It’s 2:30 a.m., you hear a crashing sound from your bird’s cage, and you rush to investigate. Your bird has crashed to the bottom of the cage due to a night scare and appears to have a broken wing. What do you do for a living? Hopefully you never find yourself in this position, but if you do, are you prepared? Often the most critical part of any emergency plan is having a good avian veterinarian. And 2:30 am is NOT the time to fumble through the yellow pages to find an avian vet. Now is the time to start your search for an avian vet BEFORE you have an emergency! Here are the top ten questions to ask when searching for a good avian vet.

1. Are they recommended? – Use all available sources to create a list of recommended avian vets in your area. Here is a list to get you started. Can you think of more?
   • Local, state and national veterinary associations
   • local veterinary schools
   • Local and national pet and bird groups.
   • local animal shelters
   • local pet owners
   • local pet breeders
   • local pet stores
   • Yellow Pages and Local Newspapers for Veterinarians
   • Local avian sanctuaries and rescues
   • local zoos
   • your friends and family
   • internet search engines
   • Internet Bird Forums and Boards
2. Are they certified for birds? – Check if he is a board certified avian veterinarian and/or member of the Association of Avian Veterinarians. Warning flag: If they are not certified or a member, this does not immediately disqualify them. But it should raise a very serious warning flag.
3. Do they treat the birds? – Not all vets treat birds, so be sure to ask if they treat birds. If so, ask them how many avian patients they have and how often they have avian patients. Do your patients visit you routinely or do you use them mainly for emergencies? If most of your patients use them for routine checkups, that may indicate that you have a list of happy and dependent patients. Warning flag: If they primarily treat emergencies, it may be an indicator that they are the most convenient vet and not necessarily the most qualified. Don’t forget to ask how long they have been treating avian patients.
4. Will they provide references? – If they are willing to provide references, call the references. Ask the references if they are willing to give you additional names of people and contact information for people who also go to the vet, and give them a call as well. Warning Flag: Refusal to give referrals should be a warning flag.
5. Are they up to date? – How do you keep up to date on avian knowledge, procedures and treatments? Avian veterinary science is not as mature as that of dogs and cats, so it is important for veterinarians to stay current on the latest procedures and technologies. Warning flag: It can be hard to assess your plan to keep up, but you should at least HAVE a plan.
6. Is your facility clean and tidy? – Take a tour of its facilities and do not forget to leave pets and children at home during this tour so as not to cause any inconvenience. This should be just a quick tour and not a guided tour to see the site. Are all areas (public AND non-public) clean and tidy? Obviously, not all dining areas will be clean, but you should get the impression that all areas are routinely cleaned. Warning Flag: If they don’t allow fast traversal, this could be an indication that they have something to hide.
7. What are your business hours and emergency plans? – What are your normal working hours? Does their normal schedule fit in well with your work/school/family schedule, or are they flexible if not? More importantly, what is your plan for emergencies that occur after normal business hours? Warning flag: Not having a plan for after-hours emergencies is a major problem. Murphy’s Law dictates that this is a requirement.
8. What kind of personal pets do they have? – Does your veterinarian have pet birds at home? While this is obviously not a disqualification, it does give you an idea of ​​his interests and may indicate his area of ​​expertise.
9. OMG! It costs HOW MUCH?!?!?!? – Compare the cost of routine services with other comparable veterinarians. While this shouldn’t be high on your list of qualifications, it should be noted. Warning flag: Routine costs that are abnormally high or low can be a warning flag. If your costs are out of line compared to other comparable veterinarians, be sure to ask why your costs are not comparable to other comparable veterinary services.
10. How is your staff? – Be sure to interact with your support staff when contacting the vet and when visiting the vet. They must be courteous, helpful and knowledgeable. The proverb “Birds of the same plumage fly together” is very appropriate in this situation. A good vet will surround himself with a good support staff and a good support staff will flock to a good vet. Warning flag: If the entire organization is not working well together, this can be a warning flag of other problems in the office.

Selecting your avian veterinarian may be the most important decision you make for your pet. You owe it to your pet to make a careful and informed decision. So use this top ten list to help you make a decision BEFORE you and your pet have an emergency that requires a good vet.