Preventive care essential for birds

A wild bird's survival strategy is to appear as healthy as possible to avoid the notice of predators. Many popular pet bird species are not many generations removed from the wild, but the same survival strategy that worked in a natural habitat is a bad one in captivity. Pet birds will sometimes show no sign of illness until they're too sick to be helped.

Proper daily care -- good nutrition and fastidious cleanliness -- is essential to preventing life-threatening illness, as is a solid working relationship with an experienced avian veterinarian. Here's why an avian veterinarian can make a difference:

-- Scarcity of urgent care. Emergency clinics are mostly geared for dog and cat care, not specialized bird care. And even if you develop an excellent relationship with an avian-savvy veterinarian, he will not always be available for emergency response.
-- Cost savings. From the start-up costs of a proper cage to annual well-bird exams with necessary diagnostic testing, preventive care isn't cheap. Still, heading off illness is less expensive in the long run than trying to save the life of a bird in crisis.
-- Quality of life. Just because a bird is hiding his illness doesn't mean he isn't feeling dreadful. It may be days, weeks, months or even years before your bird finally gets so sick that he stops caring what happens to him. Misery has been his companion for a long time at that point, and that makes a strong argument for early intervention.

The place to start? An examination by an avian veterinarian, who'll take the time to establish the good health of your bird, correct little health problems before they become critical, and advise you about anything you're doing that might be endangering your pet's health long-term.

(Pet Rx is provided by the Veterinary Information Network (VIN.com), an online service for veterinary professionals. More information can be found at www.veterinarypartner.com.)

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