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The Importance of Regular Avian Check-Ups

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The Importance of Regular Avian Check-Ups

For avian enthusiasts, feathered companions aren’t just pets; they are cherished members of the family. Just like any other pet, birds require proper care and attention to lead happy and healthy lives. One essential aspect of avian care that often goes overlooked is regular veterinary check-ups. In this article, we will discuss the significance of veterinary care for pet birds and how it plays a crucial role in avian health. 



The Importance of Veterinary Care for Pet Birds

  • Early Detection of Health Issues: Regular avian check-ups are crucial for detecting and addressing health issues in birds at an early stage. Birds are masters at hiding signs of illness, making it challenging for their owners to notice when something is wrong. A skilled avian veterinarian can identify subtle changes in behavior or physical appearance that may indicate underlying health problems.
  • Preventative Care: Avian vets can provide essential preventative care, such as vaccinations and parasite control, to ensure your bird remains healthy and disease-free. Preventing diseases is often more cost-effective and less stressful than treating them once they’ve taken hold.
  • Professional Wing Feather Clipping: Regular avian check-ups every three months provide an opportunity for professional wing feather clipping. Trimming a bird’s wing feathers helps prevent accidental flights and keeps them safe within their environment. This procedure should only be performed by an avian vet to ensure it is done safely and without causing harm.
  • Beak and Nail Maintenance: Birds’ beaks and nails continuously grow, and if left unchecked, they can become overgrown and cause problems. Avian vets are trained to trim and file these growths safely to prevent discomfort and injuries to your feathered friend.

Dr. Coetzee de Beer at CARE: Our Trusted Avian Vet

When it comes to the health and well-being of your beloved bird, having a trusted avian veterinarian is essential. We are proud to recommend Dr. Coetzee de Beer at The Centre for Avian, Reptiles, and Exotics (CARE) as our preferred avian vet. Dr. de Beer is a highly experienced and dedicated professional who concentrates in avian care. He played a vital role in assisting us with our pellet formulation, which is why he is our recommended vet. Dr. de Beer is passionate about helping birds lead happy, healthy lives and is committed to providing the best possible veterinary care for your feathered companions.


Conclusion

Regular avian check-ups are a vital aspect of responsible pet ownership, ensuring that your feathered friend receives the care and attention they deserve. In addition to routine health monitoring, avian vets can perform essential procedures like wing feather clipping, beak, and nail maintenance. These procedures are crucial for your bird’s safety and well-being and should only be done by a qualified avian veterinarian like Dr. Coetzee de Beer at CARE. Your bird’s health and happiness are worth every effort, so schedule those check-ups today!

 

Avian Anxiety

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Avian

Avian Anxiety

Anxiety is a lot more common than anyone likes, not only in people but companion birds too.

The thing is, these birds have been removed from their natural habitats, where their wild instincts and flocks kept them comfortable and happy. Now, we put them in our homes and expect them to adjust overnight. Domestic pets like cats and dogs, have been bred over generations, to live alongside humans, in their homes, happily. Parrots are bred simply for reproduction, and there is little difference between obtaining a baby bird from a tree and one from a breeder. So with that come issues like anxiety.

Anxiety can present in many forms, from digestive issues, self mutilation, plucking, excessive vocalisations, to aggression, and even physical illness. We have spent thousands on running every test imaginable, consulting with every specialist available, only to be told the bird has anxiety.

So how do you manage anxiety? Your first step is to become best friends with your avian vet. They’re your inside view into your birds body and mind, and the greatest asset you can have when taking on a new bird. Once every physical possibility is ruled out, you start to explore their mental health. Note their behavior towards every action and move you make, the tone of your voice, how you present food to them. Pay attention to when their behavior or physical health starts to change, there is always a clue in there somewhere.

Once you’ve accurately determined their triggers, what exactly makes them uncomfortable and how they respond to it, you go from there.

There are several treatment options available for avian anxiety, which need to be discussed with your avian vet to determine which will work best for you. There are medications, and supplements, even physical aids to assist in managing these symptoms. But it’s important to never just experiment on your own, and only do so under expert guidance. I have worked with several anxious birds, with such vastly different symptoms and solutions.

My own cockatoo, the infamous Chap, suffers from massive anxiety, and is currently on a monthly hormone treatment to reduce symptoms. He was ready to wean off, but hormone season but a spanner in the works for us, so we keep going until he’s in a better place mentally. Chap’s anxiety presents as plucking, and fear. He’s never aggressive, or excessively vocal, he just gets scared of the world around him, and something as simple as a bandaid on my finger can set us back 2 days.

Another fairly well know case is Rosie, the Alexandrine. Rosie experienced some trauma in her previous home, which resulted in anxiety and PTSD. We used a similar hormone treatment on her for a while, as well as CBD, but upon finding her perfect match and new home, she is currently thriving and totally unmedicated.

Another very interesting case was a young male eclectus. Initially he was thought to possibly have PBFD, considering how ill he was, he presented with discoloration on his skin, very poor feather quality, and even cysts. On top of that he was also showing signs of aggression and excessive vocalisations. After running every possible test, amounting to thousands of Rands, he came back with a spotless bill of health. His trigger is his environment, and his recovery was rapid and truly astounding with me, as soon as his environmental triggers were removed, he had no reason to show any forms of anxiety. It is so interesting to note the different ways in which anxiety presents, alongside the various treatments. There is no one size fits all, and definitely no quick fix. It’s vitally important to have a strong support network in place to manage these conditions, and a team of experts willing to offer guidance and treatment options. While we are not qualified vets, we do work closely with them, and have a vast network that can be utilized to help your beloved friend.

Written By: Abi Strachan

Source: Cheeky Beaks

Hormonal behaviour in captive parrots

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parrot

Hormonal behaviour in captive parrots

A large percentage of birds in our network portray signs of hormonal behaviour. In the wild, hormonal behaviour may be triggered by factors that change with the seasons, such as extended hours of sunlight, higher food abundance, or warmer weather. While seasonal procreation is natural for parrots, constantly comfortable conditions in the household setting may contribute towards year-round hormonal behaviour in some parrots, while others remain affected only seasonally.

While parrots are capable of reading birdy body language, this understanding does not come as naturally in humans and must either be observed or learned. We love to anthropomorphize our pets and this is a huge mistake in parrot ownership. Misunderstanding your bird’s body language can lead to issues such as screaming, biting, fear, aggression, and hormonal behaviour. Many of these lead to the surrender or rehoming of the bird.

What does hormonal behaviour look like?

Hormonal behaviours can look different across species, so we encourage you to do your own research on the species you have in your home so you are best able to identify these behaviours and avoid any long lasting issues with your bird. The attached videos are good examples of some of the most common behaviours listed below.

Common signs of hormonal behaviour include:

  • Regurgitation on people/objects, or for other birds
  • Masturbation
  • Territorial issues
  • Wing dipping/flapping
  • Tail fanning
  • Panting
  • Nesting
  • Egg laying
  • Aggression
  • Feather plucking on legs and chest

parrot

Why shouldn’t I encourage this behaviour?

In the wild, parrots engage in allopreening with a friend or mate. While head scratches are common, birds seldom get touched on their bodies unless there is intention of mating. Petting/touching on the back, under the wings and near the vent are mating signals in birds and can lead to sexual frustration in your feathered friend. Encouraging a bonded/mated relationship with your bird can cause your bird to become territorial over you or pluck its feathers, lead to seemingly unprovoked biting habits or screaming when you are out of sight and also increase the chances of egg binding in females. Feather plucking is a major concern in parrot ownership. Many times it is exacerbated by unaware owners unknowingly encouraging hormonal behaviours/failing to determine the underlying causes of the plucking in time (although this is only one of the many reasons a bird may pluck).

How can I prevent this and what can I do to help if it does happen?

There is no cookie-cutter solution to fix every situation. Most of the listed behaviours can also be a cause for medical concern so it is important to discuss any changes in behaviour/concerns you may have with your avian veterinarian. In some cases, medical intervention may be required in the form of a hormonal implant/injection should there be an underlying cause for the overactive hormonal behaviours.

If you have a young bird then set it up for success from the start. In the wild, young birds are fed and preened by their parents until they are mature enough to take care of their own survival. Encourage independence and foraging behaviours in young birds. Focus on enriching your bird’s life through target training and activities which engage their minds, rather than solely cuddling them. Do not touch your bird in a repetitive manner other than on their heads. Assisting them with their pin feathers is a great way to bond as a flock member, rather than as a potential mate. Avoid having nesting sites or mirrors in the cage and ensure your bird gets a good 10-12 hours of undisturbed sleep per day.

This article does not serve to diagnose or treat hormonal behaviours in parrots. The purpose of this article is merely to educate unaware owners of the factors contributing towards hormonal behaviour and steps they could take to reduce this in their homes. Always consult with your veterinarian if you may suspect there is something wrong with your bird.

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The behaviours depicted in these videos are for educational purposes and were not encouraged by their owners. Thank you to everyone who allowed us to use this footage.

Written by: Giselle Diemer

Source: Cheeky Beaks Parrot Rescue