- Do you wanna be in this video?
Do you wanna be in it?
One of you.
(wings flapping) Ooh.
There go my notes. (chuckles)
Good job.
Hey everyone, Jameileigh here from BirdTricks
and today with my Camelot Macaw Tusa
I'm gonna be doing a video about what to look for
in an avian vet and what to run away from.
(upbeat music)
So because of my lifestyle in the past
of being extensive traveling,
I've had the pleasure of working
with some amazing exotic vets. (parrot squawking)
Some amazing very experienced vet techs,
some non-avian vets that just weren't afraid to ask
for help or outside information
and then also just some really incapable veterinarians
when it comes to birds
who were in over their heads
and a little too nervous to admit it.
(parrot squawking)
You just wanna be...
Oh, okay.
How about here?
Would you be happy over there?
Who's your guilt?
You don't want to be next to
Tusa the hiccuper? (parrot squawking)
You seriously gonna do that on the video?
Yeah, apparently.
Okay. So first of all, I want to go over what to do.
(parrot squawking)
Nope. I lost my train of thought
'cause you guys are like really intense.
I don't know if I can film this with you guys.
Ah, okay.
Focus.
All right, so the first thing is the whole list
of find a different avian veterinarian if,(chuckles)
and the first thing is
if they're uncomfortable holding or handling your parrot.
So if they have no idea what species of bird
you have brought in and are very uncomfortable
handling your bird, find a new vet.
An avian qualified specialist should be no stranger to this.
Number two is if your avian veterinarian tells you to
come back with your bird when it's showing more signs
of being sick or more obvious signs of being sick
definitely find a new vet.
When birds have obvious symptoms,
that's usually when it's completely too late.
So, seriously the whole time. (parrot squawking)
Yeah.
Oh gosh.
What's going on, what's with Tucson and hiccups.
You don't want to sit by him, I don't blame you.
kind of don't want to sit by him right now either.
Another telltale sign
that you need to find a new avian veterinarian is
if they weigh your bird in anything other
than grams, especially pounds, it's like,
"hey, your bird was just shy of two pounds."
Oh boy.
Every avian veterinarian should be
weighing your bird in grams
that's where you're going to be able to tell of
weight gain or weight loss.
Okay you guys, you guys are the noisiest companions.
I mean, I could have brought the sun conures in
and have less vocalization, right?
Oh, you're so prickly,
so prickly.
How about a bath?
Would a bath do it?
All right,
well, they are showering
they will be back in just a little bit.
The other things are
I think I was at number three, number four
anyway, if your vet doesn't ask probing questions
about your birds environment or your bird's diet,
seek another veterinarian.
They should always be curious
about what you are doing and what you were feeding
and what you were putting in your bird's body
or around your bird's body and environment.
They should want to know these things to better the life
of your bird and give you good advice to follow.
The last thing is that they don't educate you or teach you
during the process of learning about your bird.
So when you bring your bird in for an exam
they should be explaining illnesses and procedures
to you so that you feel at ease going through this
and you have a better understanding of things.
Usually we fear what we don't understand.
So the more they explain to you
the better it's going to be long-term for you and your bird
and every exam thereafter because you're just
going to have a better understanding each and every time.
So you want to have a veterinarian who's willing to
take the time to give you explanations,
and educate you about your bird. None of us want to be
in the position where we have to drive hours
with a critically ill bird just to seek treatment.
So try finding a local vet that is close to you
that can just do an annual exam, send out for blood work
and kind of explain the basics to you
for that well bird exam.
If you do need better care,
make sure that you get that contact from that local vet,
tell them to reach out.
I know in my area, I'm pretty much all by myself
up here in Northern Idaho.
I have traveled extensively
so I've had some access
to some amazing avian certified specialists,
some amazing exotic veterinarians,
and then I actually have a vet that's about an hour
and a half away from me that I use for all of my exams
because she's not afraid to ask for help
and she's helped me with numerous research for my toucan
who you can't really find a vet
on toucans anywhere,
I just dropped my pen.(chuckles)
But it's really nice to have an avian veterinarian
or just a veterinarian in general
who's willing to ask their colleagues for help and advice
and seek greater knowledge on the topics that they
maybe aren't feeling completely confident in.
Also any vet can draw blood and send out for blood work.
However, please trust your gut on this,
I walked into a veterinary office
that's only 15 minutes from me
and the handling of my birds was not done well.
They were put through so much stress
that I knew the results I was going to get back in
were going to be just all over the board.
A good avian vet will usually want to do the blood work
right up front so they can get the best results
without putting so much stress on the bird
versus if they give a physical exam,
first the birds going to have...
Just stress elevated like crazy
then when they do the blood work
it's going to come back all over the board.
So keep in mind, they should know these things
they should also be confident in handling your bird.
I've been asked on numerous occasions to towel
and hold my own bird also to pull feathers back
in a way from the skin so that the vein is visible
and your vet tech and your veterinarian should be capable
of doing this on their own.
It's always good idea for you to
to grab onto as much as education as possible
but I know for me
sometimes I don't want to be associated with certain exams.
So keep that in mind that if you aren't new to birds
you maybe have a rescue bird
and you don't want your relationship to be going downhill
first thing on that association
with a traumatic experience that you may ask your vet
and vet tech to fully take care of that as they should.
The other thing about vets that deal with birds a lot
is that they understand when something just isn't right.
We may not have a physical sign of the bird being puffed up
or maybe even not have the droppings that are even different
and hormonal
or hormonal droppings can often be running as well
but runny droppings can be a sign of something else too
and so,
that's with experience
with birds will understand that something just isn't right
and that's your first sign of taking them in
because if you wait for something more obvious
like the fluffed up feathers
hanging out at the bottom of the cage,
the fecal matter just being totally off,
even, you know blood in the stool,
something that's way more obvious
they know that your bird is likely
on its death bed, and it doesn't have long
when bird starts showing those obvious signs,
we just are usually out of time.
So, keep in mind
that they should be very happy that you're coming in
before there's very obvious signs of illness
and that's also why the well bird exam
the annual exam that you should be doing
with your bird is so important so
that you can line up those numbers each
and every year and see where your birds falling into
and make sure that it looks good and normal
make sure that you have your birds
well bird exam when it's at its healthiest
so that you have those awesome numbers to compare to
that is an option for you
just go ahead and get a panel done
so that you have some sort of data.
♪You all are soaked. ♪
Leave room
Let me move my computer.
I just move you further away.
Oh my gosh.
Okay, they're back, the wet chickens are back.
The last thing I wanted to say
in this video is that my parent ownership guide, Oh, no...
(feathers ruffling) (chuckles)
Has a bunch more information on this topic
if you're curious about how to interview a vet
what questions to ask and really go
and dive in deep on these details.
It also has a safe metals guide,
a guide on vitamin A deficiency
Wow, that's cold,
safe produce guide,
whole bunch of different data that will help you just
be a better bird owner, (chuckles)
all the things.
So, if you want to find value in that
it also has some emergency first aid talk in there
for all the things
and hopefully your veterinarian can educate you
on some basic first aid, just to be able to
transport an injured bird or a sick bird safely
so that for future, you have that information on hand
and you aren't trying to find it or source it in a panic.
So hopefully this video helped you.
If you have a, great resource for an, for a vet that you use
for your birds, please leave it in a comment below.
People are always looking in that area
for veterinarians that they can rely on,
so maybe put your general area
and the vet that you recommend
and I think that'll help a lot of people in the comments.
Like I said, I drive an hour
and a half to a vet that I really like using
and it's about three hours
to an avian specialist where I am
so, whew!
And it's about 15 minutes
to a vet that doesn't know what they're doing (chuckles)
at all.
So it can be a little bit tricky.
Um, I've definitely made sure that I learn everything I can
at each and every appointment that I go to
so that I'm better educated for the next time
and for anything that comes up with my own birds.
So, we're back to hiccups.
All right, on that note, if this video helped you
please give it a thumbs up and share
with your bird loving friends, and don't forget to subscribe
if you haven't already for all things parrot related.
Thanks so much for watching.
Look how soaking wet and cute you are.
So so cute even like you look at these hair styles.
Hair styles.
Oh my gosh.
Okay my chair is soaked.
Guys you want to dry off on the tree instead?
That would be a good idea.
That would be a better idea.
(scoffs)
(feathers fluffing)