Fast reaction to early symptoms is a life-or-death matter for pet birds

Image: Parrot being petted

Caption: Parrots and other pet birds are good at hiding illnesses, which makes preventive care and prompt reaction to symptoms of illness critical to their survival.

A sick bird too often means a dead bird. That's because by the time their illness is noticed, birds are usually very ill indeed, and sometimes too far gone to be helped even by the best veterinarian.

Birds hide their illness, and that makes sense for wild birds. If you look sick in the wild, you'll attract the attention of a predator and will soon be someone's lunch. If you're lucky, you'll get better without your illness ever being spotted.

That's a good strategy for survival in the wild, but it doesn't work as well for pet birds. That's why some birds who seem fine one day are found dead the next. They were likely ill for a long time, but had managed to hide the symptoms.

The best way to catch an illness before your bird gets too sick to be helped is to have your pet see a veterinarian regularly. Your bird will be better off with a board-certified avian specialist, if there's one available in your area, or with a veterinarian who is comfortable treating birds and who keeps up with the latest available health information on these pets.

An avian veterinarian will go over your bird carefully, and will ask you questions meant to reveal any problems in your bird's health or behavior and in how you care for your pet. The veterinarian may suggest a couple of basic diagnostic tests. The idea is to correct any current problems and change anything that could become a risk in the long term, such as an improper diet.

If you suspect your bird is sick, call your veterinarian. Remember that a bird who appears ill may be in mortal danger, even if he seemed fine just the day before. Never try to treat your bird yourself. You may be misreading the symptoms and making matters worse.

It's sometimes difficult to judge what needs immediate attention and what can wait until tomorrow. Here are some guidelines in determining how best to respond to your bird's illness:

-- Life-threatening emergencies. These need to be dealt with immediately by a veterinarian. They include bites or deep cuts, bleeding that can't be stopped, burns, poisoning, difficulty breathing, collapse, blood in droppings, or straining to defecate or pass an egg. In these situations, you can't get help fast enough. If it's after hours and your regular avian veterinarian cannot be reached, you'll need to visit an emergency clinic. Not all of these treat birds, so take time now to explore your options so you'll know where to go in an emergency.

-- Urgent situations. Problems that should be seen by a veterinarian within a few hours of your noticing them include eye injuries, or a lack of interest in eating, especially if your bird also seems "puffed up."

Sudden swellings also demand relatively fast care, as do broken bones and diarrhea. Direct contact with dog or cat saliva, regardless of whether or not the skin was broken, is also an urgent matter -- your bird will likely need to be started on antibiotics right away.

-- See your veterinarian. Everything else falls into the not-so-urgent category, but even then, don't get complacent. If there's a problem, your pet should see his veterinarian the next day. And if any of the more urgent symptoms pop up, get help sooner.

No matter what, bear in mind that a "wait and see" attitude is not appropriate for a sick bird. When in doubt, you should at the very least call your veterinarian. Your bird's life may well depend on your prompt attention.

Q&A

Baby food can get

a sick pet eating

Q: When our cat got sick, our veterinarian recommended giving her human baby food to coax her to eat until she felt better. Is that a balanced diet for a cat? -- via Facebook

A: Pureed meat in those tiny jars meant for human babies is commonly recommended to help sick cats keep eating. The diet's not meant to be a long-term solution, but rather is an important strategy for keeping a sick cat from getting sicker.

As I'm sure your veterinarian told you, it's important to make sure you're not choosing a variety of baby food with onion powder in it, because of the risk the substance poses to your already ill cat. Read the label!

Warming up your cat's food will increase its appeal. Microwave it for 30 seconds or so, and then stir to eliminate any hot spots. You want the food to be a tick above your body temperature -- warm, but not hot. If your pet won't eat off a clean plate, try offering a little on the tip of your finger. Before you start, very gently clean any mucus accumulation from your cat's nose with a warm, damp washcloth to help him to better smell what you're offering.

Offer a little bit at a time, several times a day, instead of expecting a sick pet to eat a whole meal. If you're having no luck getting your cat to eat, call your veterinarian. There are medications that can stimulate appetite, and your veterinarian may want to prescribe one.

One final note: It's important when you're nursing a sick pet that you understand your veterinarian's instructions and get all your questions answered. Don't be afraid to call for more information if questions come up after you leave your veterinarian's office. Any good veterinarian would prefer that you completely understand what's required of you, rather than have you guess wrong when it comes to home nursing care with your pet's life is on the line. -- Dr. Marty Becker

Do you have a pet question? Send it to petconnection@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker.

THE BUZZ

Donations make

a great gift

Looking for the perfect gift for the pet lovers in your life? Consider donating to animal-related charities. Even modest organizations, such as small local shelters and rescue groups, usually have gift membership programs in place. For your contribution, your gift should come with a year's subscription to the group's newsletter and sometimes discounts on local goods and services. Local groups often run on very small budgets, and your donations will really help.

Animal-health foundations are also a good bet. Your nearest school or college of veterinary medicine will have a fund set up to accept donations, either for scholarships or ongoing research into animal health. The Morris Animal Foundation (www.morrisanimalfoundation.org), AKC Canine Health Foundation (www.akcchf.org) and Winn Feline Foundation (www.winnfelinehealth.org) also accept donations to support research into animal health.

National advocacy groups have a wide range of programs and agendas, and you should investigate a group's goals and funding prior to making a donation in another's name. For every person who thinks the animal-rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (www.peta.org) is courageous, there are at least that many who are extremely opposed to it. Likewise with a group such as Heifer International (www.heifer.org), which works to provide food animals to third-world countries. A heroic effort to some, but probably not the best donation in the name of the leather-avoiding vegan in your life.

Some animal-related charities are notorious for paying high salaries to executives while delivering relatively little funding to the programs they're supposed to be supporting. Several websites are good for investigating charities, among them Guidestar (www.guidestar.org) and CharityNavigator (www.charitynavigator.org). -- Dr. Marty Becker and Gina Spadafori

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet care experts headed by "Good Morning America" and "The Dr. Oz Show" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Gina Spadafori. The two are affiliated with Vetstreet.com and also the authors of many best-selling pet care books. Dr. Becker can also be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker.

ADVANCE SCREENING AND OTHER TECHNIQUES REDUCE RISK

And Gina Spadafori

While no medical procedure or medication -- or even home remedy, for that matter -- can ever be completely without risk, safer anesthetic agents, monitoring by specially trained veterinary technicians, and protocols that stress a pet's safety and comfort before, during and after anesthesia have minimized risks substantially, even for older and chronically ill pets.

That's the good news. The bad news? Pet owners too often opt out of potentially lifesaving protocols or don't follow veterinary advice before sedation, increasing the risks for their pets.

With proper pre-op care, anesthetic risk is very low. That wasn't always the case, of course, and old fears based on old information can be difficult to ease. But don't let your fears keep you from providing your pet with care that can dramatically improve quality of life, such as necessary dental care. (If you doubt how much, just think of how desperate you were for dental care the last time you broke a tooth or even had a toothache!) Bringing your knowledge up to date and working with your veterinarian to minimize risk will help you make the best decisions when it comes to your pet's care.

So what's changed in recent years? In a word: everything. Everything, that is, except your veterinarian's guidelines for how to present your pet on the day of a procedure -- with an empty stomach.

Anesthetic drugs tend to induce vomiting, and that can lead to aspiration pneumonia. That's because the larynx relaxes during anesthesia, which means vomit may end up going down the trachea to the lungs instead of through the esophagus and back to the stomach. And once in the lungs, pneumonia can develop. If you give your pet food or water after midnight on the day before surgery, call your veterinarian and 'fess up. It's always better to reschedule an elective procedure than to go forward at higher risk than necessary.

Your active role in your pet's anesthesia may not have changed much, but that's not true of the role of your pet's veterinarian and veterinary technicians in a pre-anesthetic examination and diagnostics. These are intended to spot and address any health problems your pet has before anesthesia.

While many pet lovers probably think of veterinary anesthesia as a gas given through a mask over the animal's face, the modern practice of preparing an animal for surgery is a no-size-fits-all combination of injectable medications (often combining anesthesia and pain-control agents), anesthesia-inducing gas and pure oxygen -- the latter two delivered through a breathing tube to maintain an animal's unconscious state. The use of intravenous fluids during anesthesia is another safety measure, meant to allow a veterinarian to react rapidly if something unexpected happens during surgery.

Keeping tabs on it all is a veterinary technician with special training in monitoring the animal during anesthesia, providing the surgeon with the information he or she needs to adjust or react to any unforeseen problems. Heating pads are another safety measure, preventing organ damage if a pet's body temperature dips -- and increasing comfort as a pet recovers.

Just as the pre-anesthetic advice from the veterinarian needs to be followed to the letter, so, too, do any take-home instructions. While pain medications and antibiotics may already be on board as the pet leaves for home, these medications may also need to be given in the days to follow.

The improvements in anesthetic agents and protocols have such high levels of safety that you should no longer dismiss essential care because of what may be an outdated knowledge of the risk. Do your part to help your pet, and your veterinarian will do the rest.

Q&A

Will leather couch

deter cats' scratches?

Q: We're considering purchasing a leather couch. We have two indoor cats who have completely destroyed our fabric couch. We have given them a scratch post recently, and although they use it, they still use the couch. We do not deter them from using the fabric couch.

In regard to the leather couch, we have heard that cats don't like leather and won't scratch it. But before we shell out the money for an expensive piece of furniture, I wanted your opinion. -- M.B., via email

A: While it's true that cats prefer fabrics, especially those with a coarse woven texture, I wouldn't bet the farm on them not touching the new leather couch. Before you make such a huge investment, make a determined effort to convert your cats to using the scratching post.

First, make sure the post is adequate. I recommend a cat tree rather than a scratching post. Trees are taller, less likely to fall over, and offer room for two or more cats to scratch, play and nap. The cover should be a loose-weave fabric or a rough rope, like sisal.

Then make your current, old couch less attractive to scratching. Cover all the areas on the furniture where your cats love to scratch with something they'll hate to touch -- the sticky side of shelf-lining contact paper. Secure the sheets (sticky side out) to the scratched areas with double-sided tape. Don't scrimp: Go for full coverage!

Next, move the scratching post beside your cats' most popular part of the couch. The idea is to give them a nearby alternative to putting their paws on their former scratching post -- your old couch. Play games with your cats on the post, and give them food and treats for scratching in an appropriate place.

Be patient, since cats aren't keen on change. Once you notice your cats using the post (and not using the booby-trapped couch), you can very slowly -- like, a couple feet a week -- move the post to a less prominent part of the room. But don't move it so far away that your cats lose interest.

When you get your new couch, you can booby-trap it without marring the leather by mounting the sticky paper to sheets of cardboard and leaning them against the sides, corners and back of the new couch. The cardboard is to keep the cats from trying out the new couch, and it can come down once you observe that the cat post is getting all the action. -- Gina Spadafori

Do you have a pet question? Send it to petconnection@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker.

THE BUZZ

Hurricane ups demand

for pet blood donors

-- Blood donors are often needed after disasters, and Hurricane Sandy is no exception. But while most people think about rolling up their own sleeves to help, they don't realize blood donors for dogs and cats are also in short supply. DVM Magazine reports that veterinary blood banks throughout the Northeast are asking for help. While most feline blood donors are in-house residents of their veterinary practices (and are given good forever homes after a short period of service), healthy large dogs are welcomed as blood donors at many practices. Some even offer discounts on veterinary care for regular canine blood donors.

-- Dr. Jan Pol, a Michigan veterinarian who is the star of a popular reality show, was fined and ordered to complete coursework after being found by the state's disciplinary panel to have been negligent in a case from 2010. Pol maintains he did nothing wrong in the case of 10 puppies who died in utero and were removed from their mother by caesarian performed at another veterinary practice. While some veterinarians have called for "The Incredible Dr. Pol" to be canceled, it is Nat Geo Wild's highest-rating program, and the network told DVM360.com that it had no plans to take the series off the air.

-- The cost of a becoming a veterinarian has concerned the profession for years, and there's no sign of relief in sight. According to The New York Times, new graduates can carry debt loads approaching a quarter-million dollars, with entry-level salaries of less than half the average $121,000 annual salary for the profession as a whole. -- Dr. Marty Becker and Gina Spadafori

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet care experts headed by "Good Morning America" and "The Dr. Oz Show" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Gina Spadafori. The two are affiliated with Vetstreet.com and also the authors of many best-selling pet care books. Dr. Becker can also be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker.

A MOVE IS THE PERFECT TIME TO CONVERT OUTDOOR CAT TO INSIDE LIFE

A few months ago, I moved to a place for all my animals, not only three dogs and a cat, but also chickens, ducks, horses and goats.

While it's good to have everyone together -- and a big garden planned for spring -- there was one change I made for one of them that was long overdue: I ended my cat's roaming days.

In effect, I was taking my own advice. I'm well aware that a cat who has been used to going out as he pleases won't accept a closed door quietly. But when you move, everything's new, and a cat won't miss territory he hasn't claimed as his own. Six months later, Ilario, my fluffy orange tabby, is content with the change.

As am I, and that's because in the house I left behind remains the memory of the cat who never came home. Clara was a sweet little thing who rarely left the yard. Neither cat did, which is why I indulged them when they asked to go outside. After she disappeared, I did all the things you're supposed to: let the microchip registry know, put out flyers, checked the shelters.

I never saw her again.

I'd never meant for either cat to go outside, and after Clara disappeared, I closed the door on Ilario. It didn't go well. He yowled, he paced and he threw himself at the window screens. And whenever he could, he'd take advantage of the opportunity to slip out.

The new house was easier to secure than the old one, and Ilario has adjusted well to indoor life. That's because I made sure it works for him. He's an active cat, and I've worked hard to keep him that way. Some tips:

-- Set aside time every day to play with your cat. Cat fishing poles, with strings ending in feathers or other cat-attracting toys, are a great way to get your cat moving. Some cats love chasing dots of light from a laser pointer, while others can be encouraged to chase toys and even retrieve them.

-- Offer your cat ways to play when you're not around. Cat trees and tunnels can be great for cavorting or for hiding when a cat just wants to be left alone. Check out toys stuffed with catnip for extra appeal, or those puzzle toys that keep a cat's interest by making play a test of both body and mind.

-- Make getting food more difficult for your cat. All most cats have to do to eat is waddle over to a full dish. End free feeding, and make a cat's food hard to get. Break the daily measured portion into smaller meals, and put these small plates in places that require jumping or climbing to find. Some cats may also enjoy puzzle toys that make them work to get out bits of kibble.

-- Consider safe outdoor space. Converting a screened-in porch to a feline jungle gym will give your pet more reasons to stay active. Remember that cats like heights, so build in tempting overhead spaces that require effort to reach. There's nothing a cat likes better than looking down on people, after all!

I wish the world were safe enough that Ilario could enjoy the little farm I have now, but I know it's not. We live on a road where people drive by at highway speeds, and every night I can hear the cries of coyotes.

So I've compromised, and it's working out well for us both. Cats can and do live happily indoors. Whatever you do, don't keep your cat inside and offer nothing in exchange for the pleasures of nature you're denying him. Enrich the indoor environment, and you'll have a cat who's not only safer, but also healthier and every bit as content as one who comes and goes at will.

Q&A

Check the dryer

before closing door

Q: One of my co-workers had a horrible experience: Her cat died in the dryer. There were some clothes in there, still warm, and her teenage daughter threw more in without looking, and turned on the dryer. I did an Internet search, and found out this isn't uncommon. Can you spread the word? -- via Facebook

A: Cats love warmth, and at this time of year they are especially eager to search out the warmest, softest place to nap. As you now know, sadly, it's easy for a person not to notice a cat in the dryer, to add clothes and then turn on the appliance. Over the last 25 years or so, I have had two co-workers lose cats that way. Heartbreaking.

The obvious answer is to keep the dryer door shut at all times, but it's hard to get an entire family to comply. If you can't be sure you can keep the door closed, it's important to convince your cat that the dryer's not a good place to nap.

You can try scaring your cat to help convince him to stay clear of this dangerous appliance. If you find your cat in the dryer, close the door for a few seconds (with the machine off, of course) and pound on the metal with your palms, making as much noise as you can. Then open the door and let your cat make a run for it.

I normally would not recommend any training method that would scare an animal, but the risk of death here is too great to ignore. A couple of scary moments in the dryer is vastly preferable to such a horrible death, in my book. -- Gina Spadafori

Do you have a pet question? Send it to petconnection@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker.

THE BUZZ

War dogs getting

national monument

-- The nation's military dogs will soon be honored with a monument to their service. The U.S. Working Dog Teams National Monument will show a handler flanked by four dogs representing breeds commonly used in modern wars -- a Doberman, German shepherd, Labrador retriever and Belgian malinois. Credit for the effort goes to John Burnam, who served in Vietnam with military dogs and spent years pushing the idea of a national monument for war dogs. While there are other monuments, none has been elevated to national monument level, where it will be in the company of the Statue of Liberty and Mount Rushmore National Memorial. After a tour, the bronze monument will head to Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, which is home to the military's dog-training center.

-- Anyone hoping for a reduction in rat sightings in New York City in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy is likely to be disappointed. According to National Geographic online, Manhattan’s hardiest residents may be even more visible in the weeks to come. That’s because the rats who survived likely took the subway stairs to the surface, and are now taking refuge in every trash can and hole in the wall in the city.

-- When a pet bites, the first step is to get a veterinary exam with diagnostic tests to rule out any health problems. The next step is to work with a behaviorist. Beware of simple answers. Any combination of factors may be triggering aggression, including fence-fighting, displaced aggression, dominance, drug side-effects, other pets, pain triggers, predation, possessiveness, fear, hormonal changes, protection of young, pack response, play, protection of home or family, neurological abnormalities, improper socialization, and intentionally or accidentally trained behaviors. -- Dr. Marty Becker and Gina Spadafori

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet care experts headed by "Good Morning America" and "The Dr. Oz Show" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Gina Spadafori. The two are affiliated with Vetstreet.com and also the authors of many best-selling pet care books. Dr. Becker can also be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker.