Vet Q&A-Bird

Hello .I bought this bird.I don't know what kind of bird it is.The seller said i have to feed meat.Is this bird male or female? Is it dangerous bird?What should i feed the bird?Can i keep the bird as a pet?or should i release in wild? How should i care it ?please help

Hello, and thanks for your question. That's a raptor - a bird of prey. It is a carnivore (meat eater), and should absolutely NOT be kept as a pet. It's a wild animal, and many raptors are protected by law. I recommend touching base with your local university and/or veterinary hospital. They should be able to connect you with a local ornithologist (bird expert) or wildlife rehabilitator, who will best be able to care for this bird. Without knowing more about the bird and being able to examine it, I cannot guide you further. Male and female raptors often look very similar, so I can't tell you which it is from these photos. I suspect it's a juvenile (young bird) since it's not immediately flying away from you - so it may not yet be able to live on its own if you were to simply release it, depending on how long it's been captive. I encourage you to do the right thing for this beautiful wild animal, and make sure it finds its way into the hands of someone who is knowledgeable in the area of raptor care. I hope this helps! All the best to you!

My macaw bird wings are curling can you tell me why

Thanks for reaching out about Tanfo. Curled feathers can be cause by multiple reasons including: nutritional deficiencies (vitamins, protein), diseases of the feather follicles, liver disease, to name a few. If you are offering predominately seed, it is a poor diet for parrots being high in fat and low in other nutrients. Bird pellets are healthier but table food is acceptable. Having a consultation with an avian veterinarian can help guide you with nutritional questions but also diagnosing the feather condition. Good luck.

Hello. My door was open with a screen net and a raccoon came right up to the door making contact with my cat. Face to face. Is there a way for her to catch anything like that like rabies? Or does a cat have to get bitten for that? I immediately ran up and closed the door. The raccoon was coming to eat the bird seeds. Is there anything to worry about here?

Thanks for visiting Boop by Petco. Rabies is commonly spread through a bite wound. So there is very low risk of rabies transmission based on what you have described as making ocntact through a screen net. It isn't impossible because rabies is found in the saliva, just very unlikely in this scenario. Just keep an eye on your pet Kate for the next 7 days for any abnormal behavior (i.e. excessive vocalization, irrational behaivor, aggressive behavior, and if she is not up to date on her rabies vaccination, I would highly recommend getting her vaccinated asap. I hope that things work out well for your pet Kate moving forward. Best wishes and take care.

I have a cockatoo Moluccan 10 years old, she has a wound under her wing. She is having a plucking issue and she keeps scratching under her wing. Please help me

Hello, thank you for using Boop by Petco. I'm sorry that Luca is having this issue. Feather picking in birds is EXTREMELY difficult to determine the underlying cause in many cases. The first thing you have to do is rule out any underlying medical causes so you need to take her to an avian veterinarian for an exam and some testing. Your vet will also discuss the diet (improper diet can cause bad feather quality causing them to pick them out). If you can rule out an underlying medical condition then the issue is likely behavioral and your vet can help you with treatment which typically includes a combination of environmental enrichment and behavior modification medications. If you try to just keep "putting a band-aid" on the issue by avoiding the vet you are not going to get anywhere. If the problem is an underlying medical condition and that is not addressed, no matter what you do at home to "treat" her she will not get better. There is no quick fix for this problem. I have linked below a good article for you to read about this problem in birds. I have also linked a topical mediation you can apply to the wound until you can get her to a vet. It is a spray hydrogel. If she doesn't like the spray sound you can apply the gel with your fingers or a cotton ball. ( https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk491/files/inline-files/Feather-picking_in_Birds.pdf ) ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/vetericyn-plus-antimicrobial-wound-and-skin-hydrogel-for-pets ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

my bird spins in circles and flaps his wings and falls over when i go near him

This sounds like your bird may be afraid of people. It can also be an indication of neurological disease. Without a physical exam, the cause cannot be determined. Consider an exam with your veterinarian or an experienced avian vet. If the bird is healthy, you can begin to desensitize it to your presence and begin hand taming. Start by simply sitting next tot he cage for short periods of time. Gradually increase the time as the bird settles down. Offer a small treat after each session. When the bird is calm, place your hand in the cage and start the cycle again. Short periods of time, increasing as the bird accepts you and end with a treat. Be patient and be consistent.

Hi, my cockatiel is walking around in circles on the top of his cage. He only does this occasionally. I can see no other signs of illness. I am going to make an appointment to the vet tomorrow, but was looking for advice. Thanks

It is very important in this case to examine your cockatiel to make sure no other signs are present. It will be very useful for your vet to actually watch a recording of these episodes. Occasional circling with no other clinical signs, could be perfectly normal and may be a stereotypical behaviour often related to boredom or stress. On other hand more consistent tendency to walk in circles may be a neurological sign, both compatible with a disease affecting the vestibular system (in charge of the balance) or the brain itself. The check up will be essential to differentiate between these two possibilities.

What is the lowest temperature a kiwi bird can survive?

Thanks for reaching out. In the Brown Kiwi Husbandry Manual, recommendations are to keep the temperature range between 14-20 C, but also states not to allow temperature to get below freezing. Good luck.

Hello we have a parrot that seems to have something stuck or growing out of her ear and not sure what to do with it . It only showed up a couple weeks ago. We took her to a vet but we are on an island and they had no idea . Hoping you can help us out or point us in the right direction . Thank you!

It looks like it may be a foreign body. A mass, seed/food or insect cannot be ruled out. You may need to have her seen by a specialist. Sedation may be needed to see if the object can be removed safely.

Our parakeet is egg binding. I don’t know what to do. I watch the videos on how to do it with my hands to get the egg out but can’t find what type of lubricant to use

You can soak her in a warm bath deep enough to submerge her vent for 15-20 minutes. Then use a bit of olive oil around the vent to help her lay. If this is not successful, have her seen by your veterinarian or an experienced avian veterinarian.