Avian Vets

[chinniechantel]

My vet costs about $130 for chlamydia, crop culture, blood work and exam. That is cheap compared to other places I have found.

[NotEnoughTime]

Do they have health insurance for birds like the do for dogs and cats? I have been thinking of getting the boys health insurance and I would like to get a policy for Abbey. I don't think Skipper would need insurance.. lol just some meal worms and he is fine...lol

For people living in the USA there are several companies that have pet insurance for exotic birds. One is Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) - Dog Insurance, Cat Insurance, Pet Health Insurance . But *Read the fine print*.

There is a reason these companies make money. For instance I expect you would be *required* under a policy to have a yearly health check at *your own* expense. Then, if there is a health issue, there is a significant deductable that must be paid.

If you are diciplined enough to take the monthly fee they would charge and put it in a bank account as a "parrot safety fund" then you would - in the long run - most likely come out ahead. It is amazing how much money accumulates at $20 per month or so over a few years...

[perchingbird]

VPI is a decent program, actually, and as soon as Kit is eligible I'm going to get it for her (bird must be 3 months old and in your care for 3 months). If your bird never gets *really* ill then yes, putting away $20 a month is the better option.

VPI has their standard program, which is about $15 a month. For another $99 for the year you can add coverage of the well-bird exam (CBC, bloodwork, fecal, office visit, etc), which is actually cheaper than most well-bird exams. With VPI, you pay the vet then bill the insurance, and they send you a check for the alloted coverage amount. So if your bird gets *really* sick and requires emergency care, overnight care, hospitalization for a few days, etc. then the VPI insurance can pay for itself very quickly.

Since I had a very sick bird for a very long time, insurance appeals to me a lot for Kit. :)

[NotEnoughTime]

Since I had a very sick bird for a very long time, insurance appeals to me a lot for Kit. :)

Yes - there is no doubt that insurance has its place... And it does give a certain peace of mind... But one must make sure they read and understand the fine print of any policy before they take it out - I've found that there are lots of loop-holes in the cat-and-dog policies I've looked at (and many people I've talked to have been burned by these policies).

No-one seems to do exotic birds here in Canada - but I would be very careful of any pet-coverage policy. Ask for references...

[RXK]

My vet costs about $130 for chlamydia, crop culture, blood work and exam. That is cheap compared to other places I have found.

damn, luck you!

[perchingbird]

Yes - there is no doubt that insurance has its place... And it does give a certain peace of mind... But one must make sure they read and understand the fine print of any policy before they take it out - I've found that there are lots of loop-holes in the cat-and-dog policies I've looked at (and many people I've talked to have been burned by these policies).

No-one seems to do exotic birds here in Canada - but I would be very careful of any pet-coverage policy. Ask for references...

Certainly! The annoying thing with VPI is they don't post their bird policies on their website like the cat and dog ones.

When I get mine (not eligible until Nov 24) I'll post the details on the board so we can all see the fine print.