Like other animals, caring for avian pets begins with a yearly checkup. At East Bend Animal Hospital, we will examine your pet’s eyes, beak, skin, nails, feathers, musculoskeletal system, abdomen, heart and air sacs to ensure that everything is healthy and functional.
Birds require special attention because an illness frequently does not become apparent until later stages when they are very ill. We recommend taking your feathered friend for blood work to see if any hidden ailments are lingering and to begin treatment early.
If you are unsure whether your bird needs a special visit to the veterinarian, ask yourself whether your bird exhibits a change in appearance. If your bird cannot groom itself, wash itself, or maintain a clean look, is feather picking, lethargic and feathers are puffed up chances are your bird is suffering from an illness and needs to be examined.
Beak Trims
Beak trims should only be done by a veterinary professional. Beaks grow as bird’s age and may develop abnormally or in such a way that proper functioning is inhibited. A healthy bird is a bird with an even beak. Trimming the beak effectively rectifies any problems in beak growth and allows your bird to feed and groom itself properly.
Sexing
Are you still unsure whether your bird is a male or a female? Relying on external appearances to determine your bird’s sex can be a difficult and frustrating process. At East Bend Animal Hospital, we can conduct a simple blood test that will reveal your bird’s sex.
Toe Nail Trims
Toe nail trimming is a process that needs to be done with great care and sensitivity. Blood vessels under the nail can be cut accidentally during trimming, resulting in bleeding. If you have a small bird with white nails, it is possible to do this procedure at home. However, it is strongly advised that you allow a qualified veterinary care specialist to do a trimming. If a bird’s nails are too short, they cannot eat or clutch objects painlessly. Nail trimming is a necessary procedure for most birds. We can provide regular trimmings for your pet.
Note: Sandpaper and cement perches can cause harmful wearing to the nail and cause skin problems. Please do not use them.
Wing Clippings
Wing clipping prevents your pet from flying too far beyond their home and is an essential procedure for many birds. Your pet risks flying into windows, objects, fans, or kitchen appliances without proper wing clipping. At East Bend Animal Hospital, we can discuss options and the various techniques used with this painless procedure. Blood feathers (feather with dark black/purple shaft) should never be cut. If cut there will be a large amount of bleeding and the feather will need to be plucked to stop the bleeding.
