Vet bills, US
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beccafigs
- Persistent Pursuer
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- Joined: Tue Sep 18, 2007 7:54 pm
- Location: Glendale, Arizona
Vet bills, US
I was thinking of taking my two zebras to the vet for a check up. I just want to get them in soon since they're new to my home and I'm new to birds, and that way if they do get sick there is a record to go off of. I have called a few places and found an animal hospital that charges $35 for the exam per bird. That's the best price I've found. Everyone else wanted to charge $100-120 for the pair. Is that average? It seems like an awful lot. And is it even really necessary?
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Sally
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It's a personal call. The nearest avian vet to me has mostly larger bird clients (hookbills). I think one office visit is $45. The cold hard truth is that finches are so tiny, they are not easy to work on, and even avian vets may not have tons of experience with such little birds. I have only taken one finch to the vet, and that was when I was handfeeding a baby and got so attached to it, and I believe they said it was their first finch client. I would soon be more broke than I am if I took all my birds to the vet. I just buy the birds, then they can be wormed, etc., and hope for the best. I do quarantine new arrivals, just in case. People who have spent 4 figures for a macaw are much more likely to want to go to the vet, than those who have spent $15-20 for a finch...it's just basic economics.
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beccafigs
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That makes a lot of sense. A book I read recommended the vet visit so I thought I should consider it. I don't know about what to do to deworm the birds though, that was never in anything I read. (Hadn't found this place yet though...) I did buy them from a good place that specializes in birds, and they are very VERY active little guys so they seem fine. I would like to know what to do to deworm them though, if you could enlighten me.
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EmilyHurd
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I think the only way I would take one of my finches to the vet is if I was very attached to that particular bird, and something was really wrong that I couldn't help with.
Otherwise, I agree with Sally, I have a lot of finches and would be broke if I took them all to the vet. There are a lot of medications you can purchase yourself to give finches, and you can always just ask others, tell us about the symptoms and I'm sure someone can give you advice.
Otherwise, I agree with Sally, I have a lot of finches and would be broke if I took them all to the vet. There are a lot of medications you can purchase yourself to give finches, and you can always just ask others, tell us about the symptoms and I'm sure someone can give you advice.
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rottielover
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- Location: St. Louis MO, USA
All my finches have been to the avian vet, but then again my avian vet has many clients with both bigger (hookbills) and finches.
He charges $54 per bird, but I talked with him in advance before I started with finches (already had a parrot we take to him) and he agreed that if I were to bring him more than X number of finches in one visit, he'd charge me his "clutch" rate.
So in this way, all 7 of my Gouldians and my pair of society's have been to the vet.
Dewormer - I belive "Ivermectin" is a dewormer for birds, and it also treats and kills air sac mites (more of a worry for Gouldians). You may want to ask you vet's office over the phone, my vet is to the point now, that he told me I can call them and he'll give me a small syringe of Ivermectin to take home and administer to the birds if I wanted. He mixes it for me and it's one drop directly to the skin, or you can put it in the beak for them to swallow. There are some other products, and some of them you can even order over the internet I think, but from what I've read this Ivermectin stuff is supposed to be "strong" when compaired to the others. The only problem with it, is that once it's mixed you have to use it within a few hours, otherwise it starts to break down.
I went ahead with the expenses of the vet visits, and gram stain poop testing, becuase I want to breed these birds, and I wanted to make 100% sure they were all in top condition.
I'm probably one of the "pickier" bird buyers out there, when I go to buy a bird, I always ask (demand) to see the entire aviary and any other birds in the house/buisness. If any of them look sick, I leave. No since in leaving anything to chance, but then again, I spent a lot of money on my Gouldians (the Blue's cost around $150 ea. and the "normals" cost anywhere from 50-100 ea.).
So the choice is completely up too you. If you have 2 zebra's and spent $30 on the both of them, then a $100 vet visit really doesn't make a lot of economic sense. However if you ever wanted to get into the more expensive finch species then the peace of mind of having a qualified avian vet check them all over is worth the money IMHO.
I'd also look in the phone book or the internet to see if the vet is an Avian vet or not. You could also call the office and ask if the majority of the clients are dogs and cats or birds or other animals.
In my area, I've been to a few different vet offices. My dog's vet specilizes in Dogs, he'll see cat's if you own them, but his specialty is dogs, he doesn't see birds or other small animals. The 2nd vet is a Avian vet only, he'll see your dog if you already have a bird with him, but he won't do any small animals and his primary busienss is birds (I'm extremely lucky because this guy is nationally known, and runs many research projects on birds also). The 3rd vet is a small animal and lizard only vet (took my little brothers lizard too him once as a favor), again this guy's specialty is small mammels and lizards, he'll see your dog if you own a lizard, but only then.
Hope that helps!
He charges $54 per bird, but I talked with him in advance before I started with finches (already had a parrot we take to him) and he agreed that if I were to bring him more than X number of finches in one visit, he'd charge me his "clutch" rate.
So in this way, all 7 of my Gouldians and my pair of society's have been to the vet.
Dewormer - I belive "Ivermectin" is a dewormer for birds, and it also treats and kills air sac mites (more of a worry for Gouldians). You may want to ask you vet's office over the phone, my vet is to the point now, that he told me I can call them and he'll give me a small syringe of Ivermectin to take home and administer to the birds if I wanted. He mixes it for me and it's one drop directly to the skin, or you can put it in the beak for them to swallow. There are some other products, and some of them you can even order over the internet I think, but from what I've read this Ivermectin stuff is supposed to be "strong" when compaired to the others. The only problem with it, is that once it's mixed you have to use it within a few hours, otherwise it starts to break down.
I went ahead with the expenses of the vet visits, and gram stain poop testing, becuase I want to breed these birds, and I wanted to make 100% sure they were all in top condition.
I'm probably one of the "pickier" bird buyers out there, when I go to buy a bird, I always ask (demand) to see the entire aviary and any other birds in the house/buisness. If any of them look sick, I leave. No since in leaving anything to chance, but then again, I spent a lot of money on my Gouldians (the Blue's cost around $150 ea. and the "normals" cost anywhere from 50-100 ea.).
So the choice is completely up too you. If you have 2 zebra's and spent $30 on the both of them, then a $100 vet visit really doesn't make a lot of economic sense. However if you ever wanted to get into the more expensive finch species then the peace of mind of having a qualified avian vet check them all over is worth the money IMHO.
I'd also look in the phone book or the internet to see if the vet is an Avian vet or not. You could also call the office and ask if the majority of the clients are dogs and cats or birds or other animals.
In my area, I've been to a few different vet offices. My dog's vet specilizes in Dogs, he'll see cat's if you own them, but his specialty is dogs, he doesn't see birds or other small animals. The 2nd vet is a Avian vet only, he'll see your dog if you already have a bird with him, but he won't do any small animals and his primary busienss is birds (I'm extremely lucky because this guy is nationally known, and runs many research projects on birds also). The 3rd vet is a small animal and lizard only vet (took my little brothers lizard too him once as a favor), again this guy's specialty is small mammels and lizards, he'll see your dog if you own a lizard, but only then.
Hope that helps!
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Hilary
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- Location: Arlington, Virginia
All of my animals go to the vet when needed (even the hamsters), but I stopped bringing the finches. I had an avian vet nearby and once brought in my favorite finch who was fluffed and another who needed a beak trim. While knowledgeable, one of her recommendations was to catch one of the finches every day (the cb who had the bad beak) and hold her for a minute so she'd be calmer when I HAD to catch her. Hmmm. About a year later she quit the vet biz.
I've since read everything possible and keep a good medicine cabinet, and treat them myself to the best of my ability. If I lose them (which I do sometimes), at least I did my best. I've learned to trim nails and beaks, and bought a microscope to help diagnose. I did bring a bird to the vet to be euthanized, though, when she had a prolapse - that's one thing I just can't do.......
I've since read everything possible and keep a good medicine cabinet, and treat them myself to the best of my ability. If I lose them (which I do sometimes), at least I did my best. I've learned to trim nails and beaks, and bought a microscope to help diagnose. I did bring a bird to the vet to be euthanized, though, when she had a prolapse - that's one thing I just can't do.......
Hilary