Avian Vet Services in Durham, NC
The Bird Hospital: Avian Vet Services provides extensive, full-service specialized medical and surgery care for all birds in Durham, NC. For appointments or pricing on any of our services, please give us a call at 919-490-3001.
PREVENTIVE MEDICINE PROGRAM
Our philosophy for avian medicine is to provide and teach preventive medicine to our patients and clients, with the goal of preventing our patients from becoming sick. We accomplish this with 3 techniques:
- We recommend annual screening exams and blood work to establish baseline values. We also highly recommend that all patients have a radiograph (X-ray) on file for the same purposes.
- We counsel clients in depth about proper bird care. We will spend up to 2 hours with each new client to ensure they have been introduced to all of the necessary care information.
- We recommend specific products and provide access to purchase them both in the hospital and on our website. These high quality products have been chosen by Dr. Burkett to ensure our patients are getting proper preventive care at home. The the most important items a bird needs in a preventive medicine program are a formulated (pellet) diet, proper perches, and a water bottle.
Pre- and Post-purchase Avian Examinations
Are you considering the purchase of a pet bird but just are not sure of what species would be best for you? Dr. Burkett provides consultation appointments regarding species selection. If you have already purchased a baby or new bird, then Dr. Burkett recommends that you have your new bird examined within 2 weeks of purchase.
Annual Health Examinations
All pet birds need to be seen annually for well-bird exams. An annual exam gives Dr. Burkett the opportunity to collect normal baseline blood values for future reference in the event that your bird is ever sick. And, since birds are very good at hiding their signs of illness, an annual check up is a good way to screen for problems we can’t see. Annual vaccines are also important to keep current. Complete annual work ups and current vaccinations are required for boarding birds.
IN-HOUSE LAB SERVICES
Complete Blood Count (including PCV/TS, Blood Red cell morphology, White Blood Cell differential), Blood chemistry analysis, Gram’s Stains, acid fast staining, Urinalysis, Tissue cytology, Blood lead testing, Zinc testing on metals and water
Bird Grooming
Dr. Burkett provides professional wing clips tailored to your bird. You should not have your bird clipped by anyone else. His nail grooming techniques are also very specialized to give your bird grip with a dull point, and be comfortable on your skin. Beak trimming is rarely needed in healthy birds. But, if your bird is in need of beak grooming, Dr. Burkett provides anatomically correct techniques.
DNA Sexing
It is important that we know the sex of your bird because males and females can have different health issues. Don’t clip your bird’s toe nail for a blood sample – it hurts, and is difficult to get to stop the bleeding. Don’t pluck a feather for the same reasons. Instead, let Dr. Burkett collect a blood sample safely, and painlessly to determine the sex of your bird. Do you know the sex of your bird? Call us at 919-490-3001 to find out!
Bird Microchipping
This is an easy procedure that can be done in-office without anesthesia. Microchipping is the safest permanent identification. Leg bands are dangerous and can be life-threatening if entangled. Dr. Burkett recommends band removal and microchip identification.
Bird Radiology (x-rays)
The use of x-rays is a critical diagnostic tool in avian medicine. Dr. Burkett offers the most advanced digital radiographic techniques that provide outstanding clarity and detail.
ULTRASOUND
Ultrasound is an excellent modality to diagnose many diseases and illnesses. It is particularly useful for reproductive disease and heart disease. We have the most advanced ultrasound equipment available in the veterinary field and Dr. Burkett has had training it the use and interpretation the use of ultrasound.
Endoscopy
This is the use of fiber optic instruments to look inside a living body. Dr. Burkett provides both rigid and flexible endoscopic techniques and can enter any natural or man-made orifice on a bird.
Microsurgery
Dr. Burkett has the knowledge, expertise, and instrumentation to perform complicated and delicate surgical procedures in birds.
CRYOSURGERY
Cryosurgery is a technique that uses liquid nitrogen to freeze lesions such as skin cancer and papilloma warts. We have cutting edge cryosurgery equipment to ensure your birds gets the best care available.
STEM CELL AND PLATELET RICH PLASMA THERAPY (PRP)
Stem cells PRP cells help the body to heal itself. In some tissues, They play an important role in tissue regeneration by easily dividing, and continuing to replace dead cells. We collect and process all stem cells and PRP cells in-house. We provide these therapies for may different ailments, including bone and joint disease, would healing, and tissue regeneration.
BEAK PROSTHETICS AND RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY
The beak is a very special organ. Dr. Burkett has a thorough understanding of its form and function allowing him to treat beak injury and other beak illnesses. Beak prosthetics and reconstructive surgery is a very specialized field of avian medicine. Special techniques and supplies are needed to perform beak prosthetic application and reconstructive surgery. We incorporate 3D printing as well as other forms of media to manufacture new beaks that are custom fit to each individual patient. If you are interesting in donating to our Bird Prosthetics Fund, click here.
LIMB PROSTHETICS
The use of prosthetics is also a very specialized field in avian medicine. And it is a very young discipline with improvements being made every day. Prosthetics are designed to replace missing or injured body parts, with the goal to return the recipient to normal or nearly normal function. Prosthetics can be made from the same materials as those made for human prosthetics. We are fortunate to have a human prosthetics company who is willing to help us with the design and application of prosthetics. We also manufacture some prosthetics using in-house 3D printing.
IMPED FEATHER TRANSPLANTS
Imping is a form of feather transplanting. It is a technique that is used to restore balance and confidence, and sometimes flight ability, to birds who have an improper wing feather clip, who is chewing on the flight feathers, and other patients who have damaged or missing wing feathers.
Beak Reconstructive Surgery
This is a very specialized field of avian medicine. Special techniques and supplies are needed to perform beak surgery and reconstruction. The beak is a very special avian organ and Dr. Burkett has a thorough understanding of its form and function allowing him to treat these specialized organs.
Emergency Bird Care
If your bird is sick, consider this an emergency. If any other emergency occurs you can call the after hours number for instructions on first aid, and bringing your bird in for care. Dr. Burkett handles all of the emergencies personally. We encourage you to make an appointment for a well-bird examination for the health of your bird, and to establish a record on file in the event of an emergency. Give us a call at 919-490-3001 to get started.
Behavioral Consultations
Dr. Burkett has many years experience handling birds. If your bird is exhibiting abnormal behaviors, it would be best to first have your bird examined for medical problems that may be causing the abnormal behavior. If your bird is healthy, then Dr. Burkett can provide and appointment to offer instruction on how to handle and interact with your bird, and manage behavioral problems.
Avian Boarding
For boarding information, please refer to The Birdie Boutique/boarding online.
Veterinarian-approved bird care products
In conjunction with our hospital, we provide a complete selection of specialty bird care products. We stock nearly 2000 items, with access to over 3000 items that have been carefully reviewed by Dr. Burkett, to ensure the safety of your birds. All of these items are conveniently located in the retail portion of the hospital, The Birdie Boutique. You can also find these and many other items on our web site - The Birdie Boutique
If you have any questions about our avian veterinary services, or would like to schedule an appointment for your bird, give us a call at 919-490-3001.
