The basics
What is an avian vet?
A vet whose work is birds
An avian vet is a veterinarian with a special interest in birds. The Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV) calls avian medicine “a distinct and very specialized field that requires extensive training, advanced skills, and facilities specifically designed and equipped to treat and hospitalize birds.”
That matters because birds hide illness. Avian vets are trained to spot subtle signs of trouble, and they can advise on diet, housing and behaviour too. The signs of a sick bird guide covers what to watch for at home.
Source: AAV, Veterinary Care for Your Pet Bird; When Should I Take My Bird to a Veterinarian?
Finding one
How do I find an avian vet near me?
Find one before you need one
- The AAV’s Find-a-Vet tool. Go to aav.org and follow the links to “Find a Vet”. It helps owners locate avian vets around the world.
- Your closest veterinary school. Ask whether it sees birds or knows who does.
- Other local vets. Ask who they send birds to.
- Other bird owners, bird clubs and local bird stores. Ask who they use.
The AAV describes its list as vets “with a special interest in birds”. We found nothing saying a listing is a certification, so ask about experience. Our own suggestions: do you see birds regularly, do you see my species, and what happens after hours?
Source: AAV, Veterinary Care for Your Pet Bird; When Should I Take My Bird to a Veterinarian?
Save the emergency numbers now
Find out which local emergency clinics see birds, and post their numbers where you can reach them. Keep your avian vet’s number with them, and ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435, open 24 hours a day (a consultation fee may apply).
Source: AAV, Signs of Illness · Merck Veterinary Manual · ASPCA Animal Poison Control
First visit
What happens at a new bird exam?
What happens at the exam
The vet will ask where and when you got your bird, their age and sex if known, diet, cage, past health problems and contact with other birds. Your bird is first watched in the travel carrier. A bird that stays fluffed or keeps their eyes closed when stimulated may be sick.
Then your bird is weighed and examined from beak to toe, and the heart, lungs and air sacs are checked with a stethoscope. Depending on your bird, the vet may suggest blood work, a droppings test, a chlamydiosis test or viral screening. Most parrots look alike across the sexes, so a few drops of blood can tell you which yours is.
Source: AAV, Veterinary Care for Your Pet Bird
New bird: go early, and keep them apart
The AAV recommends a prompt exam for every new bird, because many serious and even contagious diseases do not show. Sources differ on timing: the Merck Veterinary Manual says before you bring the bird home, the AAV right away, the CDC within a few days. Our own advice is as soon as you can, before your new bird meets other birds.
If you have other birds, keep the new one apart for at least 6 weeks, with no shared dishes or perches, and in separate air if you can. That is the AAV’s figure. The CDC says 30 days, and Merck 90 days for aviaries.
All new birds should be tested for psittacosis and other infections before they join a flock, because psittacosis can infect people too. If you get sick after handling a pet bird, see a healthcare provider and mention the bird.
Source: AAV · Merck Veterinary Manual · CDC
How often
How often does a bird need to see a vet?
At least once a year, and twice for older birds
The AAV recommends an avian vet visit at least once a year. A visit while your bird is well sets a baseline and can catch problems that cannot be seen at home. Older birds should be seen twice a year. The AAV’s table counts a bird as geriatric at over 6 years for a budgie, 12 for a cockatiel, 15 for an African grey and 30 for a blue-and-gold macaw.
Source: AAV, When Should I Take My Bird to a Veterinarian?; Care for Senior Parrots
Do not wait for the next checkup
Birds hide illness, so any change is worth a call, and a bird that looks ill is seriously ill. These are emergencies, so go now: huddled, weak, unresponsive or sitting on the cage floor; breathing with the beak open or tail bobbing at rest; bleeding that does not stop; a seizure; egg binding; fumes; or a swallowed poison or metal.
A bite from a cat, dog or rat needs an avian vet today, even if your bird looks fine. Do not give remedies, do not syringe-feed a weak bird, and do not wait to see how your bird is tomorrow.
Source: Merck Veterinary Manual · AAV, Signs of Illness · Purdue University
Getting there
How do I take my bird to the vet safely?
Warmth, darkness and a secure carrier
Those are Merck’s three key points for an injured or sick bird. A secure carrier suits every visit.
- Carrier: secure and well ventilated, with a towel over at least three sides to lower stress. It should be able to take a seat belt.
- Never on your shoulder. Never let your bird loose in a moving car, and do not leave them alone in a car during the day.
- Warmth, with a limit: a sick bird that is fluffed or seems cold, and has not been in heat, can be kept at about 27–32 °C (80–90 °F). A bird that is panting or holding their wings out is too hot and must not be warmed. Hot feet and beak with panting is an emergency.
- If your bird needs warmth: a heating pad on low, under and around the cage or carrier, with towels between. Avoid any heater that gives off fumes. Nonstick fumes are why our advice is to use a heat lamp only if you know its bulb is not coated.
- Water: our own suggestion is water-rich food rather than an open bowl, and a spare perch set low.
Source: Merck Veterinary Manual · AAV, Signs of Illness · Purdue University
What to bring
What should I bring to an avian vet?
A short list that saves the vet time
- Recent papers from the cage floor, so the vet can see the droppings.
- Photos or videos of the cage set-up. If you bring the cage itself, do not clean it first.
- Previous medical records, medicines and X-rays.
- Notes on diet and supplements, when any signs began, and any recent contact with other birds.
- Your bird’s band number or microchip, if there is one.
- The vet report from ParrotSense, if you log there.
Source: Merck Veterinary Manual · Purdue University · AAV, Veterinary Care for Your Pet Bird
In ParrotSense
Walk in with the facts
- A plain-text report of the last 14, 30 or 90 days, to share or copy before a visit
- In the order an avian vet reads it: the bird, weight, diet, conditions, medications, care, then what you logged
- Facts only: owner-logged, with no verdicts and no AI, and marked as not a diagnosis
- A care calendar that shows when the avian vet exam is due: at least yearly, and every 6 months for a senior bird
- Checklists for a new bird, a travel carrier and an emergency kit
Launching first on iPhone and iPad, with Android and Amazon soon after.
Questions
Frequently asked
How much does an avian vet cost?
What if there is no avian vet near me?
How often should a bird go to the vet?
How soon should I take a new bird to the vet?
Can I take my bird to the vet on my shoulder?
Do pet birds need vaccines?
ParrotSense keeps the avian vet exam on your care calendar and turns what you log into a plain report your vet can read before the visit.
See the vet report