Pet Bird Nutrition Should Be a Focus in Every Examination

Regardless of the reason a pet bird is visiting your practice, nutrition always needs to be part of the exam, says Sarah Kolb, RVT, VTS-CP (Exotic Companion Animals).

"When speaking with clients about nutrition, it should be part of every single appointment whether the bird is there for a wellness exam or if the bird has come in because it's ill. The nutrition of the bird is really important, because it plays a role in so many different aspects of the bird's health.

So, no matter what, nutrition is always one of the first things that we address. We want to know what the bird eats, how much the bird eats, and what the bird is fed is not always what the bird eats, so trying to get that additional information about what kinds of people food the bird eats, as well. If the bird has a poor plan of nutrition and that's going to play a huge role in long-term medical care, if they're on a plan of nutrition that's going to affect their health overall."