Vet Visit: Well Fid and Wiser 'Mom'

[Keupi]

Keupi had his first 'well-bird' exam today since last year's zinc poisoning. (He's been in many times, but this was a 'merit' visit as it was a well-bird exam ). The vet staff all visited during the exam and I don't know who was more delighted, Keupi by the attention or the staff at his health. While we're waiting for the results of the lab stuff, it looks like - with the exception of the chronic issue with kidneys, liver and pancreas (KLP) - he's a fine and happy fid.

My vet, his staff, and I talked about a lot of things and I thought I would share the focus of the conversation. Use common sense. He said something that was reiterated elsewhere - you can't fully fid everything and still enjoy life with a fid. Fids are so smart and they can run the spectrum of delighting and horrifying. As no two are unique, what's good for one isn't good for another and the same in reverse - what's bad for one isn't bad for another. I came away a bit wiser. And to Tex and Christy, a slinky was once used to help rehab a wild bird with a severe foot injury.

The other big topic was nutrition. We exchanged some information. Some veggies are now, while more expensive, are more convenient. Those fresh ones meant for stir-fry are great - quick kabob without cutting. As for pellets, he's still a big advocate but not for Keupi. I'm very lucky in that area that Keupi loves to eat and try new foods. As we have that KLP issue, the more natural I can provide the better. As a 'first-aid' I also am always to have Harrison's baby formula in my freezer. However, Gatorade or Pedialyte is out (an old trick) as it could screw up his functioning further. Normally, it's good to have around, for him it's not. Any slight infection or suspicion to the KLP is a major issue - and fid formula is his standard.

Here's a question - what types of things do you all talk about with your vet? Any gems of wisdom passed along?

 

[TexDot33]

Some veggies are now, while more expensive, are more convenient. Those fresh ones meant for stir-fry are great - quick kabob without cutting.

Chirsty and I buy these every week when we go to the grocery, we also but a bunch of "leafy-greens" (kale, usually, but sometime beet root or dandelion greens) I give them a quick chop in the morning (to fid size, which is really easy to do, 3 minutes tops) and then we toss in some zupreem and some harrison's and the fids have breakfast ...

And honestly, it's not all that costly - the veggies are $3.99 a package and the Kale is like .69 cents a bunch ... I feed my fids for like $5 a week ... now, if I could just feed Christy and myself for that much! :18::18::18:

Hamlet and Mac have only been to the vet once each ... both for well birdie checks. The best advice our vet has given us has always been on diet ... "leafy greens" are great sources of calcium for our fids ... the greener the leaf, the better the source of calcium. I get a lot of my info from breeders and other parrot lovers, but then I also cross reference information that I get with other sources ... the more sources that agree, the better the information! Just like doing a paper for school!

~ :50:

 

[Flyte]

I have all those dark leafy greens in my fridge for my evil, demonic Iguana. I wish I could get my birds to eat it. Going to try cooking it and mashing it in with something they like but they seem to see right through that.
Tyler is just ridiculous. He doesn't wanna eat his food (aside from seed) unless I hold the dish for him. He then gorges himself, obviously enjoying it.
I am not going to hold his dish for him anymore, it's ridiculous and I don't want to make it more of a habit. I can't physically hold my arm up like that for very long anyway and I am going to BEAT the snot out of my boyfriend if I see him doing it again.
I'm going to watch him closely and not give him extra seed. He knows the other food is there, he loves the other food and I assume when Tyler is hungry he will eat.

On the vet thing, the only suggestion I have is with medication. If you purchase it from them, please make SURE the DOCTOR checks it before you leave. Madison was nearly killed because the veterinary hospital's pharmacy gave us the wrong medicine. It was labeled incorrectly, and was actually dog medication.
I gave her one dose when we arrived home and soon after she became extremely hyper.. she started out just calling for me which was strange because it was past bed time and she was already sitting next to me in bed. She then started running back and forth across my bed, literally bouncing off the walls and she was just going insane.
I called the vet and they said it should be alright since she didn't appear to be getting worse. They told me to discontinue the medication immediately and UPS it to them asap the next morning. I stayed up with her all night, she was just psycho.
I should have photocopied the label and taken pictures. I was distraught and just sent it back like they asked. I also ended up just bringing her back that day, once her doctor found out what happened.
The doctor was beyond angry, told me I would not be responsible for ANY of my bill and that she couldn't believe this had happened. She personally went to the pharmacy and got the correct medication. I think several people lost their jobs.
They seemed to be concerned that I would sue but I told them I understood it was an accident and since Madison had survived and had no bad effects, (blood tests) and I wasn't expected to pay the bill, I didn't see any reason to sue. I just wanted to take my baby home and thank god that she was alive, you know?
Unfortunately, I didn't think to get the doctor to give me something in writing about not paying the bill. I fought with them for years off and on over that. I eventually said to the one billing department lady that if she ever called me about this bill again, I would write a letter to all the local papers describing what had happened. We live in a big farm area.. everyone has cows and most people go there, (Cornell, NY Veterinary) for their large animal needs. She apologized and never called back.
Oh, Madison had been vomiting, which is obviously very odd for a bird, thats why she needed the vet in the first place. It wasn't regurgitation. We never did figure out what the problem was, she just stopped doing it. She still makes 'puke face' though, she must remember how worried it made me. She makes it whenever I try to get her to do something she REALLY doesn't wanna do. And THAT'S why her name should be BRAT.

 

[Keupi]

I have all those dark leafy greens in my fridge for my evil, demonic Iguana. I wish I could get my birds to eat it. Going to try cooking it and mashing it in with something they like but they seem to see right through that.
Tyler is just ridiculous. He doesn't wanna eat his food (aside from seed) unless I hold the dish for him. He then gorges himself, obviously enjoying it.
I am not going to hold his dish for him anymore, it's ridiculous and I don't want to make it more of a habit. I can't physically hold my arm up like that for very long anyway and I am going to BEAT the snot out of my boyfriend if I see him doing it again.
I'm going to watch him closely and not give him extra seed. He knows the other food is there, he loves the other food and I assume when Tyler is hungry he will eat.

On the vet thing, the only suggestion I have is with medication. If you purchase it from them, please make SURE the DOCTOR checks it before you leave. Madison was nearly killed because the veterinary hospital's pharmacy gave us the wrong medicine. It was labeled incorrectly, and was actually dog medication.
I gave her one dose when we arrived home and soon after she became extremely hyper.. she started out just calling for me which was strange because it was past bed time and she was already sitting next to me in bed. She then started running back and forth across my bed, literally bouncing off the walls and she was just going insane.
I called the vet and they said it should be alright since she didn't appear to be getting worse. They told me to discontinue the medication immediately and UPS it to them asap the next morning. I stayed up with her all night, she was just psycho.
I should have photocopied the label and taken pictures. I was distraught and just sent it back like they asked. I also ended up just bringing her back that day, once her doctor found out what happened.
The doctor was beyond angry, told me I would not be responsible for ANY of my bill and that she couldn't believe this had happened. She personally went to the pharmacy and got the correct medication. I think several people lost their jobs.
They seemed to be concerned that I would sue but I told them I understood it was an accident and since Madison had survived and had no bad effects, (blood tests) and I wasn't expected to pay the bill, I didn't see any reason to sue. I just wanted to take my baby home and thank god that she was alive, you know?
Unfortunately, I didn't think to get the doctor to give me something in writing about not paying the bill. I fought with them for years off and on over that. I eventually said to the one billing department lady that if she ever called me about this bill again, I would write a letter to all the local papers describing what had happened. We live in a big farm area.. everyone has cows and most people go there, (Cornell, NY Veterinary) for their large animal needs. She apologized and never called back.
Oh, Madison had been vomiting, which is obviously very odd for a bird, thats why she needed the vet in the first place. It wasn't regurgitation. We never did figure out what the problem was, she just stopped doing it. She still makes 'puke face' though, she must remember how worried it made me. She makes it whenever I try to get her to do something she REALLY doesn't wanna do. And THAT'S why her name should be BRAT.

Whoa - that's a biggie! Great point!! I almost had a potentially the same outcome but with my godchild's guinea pig. (I'm not a rodent person, per se, however there was no way I wasn't doing anything humanly and humanely possible to save this guinea pig I was entrusted.) I don't know much, but when I look at the medication I was given and it's not the medication the vet said I would receive, there's a problem.

 

[Flyte]

Unfortunately in this case they were small white pills and thats what they were supposed to be. Thank god both our animals ended up ok.
How can you not be a rodent person? They are sooo cute!
One of the most beloved friends I have ever had the privilege of knowing was a rat named Brew. Madison thought her name was bird-bird.
I will post about her in the other pets section so as not to totally kill this with off-topicness. lol.

 

[Keupi]

Unfortunately in this case they were small white pills and thats what they were supposed to be. Thank god both our animals ended up ok.
How can you not be a rodent person? They are sooo cute!
One of the most beloved friends I have ever had the privilege of knowing was a rat named Brew. Madison thought her name was bird-bird.
I will post about her in the other pets section so as not to totally kill this with off-topicness. lol.

I'm just not with the rodents. I don't even like Mickey (he's a mouse), though Donald the Duck is a long-love hero.

Snakes, fine; dogs, fine; cats - allergic but fine; fids - in love. Rodents - no. They freak me out. At the same time, let it be on record that I also don't want one removed from a dwelling inhumanely. My last encounter with a 'wild' one (a field mouse an office) literally had me on top of my desk screaming at the sight while at the same time screaming at the tech crew (mouse/mice) not to hurt it. They ended up trapping it in a box and, under my supervision (about 10 feet away) releasing it back outside.

I'm glad that you and Brew were close, but rodents give me the willies.

Going OT, well, that's cool. Anyway - so prescriptions are a 'check' point.