Should We Anesthetize Birds for Exams and Blunt Their Beaks?
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Should We Anesthetize Birds for Exams and Blunt Their Beaks?

The following comment is in reference to a blog post entitled  “How To Stop An Indian Ringneck Parrot From Biting

Russ commented:


FIRST OFF, Blunt Keto’s beak at the vet.

My vet is Scott McDonald, who puts all birds under gas for examination & grooming (STRESS FREEEEE).

His clinics are several per month in his Clarendon Hills home.

The best of the best.


SECOND: as with my 15y.o. Pionus, teach Ketto the difference between GOOD & BAD (or NO GOOD), by saying REPEATEDLY OVER & OVER AGAIN & AGAIN “Good Boy!”

Every single time Keto does something good.

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Can I Grab My Parakeets While In Their Cage
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Can I Grab My Parakeets While In Their Cage

First of all, people who state absolute truths about bird care as in yes and no have much to learn.

To answer this question with an emphatic “no”, begs even more queries:

  1. It’s time to take the bird to the vet, how do I get it from cage to carrier?
  2. The bird is sick or injured in the cage, now what?
  3. How do I get the bird to examine it?
  4. What if I need to weigh the bird?

If you just want to let the bird out by opening the cage door have you examined your home?

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How To Set-up A Handicapped Galah Parrot Cage
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How To Set-up A Handicapped Galah Parrot Cage

I have a young Galah parrot (aka rose-breasted cockatoo) who is missing her toes on one foot.

She was three weeks old when she developed constricted toe and had the amputation, so she really has no idea that she’s handicapped.

Editor’s note: Animals never do.

She’s a little over two years old now. (1st April 2016)

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Answers For A Cockatiel Pulling Out His Wing Feathers And A Cockatiel With Cataracts
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Answers For A Cockatiel Pulling Out His Wing Feathers And A Cockatiel With Cataracts

Dear Mitch I wanted to ask for your advice.

My male cockatiel is pulling his feathers out from under his wings.

I brought him to one avian vet who did blood work.

That was a dead end.

The 2nd vet sent droppings to a lab and that was negative.

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What Are The Most Difficult Parrots To Keep As Pets For Most Bird Owners
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What Are The Most Difficult Parrots To Keep As Pets For Most Bird Owners

What are the most difficult parrots to keep as pets for most bird owners?

First a little housekeeping.

When we talk about species of birds, it’s important to be specific.

To say that “cockatoos are needy”  would be inaccurate.

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How I Accidentally Rescued A Goffins Cockatoo
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How I Accidentally Rescued A Goffins Cockatoo

I just want to thank you for the weekly messages – for the stories you tell, and all that you teach us.

 

I have had a 10-year-old female Goffin’s cockatoo in my care for 2-1/2 years.

 

Editor’s note: Goffin’s cockatoo aka, Tanimbar corella aka Goffin’s corella.

 

Her owner was someone I knew most of my life and she committed suicide suddenly with no warning.

 

She had many animals.

 

Horses, dogs, cats, snakes, rats, and a bird.

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What Do You Know About Macaw Asthma? It’s Really A Thing.
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What Do You Know About Macaw Asthma? It’s Really A Thing.

This first of three answers about macaw parrot keeping solutions is in response to the Quora question:

Is it unsafe to have a cockatoo in your home and a macaw, Given that many macaws are susceptible to asthma? Following up, is there any sort of test a macaw could have done to identify asthma? 

Macaw Asthma aka Macaw Respiratory Hypersensitivity disease is found in several species of macaws but is especially prevalent with blue and gold macaws.

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Can I Always Keep an African Gray Parrot in a Cage That is Placed in the Living Room?
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Can I Always Keep an African Gray Parrot in a Cage That is Placed in the Living Room?

I’m going to interpret this as a cage placement question.

The answer is not straightforward.

Parrots like privacy.

We talk a lot about the birdcage canopy effect of lining the top third of your bird’s cage with so many toys that you can not see the bird.

This gives them a sense of security in that they are not easily seen all the time.

You have some sort of window covering in your bedroom, right? (more…)

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Should I Be Concerned My Peach-faced Lovebird Made an Egg?
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Should I Be Concerned My Peach-faced Lovebird Made an Egg?

Unfertilized, she has no mate.

Yesterday my lovebird was a tiny velociraptor defending her nest, and I’ve been watching her ‘egg bum’ for a couple of days, now.

This morning she was bouncy and happy, apparently relieved of her butt burden, but this is not over, her bum is still looking eggy. Lovebirds usually have 5 eggs in a clutch..?

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