Expert: Rev. Dr. S.August Abbott - 11/6/2009

Question
I have a 4 mth old painted conure and recently have noticed a foul odor mainly about the rectal area, there is no evidence of stool present he is stooling regularly without any changes. Hard to have him on my shoulder with the odor it has just recently started

Answer
Whenever there's an odor noticeable from either end of your bird - it absolutely must be evaluated with a hands on exam.   The bird very likely has an infection of some sort and the problem is that it could be any one of several.  The bigger problem is that one medicine does not treat all.  In fact, if you give the wrong med, it could make the actual problem worse or even become life threatening.

 In case you're wondering, no, the pet store products do not work and will not work no matter what they claim.  There are no regulations in that industry that really protect us, or our pets.  The broad spectrum antibiotics they sell are ineffective for nearly all of the strains of bacteria out there today (bacteria constantly evolve)

At 4 months old it's about time to establish a vet anyway right?  The worst time to be looking for a vet is when we have an emergency in the middle of the night or on a holiday.  


Find an avian vet near you    http://aav.org/vet-lookup  



http://www.parrotpro.com/avlist.php  


and


http://veccs.org/hospital_directory.php   



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These days, with birds growing fast in popularity as in home companions, many DVM’s are quite experienced and able to see and treat many birds.  If you have a pet store that sells birds or know of any bird breeders – ask them who they use for their bird care.


If you have a Pet Smart in town you may have a vet for your bird.  Most Pet Smart’s now  have a veterinary clinic inside and many of them will see birds (open 7 days a week too).



-----------  For more bird care ideas  www.4AnimalCare.org