new bird question...

[chick101]

Hi! Our baby cockatiel will be ready to come home in a week or two...Between the new cage, toys, bird, etc., finances are kinda tight...I was just wondering if you guys think it's totally necessary to have a vet check up after we bring him home. We know the shop really well and they take excellent care of ALL their birds and animals from their largest Macaw, who is never in her cage, to their smallest hermit crabs. I don't want to slight this birdie by not taking him in to the vet, but I don't want to spend money I don't have and add to the stress of bringing him home...

Thanks!

[mamalovesrico]

Well, let me tell ya this. I had 7 days after I purchased Rico, to get him to the vet and get him checked. If there was something wrong, the pet store would pay for it. Sure enough...he had a yeast infection that ended up costing me about $330 to cure over a period of about 3 weeks. The store paid for it all, not a question asked. I would definately have him checked but that's just my opinion.

[LtlWngdAngl]

There's a lot of things that birds can have or be carriers of that you can't see. And, unfortunately, as hard as someone can try and clean as they may be, there are things that are beyond our control. The only way to know is to take it in for the initial visit. A basic avian checkup shouldn't be too terribly expensive, mine is usually about $30. And the doctor will tell me whether or not he feels we need to run more detailed tests that day, or if it can wait. It's well worth the money for my fildren's and my own health. I'd advise a check up.

[chick101]

Thanks. I felt kind of like a bad parent asking that question...I only know of 2 vets around here who see birds, so I guess I'll call and ask their prices and what it entails...I guess I also need to see what the shops policy is also...

Thanks again. We can't wait to get him home!

[kensbuns]

Yes absolutely you should. Just for those reason's.

[chick101]

Originally Posted by kensbuns

Yes absolutely you should. Just for those reason's.

When I first read your post, I thought you meant absolutely I should feel like a bad parent...lol

I just called the only 2 vets I know in the area that see birds and they charge $48 and $52 for a checkup. I guess we'll be doing it...I'd feel just awful if something was wrong and we didn't know it...

Thanks again!

[chick101]

Thanks for the great info everyone! I think it's a great idea to do it all in "one whack" Blake. I will try to do the same when we know more about when we're bringing him home. Right now we're waiting for the cage, which I don't expect until late next week.
Congrats on your new baby--be sure to post pics!

Thanks again,

Barb

[BirdsUnlimited]

Do the vet check. I would bet the store would also like you to have the bird checked. It's a bit of insurance that you got a healthy bird. The sooner the better though.

[Vankarhi]

Well in all honesty, I have only ever taken 1 bird to the vet. That was my galah about 10 years ago when I thought something was wrong with her beak, I was worried she had beak and feather disease, which I had not really heard much about anyway until joining a bird forum (before i found this one). Here in Australia, and probably more in the country areas, the vets don't seem to know much about our feathered friends. They tend to deal more with dogs/cats/horses/cattle etc. Maybe I have been lucky nothing has gone wrong, but I am planning to take Skye to an avian vet in Brisbane next time we go down that way, just to get her checked out in case she ever does get sick, and then we will have something to go by. I have learned so much from this site, that I just never really thought about before - and vet checks for birds are one of them.

[gator51]

in a word....YES,I dont care how good the breeder or shop is,I give everyone who purchase one of my birds 30 days to get a vet check up,I have it in their paperwork as well as i verbally tell them,repeatedly,ALWAYS get your new birdie checked by a vet