional regarding the Wing Feathers. Amazons do not molt all their feathers inside a specific time frame. A Healthy Amazon will molt specific feathers to assure that when they enter Hormonal Season, they will have their Best Feathering!

FYI: Julio provides a fairly constant 500g.

 

[Anita1250]

Way back in the Stone Ages, when Sam was a baby bird, the vet suggested powdered vitamins due to the lack of good quality pellets. Now, the pellets are so much better, my new vet doesn't think any of the vitamins offer any help. I would think that a bird with a good diet wouldn't need them, and that if there was a deficiency, the vet could take care of it.

 

[Laurasea]

Like others I'm surprised at the vitamin shot?????? Unless they think he is deffecient??

I would have loved being in Sassybird audience!! How fun!! This was a bird only vet right??

So glad it's not bumble foot. Maybe she needs more baths soaking feet? one of my Quakers prefers spritz baths, and I noticed his feet were getting dry and less suple than the other birds, so now I spritz his feet well .