Establish a relationship with a qualified avian veterinarian right away. You do not want to wait until your lovebird is sitting ruffled up on the bottom of the cage to start searching the yellow pages for help.The best way to establish this relationship is by having a new bird exam within a few days of purchasing your lovebird.

 

Standard tests are cloacal swab, fecal Gram's stain, and complete blood count. Most of these tests can rule out bacterial or fungal infections, although more extensive testing may be done, such as antigen tests for Giardia or DNA probe analysis for psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFD). Discuss the importance of these tests with your avian veterinarian as he costs can run high if you order all of them. In any event, the veterinary exam will cost more than the typical lovebird, and this should not be the only determinant of what tests you have performed.

If you have any members of your household who do not have fully competent immune systems due to very young or old age, organ transplant, or other illness, you should definitely test for psittacosis and avian tuberculosis. These are the few infectious diseases that lovebirds can pass on to humans. Psittacosis causes a flulike illness. It is very treatable with antibiotics, both in lovebirds in the home, checking for PBFD is probably a good idea. This is a devastating, incurable disease, and you do not want to pass it on to the other lovebirds in your home.

 

Your veterinarian will weigh your lovebird and record this number. This is an important number to know. If your lovebird's weight should drop dramatically between veterinarian visits, you will be alerted to a possible serious health problem.

 

The initial well-bird exam will give you a good idea of the competency and manner of an avian veterianarian. You can then decide if you want to continue care with this particular practitioner. If you feel uncomfortable with a veterinarian, you should seek care elsewhere. You always want to feel that your lovebird is being handled in a compassionate, expert manner and that your veterinarian is willing to explain what he or she is doing and why. One of the biggest complaints I have heard is when a veterinarian seems annoyed when he or she has to explain the care being given. This can be especially disconcerting if you know quite a bit about lovebirds and want to take an active role in your lovebird's treatment. A good veterinarian will take the time to explain things to you without impatience or condescension. This is the same treatment you would want from doctors treating you, so you are fully within your rights to expect this from the doctor treating you, so you are fully within your rights to expect this from the doctor treating your beloved lovebird.