11401 NE 195th St. Bothell, WA 98011
(425) 486-9000 PHONE (425) 486-9002 fax
Notice: Below care sheet is from 2016, and may not reflect up-to-date care information.
Birds benefit greatly from regular veterinary check ups. Since birds commonly mask signs of illness for as long as possible, a regular yearly veterinary exam is important to help detect problems early, and to establish a normal “baseline” for your bird. At the Center for Bird and Exotic Animal Medicine, we recommend the following as a part of your bird’s yearly check up:
- Complete physical examination by an experienced avian veterinarian. This is the most critical component of any annual checkup. A detailed physical exam is vital for determining your bird’s overall health condition, and identifying subtle abnormalities.
- Accurate measurement of your bird’s weight. A decrease in weight can be a very early indicator of illness, long before other symptoms appear.
- Fecal cytology. Your bird’s feces represent the end product of digestion. Microscopic examination of their contents may reveal problems with nutrient absorption, gastrointestinal ulcers, and infections with parasites, fungal organisms, or abnormal bacteria.
- Other cytologies may be recommended based on physical exam findings
- Hematocrit and total serum solids. A single drop of blood collected from your bird allows us to estimate protein levels and detect anemia, another early indicator of illness.
- Complete Blood Count. Microscope analysis is performed on a portion of the drop of blood collected to determine the ratios of white blood cells present within your bird’s circulatory system. This test is used to evaluate the health of your bird’s immune system and identify the presence of systemic infections and/or inflammatory reactions.
- Serum Chemistry. This test evaluates your bird’s systemic organ function by evaluating enzyme, protein, electrolyte, and mineral levels within the bloodstream. It can give valuable information on liver and kidney health, cardiac disease risks, and other problems before clinical symptoms are seen.
If any abnormalities are detected, additional testing can be done immediately to identify your bird’s medical problem, so that treatment can begin as soon as possible.
March 30, 2015
Content of this Care Sheet Courtesy of:
The Center for Bird and Exotic Animal Medicine
11401 NE 195th St. Bothell, WA 98011
(425) 486-9000 PHONE (425) 486-9002 fax