Bird/Avian Health Care and Surgery
Our veterinary team at CVH see a variety of birds. Here are just a few of our more recent additions. Whether it is an infectious disease, injury, feather problem, beak concerns, or just a nutritional consultation we are here to help. We provide consultations, medical assessments, blood work, sexing, hospital treatment for infectious disease, internal medicine, and surgery. Please see our Avian section regarding beak, wing and nail trims, and a list of articles about avian health.
Self medicating!
The Canadian Veterinary Hospital team is dedicated to providing your pet bird with the most up to date medical and surgical care in Qatar.
Below we have provided some detailed information on common routine procedures for your pet birds in Doha. If you would like to read more detailed information about your pet bird, please go to our section pet health library, click on this section, and then on the right click on the picture of the bird. This will guide you to a variety of pet bird health and husbandry articles for both general care and specific breeds and illnesses.
To provide the best care for the beautiful pet birds in Qatar, the Canadian Veterinary Hospital have invested in continuing education courses from the UK and USA for our veterinary team in Qatar.
Wing Clipping
Clipping a bird’s feathers can protect your bird and your home. Wing clipping is a nonpainful procedure that ensures the safety of your bird in its environment and keeps your bird from chewing holes in your doors and window frames. It limits your bird’s ability to fly, removing the risk of injury from flying into a ceiling fan, onto a hot stovetop, or into (or out) a window.
Having your bird’s feathers professionally clipped helps ensure that the right feathers are removed without irritating the skin. Improperly clipped wings can cause your bird to pluck or chew its feathers. In addition, inexperienced wing clipping can result in a blood feather being accidentally trimmed, a situation that can become life-threatening. We can perform this procedure safely while preserving the aesthetic appearance of your bird. Please feel free to call us to discuss this option, as well as any concerns you might have, or to set up an appointment.
Toenail Trims
Most birds need to have their nails trimmed regularly. However, the process can be detrimental to your bird if its nails are trimmed too short. We can take care of this procedure for you so that you don’t have to worry about nicking the blood vessels inside the nails. Call us if you’d like to schedule an appointment.
Be careful if you perform this procedure at home. In fact, we only suggest that you attempt this at home if your bird is small and has white nails (which allow you to see the blood vessels). We also suggest you keep a caustic agent, such as styptic powder, on hand in case a nail bleeds.
Providing perches with rough surfaces can help reduce the frequency of nail trimming, but do not use sandpaper perches. They don’t wear down the nails and can cause skin problems.
Sexing
Unfortunately, relying on physical appearance is not an accurate method of determining the sex of many birds. We can reliably tell you your bird’s sex by taking samples of feather or blood that we send to the UK. In this way it is possible to find a suitable husband or wife for your bird. Please let our vets know if you have any questions about sexing procedures for your bird.
Beak Trims
Beaks continue growing throughout birds’ lives. Although birds’ beaks usually wear evenly, some birds develop beak problems and require veterinary assistance. Trimming its beak incorrectly can cause your bird pain and may prevent it from eating, which is why we recommend having your bird’s beak professionally trimmed. Do not attempt to trim your bird’s beak at home. Call us to schedule an appointment.
