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Emergency Procedure For Your Pet Bird

​In the event of an emergency, please try calling the clinic first at 519-837-1212 before proceeding. In the event of a true emergency where you are unable to reach a member of our team on the phone please proceed directly to the clinic and we will assist you on arrival. The direct number for our after-hours emergency service is 519-837-1214.

Emergencies in birds can be difficult to identify. By nature, our pet birds hide their symptoms until they are very sick.

There are some emergencies that are obvious:

  • Trauma (beak trauma, bite wounds, broken blood
  • Clocal prolapse
  • Egg prolapse
  • Crop burn
  • Difficulties breathing
  • “ Bird at the bottom of the cage”

There are other signs that are not as obvious but still represent emergencies:

  • Diarrhea
  • Vomiting or frequent regurgitation
  • Anorexia

The most subtle signs can be things such as:

  • A voice change in your bird
  • A “fluffed bird”
  • Increase in respiration rate or effort – looks like your bird is bobbing when sitting on their perch.

If your bird is experiencing any of the above signs they need to be seen as soon as possible. The sooner we see a sick bird, the better.

To transport your bird, we recommend using a travel carrier. If the weather is cool you should wrap the carrier with a blanket.