Sarah Gorringe, Aviaries Manager at Raystede tells us more

Recently, we have recruited the help of a specialist exotic/avian vet, Celine, from Coastways Veterinary Group in Brighton. This is a crucial area of knowledge that has been missing onsite, with very few vets specialising in avian medicine. In the past, we have been limited to referring to specialist vets, when we already know a bird is sick and in need or emergency care. Birds by nature, being prey creatures with a complex physiology, disguise illness and disease very well and will often become extremely ill before they show any obvious outward signs.

The vital four-hour vet visit takes place every three months, and is jam packed with discussions over any concerns, routine health checks and any advice over how we can improve the health and welfare of the birds in our care. Now we are taking every opportunity to utilise the skills of Celine, both during visits and via email, to enhance our own knowledge. Longer term we hope to see a decrease in expenditure, with our own vet becoming more skilled in this area and each bird having a clearer health plan.

It was thanks to one of Celine’s visits that we were able to treat Boysie, a 34-year-old Red-lored Amazon, at what turned out to be quite a critical point in time. Our usually cheeky and active Boysie was not quite himself. He looked a little more dishevelled than usual and had lost a little weight. This was not our cheeky Boysie who loves chatting to his neighbours and cleverly working his way around a puzzle.

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