Antibiotics in Pet birds – Boarding on Medication Option  Dr Phils view

Bird vets use antibiotics to kill bacteria which are causing infection in the avian patient and causing the bird to be sick. The choice of antibiotic depends on the bacteria causing the disease.

The route of administration depends on  a variety of factors.

The best route of antibiotic medication is usually the oral route dosed accurately into the beak or at the bird specialist vet hospital usually into the crop, via a crop tube.

In some cases antibiotic injections give the best results are sometimes the only option.   

Considerations for oral antibiotics in birds at Melbourne Bird Vet

Giving oral medication to a rambunctious, aggressive, active hard to control Cockatoo with a powerful beak is not easy and often difficult and sometime dangerous.

Often much of the medicine does not get into the beak or gets dribbled or shaken out.  Complications include getting meds into the nose, eye and sticking on the feathers.  Often the birds distrust their owner after the stressful handling and forcing down of the meds during the treatments.  This can damage the ame hand raised bonded bird.

So we are left with the following alternative options with antibiotic medications

1. An owner may choose to inject their bird with medications
2. Boarding your Pet at Bird Vet Melbourne and let the bird specialists and avian nurses give the meds usually via a crop tube and monitor your bird.
3. Using in water medications – this is the easiest and cheapest option.

Considerations for in water Medications at Bird Vet Melbourne

• The following assumptions are made:  that the avian patient will drink 6 -7 ml of medicated water per 100g body weight per 24 hours.
• In hot weather pet birds  drink more and there is a potential for an overdose
• In cold weather pet birds may drink less potential for an under dose
• If birds do not like the medicated water they may refuse it initially
• If birds have access to other water  -they will not get the medicated water
• Fruits and vegetables can often supply a good part of the water intake – making the birds drink less and subsequently be under dosed.
• Many medication are not available as an in water option.
• Sick birds often hardly drink and just sit there fluffed.

So in water medications dosing is complex but often the only reasonable option.  Boarding on medication in the bird specialist hospital is a popular choice.   The patients are treated as hospital patients being weighted and monitored both on their daily charts by the avian nurses and the Bird vets on duty.  The cost is $38 per Calender day for birds under 100g and $ 50 for larger birds.  We have limited availability of incubators and hospital space so this option may not always be available.