This is going to be more stressful on me than him!

[Kiwibird]

Kiwi has a vet visit scheduled for this afternoon. Just a routine checkup at a reputable avian vet. It's been a few years, so it's time for me to delve deep into my complete distrust and excessive anxiety surrounding doctors again. I know it is not a popular view on this forum, but I take Kiwi in every few years (unless of course he was acting sick or injured beyond my ability to help at home) to reduce his risk of being exposed to unknown diseased birds. I am beyond petrified of exposing my completely healthy bird to sick birds in the waiting area and would feel eternally guilty if he caught a disease he never otherwise would've been exposed to. There could be a bird suffering from PBFD or PDD or Newcastles or any other number of nasties right next to us or was in the exam room just before us and they missed a spot cleaning and I'd never know until he was dying of something horrible. People bring sick birds to a vets office. It terrifies me to bring my healthy bird to one. I bring my own towels and I cringe when he has to touch anything in the office that isn't ours. I know in the logical, rational part of my brain the risk to him is low and being a good vet the exam room/equipment should be sanitized, but it still disturbs me quite a bit.

Fortunately, he isn't really phased by vet visits. Isn't happy to be examined by a stranger, but isn't petrified like I am. I always bring treats too so he understands he isn't being punished by the vet. He'll probably be shaking his tail and happy again as soon as we're driving home, but this is not going to be a fun day and few weeks following for me as I know I will be obsessively monitoring him for any signs of illness and working up everything in my brain that it's a sign he's caught something and is dying. Ugh... I *DREAD* this.

 

[itzjbean]

Good luck on the vet appointment! I know it brings you anxiety but as many know our birds can feel this and feed on it. Kiwi will not pick up these diseases, but may pick up on your anxiety. Vets, they know what they're doing. Just like with doctors, when checking on a child who has the flu, then checking another patient without the flu, they do sanitize their hands and take precautions to prevent transmitting these things. Otherwise you'd see a lot more sick people. Same with birds at the vet. Trust in your vet to do their job and Kiwi will be A-Okay!

 

[Scott]

Trust your instincts, April! There is always a balancing between actual and perceived issues. Nothing wrong with longish intervals between vet visits with a healthy and asymptomatic bird. Kiwi lives solo with no other avenues of contagion from other avians. I know you are sufficiently attentive to detect the slightest deviation from the norm.

Take a deeeeeeep breath and have a great visit! Looking forward to an update.

 

[Kentuckienne]

That's a great idea, bringing your own towels. I'm going to do that from now on.

 

[LordTriggs]

Deep breathes April!

Hey nothing wrong in holding off a vet visit as long as things are going smoothly. I don't exactly take myself to the doctor over year for him to tell me what I already do (even if it's free here) I go if needed.

Just a thought but if someone could go with you maybe they could wait in the car with Kiwi until the vet can see her then they bring Kiwi in? Just to ease your nerves above all else. The odds of getting infected through the 5 seconds to walk through the waiting room are pretty low

 

[Kiwibird]

Thanks everyone. I'm good at not showing my anxiety externally. He's been to the vet in the past and I remained calm enough he was calm during the visits, but it makes me no less uncomfortable internally. I just remember as a kid every time I went to the doctors office (which was at least once a month, I was sick all the time), I'd come home sick with something wholly unrelated to what I went in for from being exposed to other sick kids. It was like a vicious cycle. I fear the same for Kiwi, only birds seem so much more sensitive to minor (or major) illness than human children, so it is not completely an unbased fear.

Glad I'm not getting reamed for not doing annual visits. I see no need. Kiwi is a healthy bird and I'd (of course) take him in if he did display signs of illness or became injured. Every 2-3 years seems reasonable but it seems like everyone else takes their birds in once or twice a year and it has made me leery of discussing what I do.

 

[Inger]

Oh anxiety is so awful. I understand completely. Good for you for braving it and taking him in.


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[SailBoat]

If you are still on-line! Call first and state that you are bring in your Amazon!!! They really do not want you in the waiting area with a Parrot either! Too much of an issue with the Dogs and Cats and others.

I target arriving 10 minutes prior to the time! I call from the parking lot and get an update. At about five minutes to the appointment, we enter! By the time check in is completed and every Staff Person in the office has said hi, they are ready for us!

I have always taken our own towel, as a means of comforting our Amazons over the years with a color and smell that they know!

Breath deep, this to shall pass!

 

[Kiwibird]

If you are still on-line! Call first and state that you are bring in your Amazon!!! They really do not want you in the waiting area with a Parrot either! Too much of an issue with the Dogs and Cats and others.

I target arriving 10 minutes prior to the time! I call from the parking lot and get an update. At about five minutes to the appointment, we enter! By the time check in is completed and every Staff Person in the office has said hi, they are ready for us!

I have always taken our own towel, as a means of comforting our Amazons over the years with a color and swell that they know!

Breath deep, this to shall pass!

Good idea. I think I will call when we reach the parking lot and let them know we're there. In the past, my husband has come too so one of us could wait inside and the other in the car but he can't come today. His current vet only treats birds and is avian specialized/certified. In that regard we are fortunate to live only 20 or so minutes away from the only CAV in the state. In the past he used to see a small animal/exotics vet (as that was the best available locally) and after he bit a dog in the nose they did not appreciate him in the waiting room longer than he needed to be:27:.

 

[Tami2]

Hi Kiwibird,

My son is on lifelong steroids which suppresses his immune system. So, I totally get your fear of exposure. I schedule his doctor/dental appts first appt of the day & preferably on a Monday when the office has had the w/e to air out.
I do the same w/ Levi, I get the very 1st appt of the day. I’ve only had him a little over a year and he’s been to the Vet at least 4 times if not more. I have yet to see another bird in the office. I’ve actually only seen a few dogs here & there which Levi does not appreciate.

If you plan far enough in advance you may find that this scheduling better suits your concerns. Good Luck.

 

[Kiwibird]

Tami2- That is excellent advice to schedule an appointment first thing on a Monday! I will keep the in mind next time.

 

[Kiwibird]

So Kiwi is back from his "well bird" exam. It was a tense wait. Too cold to wait in the car and they must've had some kind of emergency because we were there for some time. Thankfully none of the birds in the office near him appeared to be in for illness.

The vet deemed the demon of darkness very healthy Said she usually finds at least something a little off with amazons his age but he was a perfect weight, healthy poo, good feather quality and good diet. He was fairly polite with the vet when she toweled him and just kind of whined until it was over. GLAD it is done and over!

 

[Terry57]

April, I do the exact same thing with my flock, I am terrified of them being exposed to something...and there are always multiple birds in the waiting room.

Great news that his checkup went well! I am not surprised he is in perfect health, you are a wonderful parront. How did he handle the wait?

 

[Kiwibird]

I'm glad I'm not alone in my concerns Terry. I will be observing Kiwi carefully the next few weeks for signs he picked something up. With as many birds as you have, that would also be quite the task as well to bring each one in every year if they showed no signs of illness and had no chronic issues. You'd live at the AV's! And god forbid one did pick something up, you have so many who could subsequently become ill. I wonder if for people like you with large flocks, if AV's ever do house visits?

I didn't expect anything to be wrong either, but since he is so different physiologically than I am and they are known to hide illness, whether I like the prospect or not, it is reasonable to take him in every once in a while to have an expert look him over. Kiwi seemed a bit disconcerted by the other birds and was very subdue. It's not a reaction I often see in him. There is a boarding area (which has a window to the waiting area) and the birds in there were LOUD. Conures, I think. Once we got shown to the exam room he became his normal, inquisitive self again and after I gave him a "tour" of the room and a treat. Then he sat on my leg until the vet came in.

 

[Anansi]

So glad all went well with Kiwi's checkup, April. Given the care you take of him and a diet that would do an ekkie parront proud, I'd have expected nothing less than a bill of excellent health.

And I see nothing wrong with a wellness check every 2 or 3 years with a healthy bird. Especially with no exposure to other birds.

 

[Terry57]

Our vet doesn't do house visits, unfortunately, and Man, I can't imagine trying to take everyone in! You're right I would be there all the time. Our vet is awesome, very helpful even over the phone and that has helped tremendously. Since she does have a baseline for everyone as they went when first entering the flock, that helps as well if something does come up.
That is what worries me as well, if one picked something up it would spread like wildfire.

Poor Kiwi,sounds like he may have been overwhelmed with the noise I'm so glad that he got over it quickly, and was his normal self when he got into the exam room.

 

[SailBoat]

So glad all went well with Kiwi's checkup, April. Given the care you take of him and a diet that would do an ekkie parront proud, I'd have expected nothing less than a bill of excellent health.

And I see nothing wrong with a wellness check every 2 or 3 years with a healthy bird. Especially with no exposure to other birds.

If one looks closely at my writings of Vet Care and Visitation (See Amazon Forum Thread: I Love Amazons) I also support extended periods for healthy Parrots.

We are on and always have been on a very different schedule. We have likely educated more than a couple children of Avian Vets over the years. We except that as just part of the World we have chosen.

That all said, I remain a very strong believer in a yearly CAV visit! The reason is that what the vast majority of the members here on Parrot Forums are the exception not the rule when it comes to the overall care provided to our Feathered Family Members.

As Kiwi's Mom so well stated; The average Parrot at the Vets office is not there for a 'simple check-up!' That waiting room is not a 'clean room' by any means and the later in the day, the likely worst it gets.

As stated by Kiwi's Mom and others above!

- Bring your own Towel!
- Early morning appointments!
- Target being in the Waiting Room as short as possible!
a. Call before you leave home!
b. Target arriving 10 to 15 minutes before the 'adjusted' appointment time (the time you got from calling ahead).
c. Call from the parking lot and let them know you are there and ask what the new scheduled time is now! And, where you are in their parking lot should they want you sooner!
d. Leave the car running to keep the inside warm while you wait (air conditioning is the Summer). The time in the car is far less stressful than in the Waiting Room for both of you! The worst case is like $4.00 dollars in the cost of fuel - likely far less!

We are owned by Amazons that as a result of Illness or Injuries demand that we limit exposure to other Parrots! At present, we are on a 60 day visit schedule - are we worried, you bet! The last thing we need is a stray illness to add to our issues /worries!

So, I understand the want to avoid exposure!

 

[Scott]

All's well that ends well! Glad the visit went well, and most importantly Kiwi is clear for another few years!