Re: cost of check-up

Joanne wrote:

Do you have a bird? I don't recall ever reading anything about one in your posts.

I have 16 at the moment; I don't count the ones that are about to fledge. (Never mind counting your chickens before they hatch, I've found they are not to be counted 'til they're on the perch)

I am down to one large aviary at the moment and have tried to reduce my collection of birds as I find it difficult to get rid of the youngsters after every breeding season. I would rather keep pairs of species as I think it is less stressful and kinder to the birds, although it does not particularly suit me for the reason mentioned above.

If you have a bird, do you like it? Do you love it?

I do like my birds, which is why I have kept and bred finches on and off for over 40 years. I am still fascinated with them and I still find their behaviors and habits a source of delight; they have provided me with thousands of hours of enjoyment and learning, which is why I still keep them. Love them? No, I don't love them.

You know what the argument is; the value of the life of a pet bird isn't defined by the availability and cost of a replacement.

No, that's not the argument at all. The original poster rightfully pointed out that when all and sundry in this group start shouting "take your bird to an avian vet", the cost should be considered. Hence his correction of a previous post which stated that the cost of a vet was around $15.

But you are partly right about your statement above that "the value of the life of a pet bird isn't defined by the availability and cost of a replacement".

You conveniently snipped other factors which I suggested should be taken into account when weighing up the cost of bird care, namely prognosis, cost of bird and cost of vet care. Obviously there are others. The most money I have spent on one vet visit was actually for prevention, having a necropsy performed on a finch that had lived in a colony.

A BP Cockatoo is no more loved to its owner than a budgie.

You can't possibly know that. For you that might be a true, for others it's not.

And when children are grown and gone or for someone who has chosen not to have children, their pet can be the center of their world. No, I don't think that is pathetic; everyone has priorities.

I would agree with your statement. After all, as someone once said,
"If it's right for you, then it's right, . . . . . for you!!!"

And I wish to point out that although your use of the word "No" in your last sentence sounds like you are rebutting my use of the word "pathetic", I used no such word.

My preference for vet visits is limited to my observation of a possible problem. I don't take my animals to the vet for well check-ups. I think the vet office is a great place to pick up problems from sick animals.

No argument there.

My preference is for a qualified vet to diagnose and recommend treatment. I didn't go to vet school and there's more to treating a sick bird than the problem-compounding I could cause by doing it myself.

Again, I can't disagree with your stance. However, my thoughts are that if the folks around here spent as much time studying and observing their birds as they do cooing over their little "fids" and "flock mates" there would be less health problems to treat and a very good chance that owners would be able to successfully treat their sick pet.

Consider the post that I replied to. Here you have a person (not the poster) who allowed an infestation of scaly mites to get so out of hand that a trip to the vet was necessary. How did this happen? Scaly mites are not a secret, they are a common problem, easy to diagnose and treat. I suspect that it was caused by sheer ignorance and incompetence; basic hygiene would have prevented the problem from occurring. Simple observation and research would have allowed an easy diagnosis and found readily available treatments.

Or better yet, consider the post not too long ago (unfortunately I do not have it to hand) from a budgie owner who was worried because his bird was vomiting, and he then went on to describe the typical regurgitation behavior of an amorous budgie. Of course, the usual clamor of "take your bird immediately to an avian vet" went up. Again, basic knowledge of bird behavior was lacking. (Although from memory, I think someone did point this out a couple of days later)

I won't even mention the idiot (no names) who took her pet Mika - damn, that slipped out - to the vet because it was "depressed" when she had moved it's food bowl.

None of this is rocket science. Simple observation and knowledge of birds, (they are NOT humans) could alleviate half the "problems" which pet owners think can only be solved by a professional veterinarian.

Anyway, back to my point in the other post regarding cost. I would be interested to know what you consider to be too much to spend on vet fees. $100? $1,000? Would you beggar yourself to save your pet bird, is the cost never too high?

With kind regards

Chu
.