Conure acting quiet, withdrawn after vet visit?

[Artchic528]

I took Pico to the avian vet today for an exotic exam, nail trim and DNA test. I keep calling Pico a “she” but really don’t have a clue if it’s correct. Hence the test.

The visit got off to a start with Pico flying up to the ceiling to get away from the vet tech when she tried to get a weight. Then, after flying around for a while and looking stressed, Pico was caught and put back in her carrier where she sat breathing heavily for a few minutes and kept closing her eyes and puffing her feathers up.

I’m new to birds and their body language, but I think this was a response to stress and physically being tired.

Then, after about 30 minutes of waiting, the vet came in, wrapped Pico in a soft microfiber towel and examined her. I have to add that the vet said she was in great physical condition and was surprised when I said that I was feeding her a complete diet (seed mix, pellets and fresh chop). The vet then trimmed Pico’s nails, and took that opportunity to cut into the quick to get a blood sample for the DNA card.

After this, Pico was put back in her carrier where she proceeded to puff up her feathers and close her eyes again. She even stumbled a bit, which caused the vet to warrant turning out the exam room lights to reduce stress and calm Pico’s nerves.

Now back home, Pico is acting strangely quiet, withdrawn and sleepy. She’s perched on her forage wheel and taking a nap as I type this out. Is this normal? I’ve been giving her lots of space right now to just relax and plenty of treats. I’m just not used to her being so quiet and calm. She’s more so in my face, like in this picture.

 

[maddox]

I'm sorry to hear that Pico had an unpleasant visit to the vet! This same thing happened with my GCC Maddox when he had blood work done. The vet told me that drawing blood can tire a bird, in addition to all the stress of going to the vet. She said that is completely normal for a bird to be a little sleepy and lethargic, and should be given some time to rest and recuperate. Maddox was definitely quite when I took him home yesterday but he is back to his usual self today!

 

[ravvlet]

Kirby had his annual Wednesday and was definitely a sleepy guy the rest of the day! No matter how gentle your vet is, it’s still them being manhandled by a total stranger. He’s been enough times that I only take notice if it extends into the next day - but he was back to his usual self by then.

Keep track of his eating and weight. As long as he doesn’t lose weight and his behavior gets back to normal within a couple days he’s probably fine!

 

[onamom]

It’s normal to be tired and stressed after returning from the vet. Just give her some time to rest and be at home. Poor thing! Ona acted the same way after returning from the vet.