Birds of a feather
Few in number, avian veterinarians are a dedicated lot
Stuart Blackman can’t imagine life without Rufus, his pet scarlet
macaw. “I grew up with Rufus. I don’t know what life would be like
without him, God forbid,” said Blackman of the spectacular red bird he’s
owned for nearly 31 years.
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| Gainsborough, a hyacinth macaw, is one of Stuart Blackman’s four pet exotic birds. He considers the birds to be his children, and spares no expense to ensure their health and well-being.“ | |
Rufus was Blackman’s first pet bird and is just one of his four
exotic avian companions, housed in separate expansive cages lining the
windows of Blackman’s Chicago loft. There’s Zoey, 24, a rose-breasted
cockatoo; Gainsborough, 8, a hyacinth macaw; and Quebe, 4, a Queen of
Bavaria conure.
Over the years, Blackman has spent tens of thousands of dollars on specially made cages, imported vitamins, feed, and veterinary care for his birds, which he sees as his children. And like any good father, Blackman is highly protective of his brood. “Birds are not for everyone,” he stressed. “They require a lot of training on the owner’s part. They are very smart and have sensitive feelings.”

By comparison, the AVMA survey estimated the number of pet cats and
dogs at year end 2011 to be 74 million and 69.9 million, respectively.
Additionally, 36.5 percent of U.S households owned dogs and 30.4 percent
owned cats.
Not surprisingly, the number of U.S. veterinary practices catering to bird owners is dwarfed by the abundance of small animal clinics. Of the more than 14,000 practices listed in MyVeterinarian.com, 3,527 offer avian medical services, AVMA records show.
The Association of Avian Veterinarians, established in 1980 for the purpose of educating small animal practitioners in avian medicine, today has approximately 1,714 members, according to AAV Executive Director Robert Groskin. Around 1,400 of them are practitioners, and of these, only about 10 percent are in an exclusively or almost exclusively avian practice, while the remainder have an avian caseload of 30 percent or less.
“The majority of our members do not see birds exclusively. They have a mix of birds, exotic small mammals and reptiles, and dogs and cats,” Dr. Groskin said.
The field of avian medicine has grown by leaps and bounds in recent
years. Safer anesthetics, a better understanding of avian pharmacology,
increasing availability of sophisticated diagnostic tests, and greater
insights into bird
physiology have yielded important health care advances.
physiology have yielded important health care advances.
“The AAV just had its annual conference, where one of the sessions
was surgery on the avian skull. That was unthinkable two decades ago,”
Dr. Groskin said.
“Everything we’ve learned on pet birds has benefited the avian
population overall,” he added. “We have a greater capacity to protect
the health of the remaining birds of an endangered species.”
Bird doctors
Small in number, veterinarians who practice avian medicine are a
different breed, motivated by a love of the species and a passion for
the bird’s unique medical needs.
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| Pet birds make up more than 30 percent of the patient caseload at Niles Animal Hospital and Bird Medical Center in suburban Chicago. The practice was started by Dr. T.J. Lafeber, a leading authority on pet bird care and medicine, and has been run by Dr. Peter Sakas since 1985. | |
Dr. Peter Sakas has practiced at Niles Animal Hospital and Bird Medical Center in suburban Chicago for more than three decades. In 1985, two years after receiving his DVM degree from the University of Illinois, Dr. Sakas bought the hospital from his mentor, Dr. T.J. Lafeber, a leading authority on pet bird care and medicine at the time.
Having previously earned a master’s degree in parasitology, Dr. Sakas enrolled in veterinary college with plans for a career in research and academia. He spent his summer breaks working for Dr. Lafeber, who ultimately steered him into avian medicine. Now, Dr. Sakas is himself an authority on avian medicine. A frequent lecturer for veterinary colleges and associations, he is author of “Essentials of avian medicine: A guide for practitioners,” published by the American Animal Hospital Association.
|
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| Dr. Peter Sakas examines a patient during a checkup. Unfortunately, far too few pet owners see the value of such routine preventive health care, according to the Association of Avian Veterinarians. | |
Dr. Sakas estimates pet birds account for more than 30 percent of
his hospital’s caseload, noting that many clients also own dogs, cats,
and varieties of exotic pets. He sees birds ranging from finches to
macaws as well as wild birds, including raptors. Cockatiels and
parakeets are the most frequently seen patients, however.
He says a person chooses a bird as a pet for personal reasons
ranging from the aesthetic (the colorful plumage) to the practical (cats
and dogs make them sneeze) to the desire for a loving pet. People
sometimes inherit birds that have outlived their owners. Dr. Sakas
believes many pet owners are alike in their willingness to do anything
to care for an animal companion.
“We do some pretty involved surgeries,” Dr. Sakas said. “We remove
the reproductive tract of birds that have tumors or an egg that will not
pass. Some people balk at the expense of such a surgery, but most
people say, ‘Do whatever you can to save my bird.’”

Dr. Anthony Pilny is one of two veterinarians board certified in avian medicine on staff at The Center for Avian and Exotic Medicine in New York City. Birds make up more than half the practice’s caseload, Dr. Pilny said, and range from finches and macaws to pigeons and other wild birds.
The most common avian health problems Dr. Pilny sees are related to
reproduction. Obesity can also be an issue, particularly for Amazon
parrots, which are predisposed to weight gain, he said. Pet birds
typically live sedentary lives; they may be unable to fly as a result of
trimmed wings—a procedure The Center for Avian and Exotic Medicine
offers but doesn’t recommend—and owners don’t always understand their
pet’s dietary needs. As a result, they become overweight.
“Obese birds can develop similar diseases to humans such as
atherosclerosis, elevated triglyceride levels, and heart disease,” he
said.
Education
The most valuable service the avian practice offers, in addition to
health care, is client education. “It’s vitally important. It’s what we
spend so much time doing,” Dr. Pilny explained. “We always educate
clients as to our recommendations on feeding, exercise, lighting,
behavior, training, travel, boarding, and so on.”
No welfare issue currently facing the pet bird community is more
serious than pet relinquishment. “It’s a huge problem. Birds have become
one of the most surrendered pets,” Dr. Pilny acknowledged. “Because
most shelters don’t take them, they wind up in sanctuaries, of which
more and more are popping up all over. It’s very sad.”
Dr. Sakas agrees. “People buy these birds, and they don’t know
their needs, and they don’t know how to handle them,” he explained.
“Maybe the bird’s a screamer, a feather picker, or aggressive. Owners
get frustrated, the relationship is not what they expected, and they
just want to get rid of the bird. We see a lot of unwanted birds,
because people make poor choices. They don’t do the research beforehand
to learn what’s involved in caring for a particular variety of bird.

“Birds are highly intelligent animals, and they get bored quickly. People who want them as an ornament keep them in a cage because they’re beautiful. However, when they don’t interact with them, not meeting the bird’s emotional needs, the bird will become frustrated and engage in unwanted behavior. Birds are flock animals, and they need activity outside the cage.”
The endangered patient?
The avian patient is indeed a rare bird. According to the AVMA pet
ownership and demographics survey, 12.4 percent of bird-owning
households had at least one visit to the veterinarian in 2011, a
decrease of 10.8 percent since 2006. Further, 6 percent of them had one
visit, 2.4 percent had two visits, 1.2 percent had three visits, 2.8
percent had four or more visits, and 87.6 percent had no visits to the
veterinarian in 2011.
“Do birds see veterinarians enough?” Dr. Groskin of the AAV asked.
“They don’t. Birds will benefit most by routine annual health exams. As
avian veterinarians, we are constantly improving our abilities to
provide better care for our patients. Having a regular conversation with
our clients about their birds benefits both the health of their pet as
well as the relationship they have with their bird.” The AAV is
exploring options for raising awareness among bird owners about the
importance of regular veterinary visits similar to what the Partnership
for Healthy Pets initiative is doing for cats and dogs.
Both Drs. Pilny and Sakas say their practices were largely
unaffected by the recent recession. “We were fine,” Dr. Pilny said,
“mostly because we see sick or injured patients regardless of the
economic climate. Bird owners don’t tend to do a lot of wellness visits,
and owners choosing to skip elective visits or optional diagnostic
testing doesn’t affect us, because our avian patients don’t need
vaccines, heartworm tests, or flea products.”
“We did see people tighten their belts,” Dr. Sakas said, “but our practice is diverse enough it didn’t hurt us.”
Learn more about pet bird medicine by visiting the Association of Avian Veterinarians website.
I'm always surprised by how many birds end up a the local 24 hour animal hospital in Scottsdale AZ. It's good to know that they are well taken care of. Great pictures here, too, with some beautiful birds.
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