Avian vet and aggresion with BHC

[Ozii]

We took Peaches to the Avian Vet to get her checked over, it was her first visit, and traumatic for her to say the least. She had her wings clipped before we got her, by someone who wasnt professional, and cause it was so badly done, and giving Peaches pain, the Avian Vet suggested to trim them somemore to make her feel more comfortable.

Since this trip to the vets she has become somewhat aggressive, before the trip to the Avian Vet, she was not aggressive, could the trip to the Avian vet do this to her? could it be cause she is still in pain?

 

[roxynoodle]

Sure, vet visits can be traumatic for birds. My Blue Crown conure used to get extremely stressed by going. For her, I was always able to bring her back around by singing to her. Is there something like that that your bird really likes you to do? Luckily for me, she didn't blame me at all; just the vet. It may take some time for her to regain trust in you.

 

[Spiritbird]

What is your bird doing that you are calling aggressive? Birds can be afraid for a while after a vet trip. It could be that fear you are seeing. As we always say be calm and have patience so your bird will re-gain her feelings of safety.

 

[Remy]

She could be mad at you if she realizes that you had something to do with what happened at the vet. Were you in the same room while they clipped her wings? My vet made sure to draw blood and do grooming in another room from me, so he wouldn't associate it with me. That way I was able to "rescue" him. The vet is very stressful for him.

Poor baby, after they drew blood (they weren't even able to get a big enough sample to do the entire test that day) his wing was a little bruise because he struggled so much. He held it out from his body and trembled it, and lifted it up to show me where it hurt! It seemed to feel better after some snuggles and kisses and babying.

He's quite difficult with the vet. The first visit he managed to draw blood from her, and I had to bring him back again to draw more blood (from him), since they didn't get enough the first time. On the second trip he managed to escape, and they had to chase him around. That's my boy! LOL.

 

[Ozii]

She could be mad at you if she realizes that you had something to do with what happened at the vet. Were you in the same room while they clipped her wings? My vet made sure to draw blood and do grooming in another room from me, so he wouldn't associate it with me. That way I was able to "rescue" him. The vet is very stressful for him.

Poor baby, after they drew blood (they weren't even able to get a big enough sample to do the entire test that day) his wing was a little bruise because he struggled so much. He held it out from his body and trembled it, and lifted it up to show me where it hurt! It seemed to feel better after some snuggles and kisses and babying.

He's quite difficult with the vet. The first visit he managed to draw blood from her, and I had to bring him back again to draw more blood (from him), since they didn't get enough the first time. On the second trip he managed to escape, and they had to chase him around. That's my boy! LOL.

The vet had us leave the room, not to associate what was happening to her with us. But while we waited in the room, all we could her was her swqacking, it was awful hearing her, what I guess would be stressed out.

Awwwww, your trip for you poor baby, sounded rather traumatic.

 

[henpecked]

Rule one,don't leave the room. He doesn't want you to see he's clumsy attempts at manhandling the bird, if he can't handle the bird ,find another vet with more experience.Second thing wing clips shouldn't cause any pain, as long as there's no blood , Feathers are like your hair or nails, no matter how poor of a job, there should be no pain involved.The only time i could see cutting more feathers is if too many are cut on one side,which means too many feathers have already been cut ,so rarely is cutting more the answer. I'm not sure i think much of your vet, but i really don't know much more than what i can gleem from your post.

 

[Ozii]

What is your bird doing that you are calling aggressive? Birds can be afraid for a while after a vet trip. It could be that fear you are seeing. As we always say be calm and have patience so your bird will re-gain her feelings of safety.

She is pecking, sqreeching aggressivly and has pecked me so hard, that there were little blood drawn. I am calm around her, but its upseting me, that she is not her cuddly self, I'd have her wrapped up in her favorite blanket, and she'd snuggle up to it and me, but now she wont even do that. There a times, I am frightened to have her out, but I still have her out, cause I dont like being cruel to animals. I just would love her back to her normal self, but I am guessing by what your saying, and others, that with patience, she'll start to be normal again.

 

[Spiritbird]

Exactly - I would never leave either bird with a medial person alone. You can ask why and then say no I prefer to be with my bird.

 

[Ozii]

Exactly - I would never leave either bird with a medial person alone. You can ask why and then say no I prefer to be with my bird.

Thanks, I shall make sure, I will stay with her, at all times, when I take her back there in the future.... I am not a bad person am I, for leaving her? I thought I was doing what I thought was the best, as thats what the vet asked, and I didnt question, cause I thought ''the vet knows best'', I feel awful now leaving her when I did.

 

[roxynoodle]

He used to take Bri (Blue Crown) in another room. I think because she was so stressed. She would have to be in a towel pretty much the entire time and would scream non stop. Maybe that is why she never held it against me for taking her there, but saw me as her savior.

They've never taken Rowdy (Nanday) in another room. She is very well behaved there. So far Pete has only made one trip. He behaved somewhat in between. He's not a big baby like Bri, but he isn't all that fond of meeting strangers either (or being handled by them). They left him in the same room as Rowdy and I though.

So it might be kind of hard to judge why the vet would take a bird in another room if you don't have more than one of them. Bri was just a very, very shy girl. She could have used some "parrot attitude" to help her cope there.

I once had a cat that if it could get away from us, would literally jump all over the room and knock down huge shelving units filled with pamphlets and all kinds of mayhem. I would tie a bandana around her neck to hold onto her with. My current cat though is like, yeah, whatev.

 

[Remy]

Henpecked and Spiritbird - You both have good points about not being separated from your bird.

In Puck's case, he went from biting me all the time, to not nearly as much after the first vet visit. I think I'll probably request to be in the same room in the future though, because I don't trust most doctors (I'm a first hand witness to lots of MD mistakes). Do you guys participate (like helping hold the bird) or stand back and let the staff do it?

 

[henpecked]

I'm pretty actively involved.

 

[Spiritbird]

I stand back and observe most of the time. If the doc or staff ask for my help I will give it to them. Rosie was so at ease with the late Dr. Zantop it will be an adjustment for the both of us to have a different doc now. One time I took Rosie to an emergency 24 hr. place because she had a broken blood feather. They would not let me stay with her in the er room. I stood outside and looked through a glass pane in the door. She was screaming which she never does. It tore me up to hear her.

 

[Amber]

Exactly - I would never leave either bird with a medial person alone. You can ask why and then say no I prefer to be with my bird.

My avian vet always gives me the option. Usually it is easier for me to leave the room (You can enter an observation room with one way glass or go sit in the waiting room. Honestly I usually take the waiting room, I hate seeing Alex flip out) because my fid fights like a DEMON if I am around. I'm safety and he knows it. He'll bite, wriggle free, fly to me (He is flighted) and hide in my shirt. By then, good luck to me getting him out of there. If I'm nowhere to be seen, he is much calmer. So, easier for me, easier for my vet, easier for Alex!

Then again, some vets are better then others, and I'm lucky to have one of the best avian vets in our state right down the road who I know and trust. He was the only one I trusted enough to stick Alex with a microchip.

The funniest thing after our vet visits (two so far in 10 months. One for the chip and a checkup, the second for a nail and beak trim and a worm and another checkup as he was slightly underweight the last time) is that our vet will bribe him with treats. When I see them again, Alex is hanging out quite contentedly (but slightly wary still) on his shoulder awaiting snacks. So, all out trips always have ended on a high note and going to the vets is not a 100% bad experience for Alex. That to me is the mark of a good vet, top knowledge, top care and making it a comfortable experience for all involved.


Though, if I did not know the vet, an they did not offer me an observation room, I would insist on watching anything and everything that took place.

 

[Ozii]

Amber, I dont think the vets I go to have a observation room, as I wouldve liked to watch what was going on, rather then hear the awful noise I did. I am not sure what I think of the Avian vet yet, as I have only seen her once, so I dont think I can judge her just yet. Will have to take Peaches to the vets again after the New Year, but this time I'll make sure, I stay in the room with her, or ask to see if they have an observation room.

 

[roxynoodle]

I suspect they took Bri away from me on purpose thinking she would calm down if she couldn't see me. I don't think it worked though. Listening to her screaming was always horrible, but it was in her best interest health wise to see a vet once a year.

My cat/dog vet has been with me for 25 years. I have often assisted, including in emergency surgeries for my Dalmatian who had bladder stones. I remember once while I was there, they let me hold a newly born Chihauhau that has just been taken by C section. It was unbelievably tiny.

This is my second avian vet. The first one would never take new clients, and she was the only one in the area for a long time. Bri's breeder used to make the appointments for me, pretending they were her birds, and go with me. But, sadly, she passed away a couple of years ago. So when a new vet opened, I had to use him. He seems to be a good guy, and handles them gently.

I've been through a few horse vets though. Some of them just shouldn't work with horses. And one was scared to death of them, and that didn't work out well. With horses, the owner always assists.

 

[Quilly]

Exactly - I would never leave either bird with a medial person alone. You can ask why and then say no I prefer to be with my bird.

Thanks, I shall make sure, I will stay with her, at all times, when I take her back there in the future.... I am not a bad person am I, for leaving her? I thought I was doing what I thought was the best, as thats what the vet asked, and I didnt question, cause I thought ''the vet knows best'', I feel awful now leaving her when I did.

No you are not a bad person most people assume vets know what they are doing...and many do but not all have much experience with birds...my local vet won't even see mine I drive over an hour away to get to a good bird vet...which can be difficult in emergencies! You are a good person for taking her to the vet in the first place!

 

[Amber]

Amber, I dont think the vets I go to have a observation room, as I wouldve liked to watch what was going on, rather then hear the awful noise I did. I am not sure what I think of the Avian vet yet, as I have only seen her once, so I dont think I can judge her just yet. Will have to take Peaches to the vets again after the New Year, but this time I'll make sure, I stay in the room with her, or ask to see if they have an observation room.

I'm not sure how common observation rooms are. My practice does a lot of training of vet nurses and the like, and I assume that's the main reason they have one (So X many people can observe one person working without stressing the animal). There is one in one of the consultation rooms and one in one of the surgery rooms, but the vet my parents take their dogs to and that I take my cat to only has a tiny glass window to the surgery room for observations. So I guess it varies. I don't know those vets as well, so I stay with my cat in the consultation room wherever possible.

I'm lucky to know my vet semi-personally out of the practice through fellow bird friends, which puts me much more at ease with him handling Alex. I'd hate to have to go to a different vet, I'd be so paranoid!

 

[Ozii]

Thanks everyone, for the advise you have given, I will not leave her on her own again, she seems to be a little better, and not as aggresive when I started this a few days ago, she sat on the table today, happily, watching High School Musical 2 with me, while tweeting when the songs came on, which was cute. Thanks once again. .