The vet will want to see how your Quaker perches to check for arthritis, splay leg*, any fractures or deformities and age appropriate agility in climbing, and will look for tail bobbing, which at times indictes respiratory disease. Listening to the bird's breathing will alert the vet to any respiratory problems.The nostrils will be checked to ensure the nostrils are not clogged or showing signs of discharge.

*splay leg- a leg and/or pelvic socket deformity found in nestinglings. There are several causes for splay leg; nutritional deficencies in parent or baby, trama, inappropriate nesting surfaces, postion of the egg in the parent body, and how the parent may have sat on the egg. Splay leg should and can be corrected when the bird is still very young and if the legs and hips are not deformed. The severity of the splay also plays a factor on successful reversal of the condition. Splay leg is a clearly visible condition, with the legs pointing in opposite directions.

To learn more about the Quaker and avian respiratory system and overall avian anatomy, click on the Quaker Body Beautiful button.

The vet will look for stress marks*, abnormal coloration, missing feathers, dull or dirty feathers.

*stress marks- Black marks on feathers may be stress marks which are usually not serious and will generally molt out. Some stress marks may indicate the bird has been recently sick . Liver disease black marks are scattered on the feathers. Fortunately, the avian liver is a forgiving organ and fatty liver disease can be corrected with the proper regimen. In very young birds, it's quite common for them to have stress marks, due to the hatching and weaning process.

The vet will check your Quaker's skin, beak, eyes, ears, cere, nares, oral cavity, bones, muscles, abdomen and vent for any abnormalities.

The veterinarian will be interested in what you know about the background of your bird; its age, sex, origin, length of time in the household if you you are not bringing the bird directly from the purchaser, diet, and caging. The vet should be advised of any contact your Quaker has had, directly or indirectly, with other birds.

The vet should weigh your bird. The weight should be measured in grams in order to detect small increments of change, rather then in ounces.

TESTING

Depending on your new bird's history, results of physical the examination, age, and general condition, your veterinarian may suggest some diagnostic techniques that will help in evaluating your bird's health.

DROPPINGS

The appearance of the droppings, volume, color, and composition, may help the veterinarian generally assess the bird's health and consider certain disease conditions. Most birds are a little nervous in the clinic, so their droppings may be a bit loose there. A fecal sample may be examined microscopically to determine the presence of internal parasites.

Chlamyophila Test

The vet may test for the detection of psittacosis or parrot fever, (Chlamyophila psittaci). There are several screening tests available to detect Chlamyophila. This is important as part of the new bird exam and the well-bird, or annual check-up, because the causative agent, Chlamyophila psittaci, may be transmitted from birds to humans.

BLOOD TESTS

A blood sample may be taken to determine the amount and distribution of blood cells. This information may suggest the possibility of certain diseases, and further tests may be indicated for confirmation. A series of chemistry tests performed on the blood sample may point to imbalances in biochemical functions and suggest the possibility of organ dysfunction. Blood parasites may also be detected.

CULTURES

Your avian veterinarian may recommend a culture of the choana (throat), cloaca (vent), crop, or some other tissue/fluid sample to determine if there is any abnormal growth of bacteria or yeast.

X-RAYS

X-rays may be used to take a peek at the internal condition of your bird, checking for old or new fractures, the size and relative relationship of internal organs, the presence of foreign bodies or soft tissue masses such as tumors, and the condition of lungs and air sacs. The use of anesthesia may be necessary to produce quality X-rays.

Cytology

With the use of special stains, a veterinarian skilled in this procedure can evaluate smears of tissues or fluids to assist in making a diagnosis.

Exotic Newcastle Disease: This virus can affect pet birds, but is generally seen in chickens when exposed to fighting chickens smuggled in from Mexico. Avoid visiting poultry farms if you own parrots.

Bird Flu: This virus has made headlines after a number of people in Asia have died from the disease. Once again, avoid contact with poultry to protect your pet birds.

Beak and Feather Virus: Often abbreviated PBFD, this virus weakens the immune system and causes death due to other infections. It is potentially contagious thru the air or on clothing via feather dust, and is believed to only infect birds under 1 to 2 years of age. A bird may carry the disease for years without being sick, and can only be detected by a blood test specifically for that disease. No proven treatment or vaccine is available.

Polyomavirus: A virus that usually only kills young chicks before they are completely feathered, but may also affect adult Eclectus Parrots and Caiques. Can be carried and spread by healthy looking adult birds, and can be spread thru the air or on clothing. Only testing can detect a carrier bird. A vaccine is available, and we recommend it for breeders and for susceptible pet birds.

Psittacosis,( CHLAMYDIOSIS, ORNITHOSIS, PARROT FEVER- all the same name for an infectious disease caused by a chlamydial organism): A bacterial infection that can affect most species of birds as well as humans on rare occasions. A healthy looking bird can be shedding this bacteria for months or years before acting sick. This disease can be tested for and treated with antibiotics.

Proventricular Dilatation Disease (PDD): A virus that attacks the nerves to the stomach or affects the brain. Birds of any age can apparently be infected by exposure to the droppings of an infected bird, or by parents feeding their chicks. There is no test or proven treatment for this devastating disease.

Fatty Liver Disease (FLD), Iron Storage Disease (Hemochomatosis): Because Quakers are believed prone to FLD and other avian liver diseases, we include special sections about FLD and Iron Storage Disease.QPS proudly sponsers theOTIS "ONE" FUND,which provides a perfect place for friends and members of QPS to make contributions in honor or memory of Quakers and their friends that will really make a difference. It is the perfect way to turn a tragic loss into a gain for Quakers everywhere.

Because birds ar so proficient at masking illness, one of the best ways to moitor their health is to monitor poop.

First, a bird owner must become familiar with how avian droppings should appear and then, they should make a habit of observing their bird's dropping and become familiar what is a normal dropping for their bird.

Normal droppings in pet birds consist of three parts. A bird passes a dropping out of one orifice, the vent, but all three portions of the dropping are mixed in the cloaca, (common chamber at end of digestive and urogenital systems), before leaving the body. The three parts of a dropping are:

The urates are a by-product of the kidneys. They are usually snow white when dry. They are chalky in texture and will vary in size depending on the size of the species of bird. It is normal to have some transient color changes during the day and some colored formulated foods can tinge them a creamy color.

The urine is the liquid portion of the poop and its normally clear. Volume of urine will change according to what your Quaker is eating. You will see more urine after consumption of fruits and vegetables. You will see less after your Quaker has eaten pellets.

The feces, or stool, is the coiled or partially coiled part of the dropping. It varies in color from rich green to brown depending, as the other parts, on the bird's diet. It will be green for birds on a seed diet and for birds on a formulated diet it will reflect the color of the pellet. Certain fruits and veggies can also effect its color. Foods like beets, blueberries and others can give the stool their color, so, before you look at your Quaker's poop and begin to panic, recall what you have recently given them to eat!

Now that we have an idea of the parts of poop and what is normal, we need to understand what might not appear to be normal.

Urates are the result of digestion and metabolism of proteins in the bird's system and are removed through the kidneys. Green or yellow stained urates may be found in the clinically ill avian patient with liver disease. Green urates can also be found in birds that are actively suffering from infection with Chlamydophila.

The urine is the watery waste from the kidneys. It should be clear. As stated above, the volume of urine in your bird's poop can change, but, it should remain clear. It is important to offer your Quaker a continuously fresh, clear water supply. Water that is unclean can host a varity of bacterial growth which will affect the health of your bird. Many bird owners prefer offering their birds water from a water bottle. Read more about water and water bottles.

Loose feces or stool, or true diarrhea, can show up in one or two droppings due to stress or dietary change, but if you're seeing it constantly throughout the day it is cause for concern. The tubular formed feces will lose its shape and become mushy. Color changes in the feces to bright green or black and texture change to slimy is an indicator of trouble.

EASY OBSERVATION- Because you should be observing your bird's dropping daily, you need to make observation and clean up as easy as possible. Black and white newspaper is the cage bottom/tray lining of choice for most bird owners. Most newspapers in the US are printed with soy based inks today, much safer than the petroleum oil based inks previously used. Cedar, pine, redwood, and pressure treated wood shavings are not recommended as they can prove dangerous for our birds, as can walnut and corn cob beddings. Read more about bedding. Newspaper is also a cost effective lining.

Droppings on toys, perches, grates, cage bottoms, on all cage areas and play areas, should be removed and clened daily. Dried droppings are more theatening to bird and owner health than wet dropping. Dried poop harbors bacteria which is easily released in the air.