Vet Visits - Avoiding Infection/Contamination/Etc.

GaleriaGila

GaleriaGila

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May 14, 2016
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Cleveland area
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The Rickeybird, 40-year-old Patagonian Conure
I love our vet. His office, staff and procedures all appear clean and safe, BUTTT...

Y'all who know me are well aware that I'm a world-class worrier. I start worrying about infection/contamination potential the minute I step out of the car. What about that pavement, door handles, furniture, floors, air-borne stuff, bug-borne stuff? Do the staff really follow proper procedures behind the scenes? How clean was that pen I used to sign with? When was the last time that perch-scale was scrubbed down? Which of these animals are sick? Which people have toxins or contaminants on their persons? And on and on...

I do all the obvious stuff... keep the Rb crated as much as possible... don't set the crate down anywhere but the exam table... when we get home, clean everything (crate, shoes), change clothes, offer the Rb a bath.

Does anybody have any other thoughts or inspirations? I mean, other than CHILL THE HECK OUT? :)

Thanks!!!!!!!!!
 
Damn, once you set the NOT: CHILL THE HECK OUT?, in play, it doesn't leave much.

- Well, you should be making the Movie Star entrance with RB, calling from the parking lot and getting a call when it's time to rush him into his private room with no stops in the waiting area.

- Wearing the Toxic Banners over the yellow Traffic Vest with reflective panels tend to keep people back!

- And, there is always poor Rival moving just ahead of you and RB misting a path to RB's room.

By the way, I would love to watch this all unfold.

All kidding aside, the Movie Star entrance is the best for everyone!
 
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I try to keep the carrier on a seating surface such as a chair or my lap. Really hard to avoid the worst, and most offices don't use "hospital style" procedures throughout. Even that is an oxymoron, as hospitals are hotbeds of microscopic cooties, especially dreaded MRSA and C diff.
 
I normally bring Sammy in wearing his harness. Which means that I have him perch on my hand/shoulder or hold him in the waiting area and then have him on the exam table/in the vets hands when being examined.

This does minimise the amount of surfaces that he touched. Also I know that my vet is very good with hygiene and they also care for other exotic pets so not EVERY patient is a bird. Also, most birds come in for injuries/check--ups anyway, so the likelihood of one being sick, them not cleaning properly and Sammy catching it is close to nil.
 
Actually I ask about the hygiene and sometimes just grab and use the bottle of alcoholbased cleaningstuf myself.
The students / co's / whatever you call them that usually do the first part of the check-up always clean everything in sight, but it never hurts to check.


I am normally not a horrible nosey person, but when I was to meet up with the owner of DutchCaptain (Captain was there to see the vet, we use that same appointment to catch up and chat over coffee while we all wait) I really made it my business to ask the owner of the other macaw present what they "were in for". No way I was letting these two to close/ in the same waiting area if there was a potential problem (there wasn't.)


*
The one thing I always do: get an appointment (their) first thing in the morning!!
Usually they deep-clean at the end of the day, so after a night of "nothing" I am hoping the live germ-count is as low as they can get it.
*




(the one false positive in any bloodtest ever happened after they screened 7 lovebirds for the same problem right before Sunny got hers done... so no more afternoon apointments (UNLESS it is an emergency of course) for me & the birds)
 
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Mr. Boats... like in SUNSET BOULEVARD... "I'm ready for my closeup, Dr. Lindstrom".
I love the idea of calling in from the parking lot. Gonna do it. They're more than happy to rush me outta the waiting room, to spare everybody the terrifying noises. I'll let you knw how that goes. Genius.

Scott, that's cool. If Mr. Boat's plan works, I can zoom right back. That MRSA, etc., is exactly the kind of thing I fear. I can tell your mind goes the same way mine does regarding this.

Andy, thanks for that. very comforting. I, too have observed that the birds are almost always either coming in for injuries or wellness checks, as opposed to contagious-looking stuff.

Christa, I like that idea about first-thing-in-the-morning appointments. It totally figures that this would be the cleanest time for the envionment AND the staff, who probably wear the same scrubs/whatever all day.

I just KNEW y'all would come through.

Okay, NOW I'll take a chill pill!
 
GaleriaGila said:
Scott, that's cool. If Mr. Boat's plan works, I can zoom right back. That MRSA, etc., is exactly the kind of thing I fear. I can tell your mind goes the same way mine does regarding this.
Click to expand...

I spent 5 days in the hospital with MRSA about 13 years ago. Probably caught it in a hotel room and went downhill fast. Got a little better, flew home, went to bed. Woke up a few hours later feeling on fire. Fever of 104F... so off to the ER. Triaged and admitted me quickly, diagnosis within a few hours. Drug of choice is Vancomycin IV, so I had an enforced chill-out period!! Judging by the progression up my right leg, probably entered through a scratch on the ankle.
 
Do they make surgical-masks in a "Patagonian Conure" size?

I worry about the same things, I just keep the thoughts in my head while I'm trying not to touch anything in the office myself, and then also trying to keep the birds from not flying all over the place once we're in the room (Kane once almost got himself stuck behind the air-register in the exam room, that was fun)...I take my guys on their harnesses so they are only on me the entire time until we get into the exam room, and then I put them on the little perch they have, and I assume that they wipe down the exam tables a million times a day...So just let me think that...

I keep Duff in her carrier (she refuses to wear the harness for very long before she goes insane and starts hissing at me constantly, so we just keep her in her little box) and she only comes out in the room too.

As far as ME not touching anything, well, bring some anti-bacterial hand-sanitizer or wipes with you and wipe down anything that you or your birds are going to touch BEFORE you touch them...It sounds nuts, but my birds have never had an illness or infection, so I'll just keep allowing myself to think that what I'm doing is working...

I'd think that Rickeybird is at more risk at home with Rival than at the vet's office...
 
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Scott... horrible! Just a scratch, plus a chance contamination. Okay, I will be in the closet with the Rb for a while. Thank God you got care, and had a strong constitutin.

Ellen... wow. Weird as it is, I don't carry hand-sanitizer. BUT I WILL NOW. lol Yeah, the Rb has never had a problem, but now that he's a senior psittacine... and the Rival is a senior citizen.
Surgical masks in Patagonian size. I'll have to Photoshop that.

David, I just ordered that. Many thanks. I love Amazon Prime.

This has been so helpful. :)
 
GaleriaGila said:
...David, I just ordered that. Many thanks. I love Amazon Prime.

This has been so helpful. :)
Click to expand...

YW!
Don’t let the warning label freak you out! But, also do not ignore it!! Any super concentrate has serious risks while in that state!
One ounce per gallon for most uses! And in a laundry load, 2or3 at the most! I always use the Soak cycle too! Your house will smell like a veterinarian’s office if you over do it by even a little!
 
GaleriaGila said:
I love our vet. His office, staff and procedures all appear clean and safe, BUTTT...

Y'all who know me are well aware that I'm a world-class worrier. I start worrying about infection/contamination potential the minute I step out of the car. What about that pavement, door handles, furniture, floors, air-borne stuff, bug-borne stuff? Do the staff really follow proper procedures behind the scenes? How clean was that pen I used to sign with? When was the last time that perch-scale was scrubbed down? Which of these animals are sick? Which people have toxins or contaminants on their persons? And on and on...

I do all the obvious stuff... keep the Rb crated as much as possible... don't set the crate down anywhere but the exam table... when we get home, clean everything (crate, shoes), change clothes, offer the Rb a bath.

Does anybody have any other thoughts or inspirations? I mean, other than CHILL THE HECK OUT? :)

Thanks!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...

YES, I do.

When I make Levi's appt I ask for the 1st appt Monday morning, so the office/examine rooms etc have the weekend to air out.

I started this practice with my son, he is on steriods and his immune system is compromised. I just do the same w/ Levi.

Don't worry Miss Gail, just continue your routines and being proactive.
That's really all we can do. :heart:
 
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Got, it, Dave.

Tami, I love that idea! Will do. Yeah, you're right, all we can do is our best.

Thank you, thank you!

I am really happy that I asked.
 
Wow!... I honestly never gave it a thought! Depending on who is seeing the Doc.If it is just Amy,it's just us and her perch stick. We sit in the waiting room,or wait in the sitting room,with Amy either on my foot or knee.
When it's our turn,Amy sits on the scale perch then the stainless exam table.
I think the place is very sanitized. I don't handle anything either.
What kind of cooties could be floating around just waiting to infect someone??
Thanks Ms Gail...now next time I'll be thinking about anything and everything :11:


Jim
 
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Well, gentlemen, after all, I *AM* the queen of Paranoia...
I have to keep my throne room clean!
 
EllenD said:
Do they make surgical-masks in a "Patagonian Conure" size?

I worry about the same things, I just keep the thoughts in my head while I'm trying not to touch anything in the office myself, and then also trying to keep the birds from not flying all over the place once we're in the room (Kane once almost got himself stuck behind the air-register in the exam room, that was fun)...I take my guys on their harnesses so they are only on me the entire time until we get into the exam room, and then I put them on the little perch they have, and I assume that they wipe down the exam tables a million times a day...So just let me think that...

I keep Duff in her carrier (she refuses to wear the harness for very long before she goes insane and starts hissing at me constantly, so we just keep her in her little box) and she only comes out in the room too.

As far as ME not touching anything, well, bring some anti-bacterial hand-sanitizer or wipes with you and wipe down anything that you or your birds are going to touch BEFORE you touch them...It sounds nuts, but my birds have never had an illness or infection, so I'll just keep allowing myself to think that what I'm doing is working...

I'd think that Rickeybird is at more risk at home with Rival than at the vet's office...
Click to expand...

Well thank you, Ellen, for the respect. lol I am a force to be reckoned with, in my own mind at least.
Seriously though these are some good ideas from everybody. I would have bet that the Queen of Paranoia thought of everything but apparently not.
My thanks. :)
 
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