Avian vets seem worthless...

[Meagan83]

How worthless are “avian vets?” Well, I spent 150 on testing for my canary and they said she was fine. Their “Solution was to put her on ACV for 3 weeks and call back to tell them about my progress. I told them I had tried it in the past with no results, but she insisted nothing was wrong and even suggested that “Some birds like to drink more than others and will just have higher urates” She died a month later.
Now my friend Lori has been to the vet. She went to the vet because 3 Goulds died from diarrhea and 2 or 3 more are still sick. She took 4 stool samples from different birds and took one of the sick ones along. They ran tests and said everything was completely normal. Then they said she probably was just giving them to many extras in their diet and to give them no supplements at all for 3 weeks. She has always used the same products and never had any issues.
I suppose the only way to know that your sick bird is in fact “healthy” is to take it to an avian vet?!?! That sure is helpful…

[Tiffany]

Did she take her goldians to the same vet you took your canary?

[cindy]

I swear by mine...she has been spot on and precise with treatments. She is the type of vet that will spend time with you and even calls you in regards to a bird or pet.

[Rispa]

I think it really depends on the vet. The two vets that are local to me are really good, have great ratings and know what they are doing. You could even tell by how deftly they handled my birds that I had to take in. The only problem with them is that they are very expensive. I'm actually a little surprised that the testing was so cheap for you. Over here if you bring your bird in they have to do a basic check up at the very least and that's around $90, then they will add additional charges based on additional tests and medicines and treatments.

[L in Ontario]

We have taken our birds to a few different avian vets around us and have lost some of those birds right afterwards. I personally no longer take my birds to an avian vet.

[Meagan83]

Well, my friend spend over 200. I went to one in Lexington, she went to one in Louisville. I may never go to an "avian vet" again. Seems to be a waste of money. I was so mad and so is my friend. Both vets seem daft!

[Martie]

It really is a problem. If a bird is ill, the last thing you want to do is stress it - and a vet visit is really stressful.

An idea would be to forge a relationship with an avian veterinarian - maybe take a healthy bird in for a "checkup" and discussion about your flock - setting the stage for future work together. Try to find a vet who shares your philosophies and is willing to work with you. Often, a stool or other sample that can be taken at home can suffice if you are concerned about a particular bird. If, however, you have an illness spreading in your flock, it is a good idea to take at least one to the vet to get to the bottom of whatever it is and start treatment as soon as you can.

Just some thoughts....

[Sally]

Part of the problem is that many avian vets never see a finch patient. My vet charges $45 for the appointment. If I have a few birds, and I have a $10 Zebra get sick, will I take it to the vet? Probably not. If I have lots of birds, many of them fairly expensive, will I take a sick one to the vet? Possibly.

I will usually try to figure it out myself first, taking the least expensive approach. Avian Biotech will send you free test kits that you can keep on hand. If you have a problem, you can often take swabs yourself and send in for testing. It still is not cheap, and you have to be careful, as you can run up a big bill and still get no results. I'm certainly not suggesting testing birds just to see what might turn up, but if I suspect a true problem with a disease in my aviary, then some lab work can mean the difference between losing a few birds or losing a lot. If I have one sick bird or one death, I am not necessarily going to have a necropsy done, or have a bunch of lab tests done. But if I am having multiple sickness, or multiple deaths, then it is time for me to decide which route I want to take.

So you can see there are no hard and fast rules. Much of it is determined by how much you can or want to spend, that is a reality. Martie's suggestion to establish a rapport with an avian vet before you have an emergency is a good one. When you are emotionally involved, it is easier to spend way too much.

[Meagan83]

It really is a problem. If a bird is ill, the last thing you want to do is stress it - and a vet visit is really stressful.

An idea would be to forge a relationship with an avian veterinarian - maybe take a healthy bird in for a "checkup" and discussion about your flock - setting the stage for future work together. Try to find a vet who shares your philosophies and is willing to work with you. Often, a stool or other sample that can be taken at home can suffice if you are concerned about a particular bird. If, however, you have an illness spreading in your flock, it is a good idea to take at least one to the vet to get to the bottom of whatever it is and start treatment as soon as you can.

Just some thoughts....

Well, my canary lived a full month after the vet visit so I don't think the visit finished her off or anything.
I wonder if KY has a lower standard for what is required to certify someone as an avian vet...
I still think she was daft. I find more info online that she was coming up with.

[nixity]

This is why it can be frustrating for people (IMO) to automatically reply to posts regarding birds displaying symptoms of illness that the bird needs to go to an avian vet.

I've also spent hundreds of dollars doing fecal smears through Avian Biotech. However - although the smears turned up nothing at least the Tech I spoke to on the phone was way beyond helpful.
Based on everything I was telling him it was obvious something was wrong but for whatever reason whatever it was wasn't showing up on the particular tests I was doing, and at that point with so many being inconclusive I couldn't muster up the justification to pay for even more.

I've only heard of maybe one or two necropsies being helpful, too, and those are even more expensive or so I hear.
With finches I think that's why I have preferred to take the watch and experiment road. While others might disapprove of this, for me, it's often been a matter of life or death and I've saved more than I've lost by thinking on my feet and taking matters into my own hands.

[LittleWings]

Sorry for your loss, I know it must be frustrating to lose a bird and not know what happened

I thinks if I had a large amount of valuable birds I would take it upon myself to learn how to do my own fecal smears, that would probably save money in the long run as vet visits and losing birds can be very expensive over the years. I found this page it sounds very interesting and worthwhile: How to Do Your Own Fecal Smears

[Tiffany]

It really is a problem. If a bird is ill, the last thing you want to do is stress it - and a vet visit is really stressful.

An idea would be to forge a relationship with an avian veterinarian - maybe take a healthy bird in for a "checkup" and discussion about your flock - setting the stage for future work together. Try to find a vet who shares your philosophies and is willing to work with you. Often, a stool or other sample that can be taken at home can suffice if you are concerned about a particular bird. If, however, you have an illness spreading in your flock, it is a good idea to take at least one to the vet to get to the bottom of whatever it is and start treatment as soon as you can.

Just some thoughts....

Well, my canary lived a full month after the vet visit so I don't think the visit finished her off or anything.
I wonder if KY has a lower standard for what is required to certify someone as an avian vet...
I still think she was daft. I find more info online that she was coming up with.

Kentucky really isn't a bird state that is for sure. It really is hard to find a GOOD Avian vet here.

[30 Seconds to Bob]

In the case of small birds such as canaries and finches, I've found a trip to a vet with a sick bird is generally futile. As mentioned, a 20 minute stress filled ride in a car with a bird showing signs of illness, sometimes is enough alone to push it over the edge. The three times I brought a small bird to an avian vet, they ended up dying in a few days anyway after $100 visits.
I have had success in the case of injuries, ie. ingrown leg band and foot amputation, but respiratory, intestinal or parasitic issues, I've had better luck treating on my own. A lady friend on an old forum was an excellent coach in guiding me through some difficult issues. I've found that Ornacyn Plus generally is more effective when you mix it up a little stronger than directed and mix in something such as honey to make it taste bette. You also have to administer it for a longer duration than directed, followed by some pro biotics.
A larger, tougher bird such as a parrot or even a cockatiel may benefit from a trip to an avian vet, but I'll take my chances on my own with the little ones. JMO Bob

[cindy]

The larger hookbills if carrying specific parrot diseases that can be treated, resulting in a cure or a longer than expected life if not medicated then I put my bird in my avian vet's care anytime. Mine helped me have three yrs with my Grey that I may have not had if he was not under her care.

[TheCanadian]

Holy smokes, L in Ontario is from the same area as I am in... If she don't trust the Avian vet in our area too look at her birds, and she's smarter than me in terms of birds, I think I'll avoid it as well... I think the vet we use for our dogs is a quack as well but my step mom insist on following through on the monthly check ups (at almost 200 a visit...) I've had dogs all my life and this is the first time we've ever had to bring them to a vet EVERY month...