Preventive Exams
Preventive exams on an annual basis helps you monitor your bird’s overall health. Just like a dog or cat, your bird needs a regular preventative beak-to-tail feathers physical exam. A physical exam at Ridglea West Animal Hospital includes a check of skeletal, respiratory and cardiac systems with a limited neurological exam. In the preventative exam, you will have an opportunity to share and update us on any habitat and/or nutritional concerns you have. The smallest changes in the environment of your bird can have a large effect on their well-being. And yes, we do care for pet fowl-chickens, ducks, and geese.
General Health Concerns
When necessary, we are capable of performing many types of procedures to help with your bird’s care and health. Some general concerns we deal with daily include
- Nutritional consultations-many birds have limited their diets and suffer from issues resulting in inadequate nutrition
- Beak, wing and tail trims if needed
- Blood testing for wellness and disease
- Radiographs for diagnosis of injury or illness
- DNA testing to determine the sex of your bird
Care for Sick Birds
We are also equipped to provide treatments for your sick bird. We have treatment protocols in place for different types of illnesses and injuries occurring in birds. We have helped sick birds recover over a range of illnesses from upper respiratory infections to being egg bound. Birds can also require surgery for issues such as tumor removal, wound repair, or broken legs or wings. Keep in mind the birds hide sickness until they are very sick. This is a survival mechanism. It is important to watch your bird closely. At the first change in their good general health, it is important to contact a medical professional immediately and have them examined. Their health can deteriorate rapidly and quickly become a medical crisis.
