Birds make wonderful, fascinating companions—but they do require consistent care to keep them happy and healthy.
The single most important thing you can do to maintain your avian friend’s health is to make sure you keep up with regular veterinary exams. Birds are very good at hiding signs of illness or injury, don’t let them fool you! While twice per year is optimal, at minimum they should see the veterinarian annually to:
- check body condition and weight
- inspect skin and feathering
- examine eyes, ears, beak or airways, and throat
- palpate the abdomen
- listen to heart, lungs and airsacs
- discuss diet and socialization
- test alertness
We may also recommend routine testing for parasites, inflammation, bacterial infections, anemia, nutritional health, immune system function, and disease.
Birds are fragile and their health delicate; they tend to hide symptoms from us as an instinctual defense mechanism. The fact is, if you think something might be wrong with your bird, chances are you’re right and an examination today could allow us to prevent a problem tomorrow. You should never miss an opportunity to have your bird examined.
If you have questions about caring for your bird or want to book an appointment for your pet, call us at 503-435-1570.