By Margaret A. Wissman, DVM, DABVP, Avian Practice
A bird owner brings her beloved pet Amazon, Echo, to me for his first-ever examination. I always perform a thorough physical examination on every patient, using magnification and focused lighting, so that I don’t miss subtle or small lesions. Laboratory tests are an important part of the checkup procedure because many birds might be suffering from an illness, but without obvious clinical signs or very subtle physical changes. Lab tests can help uncover problems before they become serious or even life-threatening.
**For the full article, pick up the 2010 issue of Birds USA or click here to buy the issue.**