For birds in nature it is vital to hide disease or weakness. This is to prevent predators from seeing them as easy prey - this also applies to 'safe' pets. As soon as you notice that something is wrong with your bird, the disease may already be in an advanced stage. It is therefore important to contact us as soon as possible if your bird looks sick or shows abnormal behaviour.

For information about our rates or the costs of a specific treatment, please contact our practice.

View our list of symptoms for emergencies in birds if you suspect your bird being sick.

• Puffed-up feathers
• Eating more or less than usual
• Lack of energy (no talking/not making any sounds, no playing, sleeping a lot)
• Runny poop
• Swollen abdomen
• One or two hanging wings
• Falling down
• Sitting at the bottom of the cage
• Cramping or paralysis
• Blood loss
• Shortness of breath
• Yawning or sneezing excessively
• Weight loss

Do you recognise one or more symptoms in your bird? Please contact us immediately. We are open seven days a week. For emergencies you can even contact us 24 hours a day from Monday to Thursday.

In our special laboratory for birds we can carry out blood and stool analyses in order to make the correct diagnosis. This enables us to determine whether your bird may be suffering from parasites or a contagious disease, such as parrot disease, PBFD (Psittacine beak and feather disease), the polyomavirus or PDD (Proventricular Dilation Disease). The diseases and disorders listed below are often seen in birds. Please contact us as soon as possible if you suspect that your bird has any of these diseases or disorders:

• Respiratory tract infections
• Crop infection or digestive problems
• Worms and other parasites
• Picking problems
• Broken wings and legs

You can also come to us for additional services relating to birds, such as wing clipping and clipping the nails of your bird. There is also the possibility to let your bird stay in our bird pension.

Clipping wings

We still often see in practice that people have tried to clip their bird themselves, but that this has not been done properly. If the wings are cut too short, a bird can no longer land normally when it jumps up. As a result, it will fall down and make a hard landing. At Dierenkliniek Het Zicht you can be sure that your bird will be clipped in the correct bird-friendly way.

Nail clipping for birds

Things can also go wrong when you cut the nails of your bird. If you cut the nails too short, it can start bleeding. However, if you leave the nails too long, the vein in the nail can continue to grow and you will be able to cut the nail less short. It is therefore important not to wait too long before cutting the nails. We can cut the nails of your bird in the right way for you.

Bird pension

If you have to go away for a few days or more and don't have a caretaker for your bird, you can accommodate your bird in our pension. We know exactly what your bird needs and give it the right care. Your bird will be given a perch with toys. Of course you can also bring your bird's favourite toy. We also advise you to provide the food your bird is used to, which will reduce any stress during the stay. Make sure that your bird is dewormed and has had its wings clipped before staying in our pension. You can also contact us for this. For more information about the pension and our services please contact us.

Dr. Oran Marvan is one of the few veterinarians in the Netherlands who is a member of the Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV). Because medical science in relation to birds is constantly evolving, it is very important as a veterinarian to stay informed about all diseases and treatments. Every year Dr. O. Marvan follows a refresher course in order to follow the latest developments in the field of medicine for birds. It is not compulsory, but we can follow trainings every year. Dr. Marvan passes on his knowledge to all employees of Dierenkliniek Het Zicht. The entire team also follows training, so that we can carry out appropriate treatment for each bird species.

From 4 February 2017, new rules will apply regarding the keeping of grey red-tailed parrots. For example, it is mandatory to give your parrot a closed foot ring or chipping. More information on keeping grey red-tailed parrots.