Avian

Introduction Even though lead has been banned from gasoline and pet we still see the problem on occasion, so after reading this page check around your house if you have pets and children. Lead is a heavy metal and can easily cause a toxicity (called plumbism) in birds. Other heavy metals, notably zinc, can also cause toxicity. Some birds can have both. Lead toxicity can also affect people, especially children. You can learn more about this problem in  children from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). You can also learn more about this from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Cause

Introduction Egg binding (dystocia) is a problem that can occur in almost any bird, but is more common in the smaller female birds. Canaries, lovebirds, cockatiels, budgies (budgerigars or parakeets) and finches are the commonly affected breeds. Egg binding can be a serious problem, and is considered an emergency, requiring delicate and professional care. Unfortunately, some birds can succumb in spite of this care if not brought to us soon enough. Our treatment protocol utilizes the guidelines of the Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV). The Long Beach Animal Hospital, staffed with emergency avian vets, is available until the evenings 7

An important diagnostic modality we use to make an accurate diagnosis on a bird with a fractured (broken) leg is radiography, more commonly known as x-rays. Just like the many other Diagnostic tests we perform, x-rays are important in veterinary medicine since our patients do not routinely tell us where they are having a medical problem. You can learn about the basics of fracture repair in birds from the Orthopedic Surgical Techniques chapter in Avian Medicine. Due to the fact that birds have small, and sometimes hollow bones, it is not unusual for them to break them due to trauma. Falling

Introduction This page shows how we anesthetize and use the carbon dioxide laser to remove a large growth on a budgie. Small birds only have a small amount of blood cursing through their veins, so bleeding control (hemostasis) is criticals. We removed the growth using the laser, taking advantage of its tremendous bleeding control, the lack of post operative inflammation, and the pain control it brings by cauterizing instead of cutting nerves. You can learn about advances in laser surgery in veterinary medicine from the American Society of Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS). The lack of bleeding during the surgery