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Post by spookyhurst on Jun 13, 2005 15:15:39 GMT -7
What kind of birds need to have regular visits to an avian vet? And how often should these visits be?
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Post by Jane on Jun 14, 2005 0:09:11 GMT -7
I don't take mine to the vet for check ups but some people take them for an annual one.
Jane
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Post by lidiam on Jun 14, 2005 1:59:52 GMT -7
I don't take Joshua to the vet for checkups either, the only time he goes there is to board.
Lidia
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Post by JK on Jun 14, 2005 12:23:18 GMT -7
I havent taken mine to the vet either. BUT I have made sure I no where to find one if I ever need to.  |
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Post by spookyhurst on Jun 14, 2005 15:10:51 GMT -7
I never took my conure to the vet (he's always been a healthy fellow), and I never took my parakeets to a vet (taking a $10 bird to a $200 a visit vet seems a little extreme, not that I didn't love my little guys immensely). I don't want to be a bad owner or risk my bird's health, but avian vet bills do concern me.
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Post by tweetiepie on Jul 1, 2005 8:12:36 GMT -7
Hi all
For those who live in the Surrey/Sussex area of the UK, there is a very good vet based in West Sussex... he also writes for the Parrot Magazine.
I also have insurance which covers everything with Golden Valley Insurance.
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Post by lidiam on Jul 8, 2005 6:07:05 GMT -7
Spooky, Are you seriously saying that you wouldn't bring a bird to the vet because the vet's bill might be high? Lidia  |
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Post by spookyhurst on Jul 11, 2005 23:16:33 GMT -7
Spooky, Are you seriously saying that you wouldn't bring a bird to the vet because the vet's bill might be high? Lidia A parakeet or a grey? When I was a kid, one of my parakeets was definately ill with something (I now realize it might have been heavy metal poisoning), but being a kid, I never really thought about taking him to the vet. Not that I would have had the means to do so anyway, since there was no way my parents would have driven hundreds of miles and spent big bucks on an avian vet. If my conure had ever been ill, I would have taken him to the vet, and the same with my future grey. I won't lie though, cost of treatment could be an issue if it got too high. I'm not equipped to spend thousands of dollars in medical care, especially all at once. My family has considered pet insurance, but after researching it, it didn't seem like a great choice. So many things aren't covered, and treatment options are limited. We found we would probably be better off to set aside a little money each month into a special account, to be used in the event of a pet emergency. What I'm mostly concerned about is the cost and necessity of routine check-ups. I've read the a yearly exam costs at least $200. I wonder if it wouldn't be better to set that $200 a year aside in the event the bird ever got sick and needed medical care. |
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Post by lidiam on Jul 12, 2005 1:13:58 GMT -7
Spooky,
I wasn't talking about when you were a child. I meant now. I don't see the difference between the ill bird being a parakeet or a CAG. If it's a pet animal, it's your responsibility to look after it.
You could check around with other vets to check their prices. Or you could insure the bird for vet bills, so you only have to pay the excess.
I go for the latter option myself, and have paid the premiums on the insurance for sixteen years, but have only had cause to take Joshua to the vet (other than for kenneling) once.
Lidia
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Preston
Super Talker
NEED HELP? WE WILL ANSWER AS FAST AS WE CAN (Note: Preston passed away in 2012. We hold his memories dearly, he was a great person and super moderator.)
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Joined: January 2005
Posts: 5,912
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Post by Preston on Jul 17, 2005 21:52:44 GMT -7
Lidia,
Some folks just don't have that kind of money on hand. My vet will take payments which would fit the situation here. There is a world of difference between a $3000.00 bird and a $10.00 one when it comes to high vet bills. Just my opinion.
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Post by lidiam on Jul 17, 2005 22:41:30 GMT -7
God, I don't agree with you at all on that, Preston!
I think if you have a pet animal, you have a duty to take care of it, regardless of cost. Otherwise, why have that animal at all?
I really don't understand how you can differentiate between caring for an animal that costs a few euros and one that costs a few thousand euros.
I don't have loads of money knocking about either, I am a full-time PhD student and every single cent counts to me. I almost bankrupt myself every time I go away by having the vet look after Joshua (he charges more per month than my landlord), but it's the best and safest place for him to be.
Thankfully for me, Joshua's vet is understanding, and lets me have time to pay his bills (I still haven't coughed up for my May/June trip this year).
I think a lot of vets would give a person wiggle room when it came to paying for their pet's healthcare.
Lidia
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Post by spookyhurst on Jul 17, 2005 23:57:06 GMT -7
At what point do you draw the line? I just read about a person who spent $45,000 on a stem cell transplant for their dog. That's great that they could afford that sort of thing, but would they have been a bad owner if they hadn't gone through with the procedure? Most people couldn't even afford to spend that kind of money to save themselves.
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Post by lidiam on Jul 18, 2005 6:22:25 GMT -7
I guess I wouldn't draw the line at all. I'd do anything I could: beg, steal or borrow (or all three).
Lidia
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Post by Africanewbie on Jul 18, 2005 8:14:38 GMT -7
Hey lLidia, I wonder if Joshua can visitation rights if you were incarcerated for stealing.....LOL.
Spookyhurst, that line will greatly depend on each individual owner's financial position. I mean one is not going to mortgage his house if it came to that. It will also depend on the closeness of the relationship between the pet and the owner. I remembered reading about a ninety year old woman who left a large sum of money to her maid and the rest of her millions to her cats. Her daughter and grandchildren's inheritances were respectable but nothing close to what cats and maid had received. Apparently they never visited or called until a few month before her death. Her only family and faithful companions were the cats and maid.
Without going overboard though, when we accept the responsibility of a pet we should at least do our best to give it all the best amenities to make it as comfortable as possible.
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Post by lidiam on Jul 18, 2005 10:36:09 GMT -7
I could be the Birdwoman of Alcatraz ...  Lidia |
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Lidia