Clean bill of health!!

[fowlstack]

Today I finally brought Rio to a highly recommended Avian Vet. The trip from home to the Doctors took about an hour, which had Rio a little unnerved. He never uttered a word on the way over. Once inside the clinic he started talking up a storm like he was at home.

In any event, he weighed 283 grams, but by this time it was 1:00 PM. I never asked the price of the exam before taking him, but the vet only charged $158.00, which I thought was quite reasonable. He did a Blood Count, HCT/Protein, and a gram stain fecal. He said he was in excellent shape and spent more than 15 minutes discussing feeding and Green Cheeks specifically with me. You could tell he really loved birds, and really put me at ease .

The only thing he mentioned, besides all the reading material he sent home for me to read, diets and instructional material on parrots in general, was the recommended use of UVB bird lighting. I don't ever remember seeing that discussed on this site. According to the vet he should in the Spring and Summer be taken out 2-3 times a week to bask in the sun, away from the dangers of the hawks we have here, and in the winter the daily use of a UVB light over his cage.

I would love to hear y'alls thoughts on the subject..
Marianne

 

[SailBoat]

The discussions regarding UV /UVB / Day Light bulbs have been around for quite awhile. In the General Health Care is a Stick Thread: Lighting Information For Birds on it and also a Thread Titled: Adequate amount (of time) of UV exposure??

Sadly, the technology has been oversold and the resulting advantage is difficult to prove.

The best advise is to move your parrot to a window that provides Morning Sun Light during the mid Spring, Summer and early Fall. The balance of the year target a window with a Southern view. Anytime you can provide direct 'unfiltered' Sunlight will be better.

 

[GaleriaGila]

What Mr. Boat said.
I have always made it a point to get the Rb natural sun. A biologist once advised me that mammals and birds actually only need 5 or so minutes a few times a week. In summer I can open the window. In the winter, even considering the window glass, he gets enough. I believe it was Mr. Boat who estimated that maybe 10% of sunlight makes it through the glass. So an hour of winter sun through glass is still enough, a few times a week.
I do supplement just the general brightness of the room with incandescent light, shaded, as Mr. Boat advises, to avoid eye damage.
Rb seems fine.
Sometimes I'll wheel his cage to a sunny window for some extra rays. We're in lovely heart-of-rock-and-roll but low-sunshine Cleveland...

 

[Scott]

So glad the vet visit went well, and the cost is certainly reasonable. Best of all a great outcome!

Lighting is a worthy subject, I try to give mine some outdoor time in a cage secure from raptors.

 

[Billdore]

Your vet certainly sounds fantastic!!! I live in Vermont and sunlight can be hard to come by sometimes. I use a UVB light but not sure how much it has helped Timneh. Half of her cage is lit up and the other half she can escape the light if she wants.

 

[fowlstack]

Great to hear everyone's opinion. Reading the Lighting Information helps...thanks Sailboat. Rio's cage is currently housed in a bay window, so it appears that he is safe for the moment.
Your vet certainly sounds fantastic!!! He really was!! His cell number was given to me to use, and he states he answers it 18 hours a day, and is very obtainable for emergencies. Hopefully he will not retire any time soon