Many different species of bird fall into the category classified as waterfowl. Birds that belong to this group are members of the order Anseriformes and include ducks, geese and swans. Similar to chickens these birds have historically been kept for their meat and eggs but have also turned into pets or have been used for ornamental reasons. Ducks and geese have been domesticated and there are many different breeds.
Our "waterfowl" category includes ducks, geese, and swans.
Birds can injure themselves quite easily in the typical household. It is important to "bird proof" your home so that you lessen the chance of serious accidents.
Birds have a very complicated sinus system (a part of the respiratory tract) with lots of interconnecting air pockets that can readily get infected. Infections can start in one site and move through the sinus system to attack most areas of the skull. A severe infection means that many affected birds will die without treatment.
When a bird is very ill, it is often recommended that a “hospital cage” be created at home to provide an optimal environment for recovery. It is best to have a designated cage for this before an illness occurs in order to be well prepared. Your veterinarian will make specific recommendations for you based on your individual birds problem but the following information is often adequate for most basic at home hospital cages.
Endoscopes are small "telescopes" that are used to have a look at the internal organs of an animal. Just as a veterinarian does a thorough physical examination of the outside of the body, the endoscope allows a veterinarian to do the same sort of examination of the bird's internal organs to assess their health. This is extremely helpful to determine an underlying cause for many illnesses that elude detection through bloodwork and other routine diagnostic labwork.
If your bird is not acting right or appears injured and you are unsure of the severity of the condition, it is always best to contact us immediately. We are able to accommodate emergencies during regular business hours.
If we are closed, we recommend using the emergency animal clinic located at 86 W. Juniper Avenue (just off of Gilbert Road south of Guadalupe Road). Their phone number is 480-497-0222. While this clinic is not an exclusive exotic pet practice, the doctors and staff are capable of providing emergency care for your pet until we are open.
Pets may be sent home with liquid medications. An oral liquid medication must be given by mouth to be effective. An injectable liquid medication must be given by injection beneath the skin to be useful. Some injectable medications require that the medication is inserted into the muscle to be most effective. It is important that you understand how to read the syringes that are sent home so your pet gets the proper amount of medication at each dose.
All exotic pets, even ones that appear to be outwardly healthy, have the potential to carry and spread contagious diseases that can impact the health of people. This sort of disease is called a "zoonosis", "zoonotic disease", or "zoonotic infection".