Owners and their parrots filled the consultation rooms at the Vetcross Eendedam Animal Clinic on August 25.
This was thanks to the expertise of a Paarl veterinarian and avian vet, Dr Maryke van Zyl, and an initiative organised by Shy Krishnapersadh, who is involved with local animal welfare and helps improve the lives of many parrots.
Van Zyl and Shy attended to all the exotic birds brought in by their owners to have their nails, beaks, and wings trimmed and to get a deworming and vitamin injection.
They put the birds under mild sedation and did the procedures to reduce unnecessary stress. Shy, a local animal rescuer interested in parrots, is also part of the Verlore Diere Secunda team.
“The response from the public was amazing. For the day, we had 50 bookings. This is just the tip of the iceberg as to how many exotic birds we have in Secunda,” said Shy.
She wants to make this initiative with Van Zyl a regular occurrence to improve the lives of parrots and educate their owners because there is no avian vet in the area.
“A bird’s beak, feathers and nails need to be trimmed, and, more importantly, they must be dewormed and given a multivitamin shot.
Unfortunately, parrots are one of the most neglected animals because they just get put into cages and left there,” said Shy.
She said even smaller birds like budgies needed attention and care, just like any other animal, and should not just be caged.
“People have this misconception that the smaller the bird, the smaller the cage. Remember, birds were never meant to be caged in the first place.
“We use the term ‘engage – don’t cage’. If your bird’s wings are clipped properly, and it is safe to do so, let them out of the cage daily. Engage with your birds with safe enrichment toys, time, and effort, otherwise don’t have a bird,” said Shy.
One of the more obvious signs a bird is distressed is the plucking of feathers, which could be because of poor diet, boredom or insufficient stimulation, the cage being too small, or an underlying medical condition.
“Many people do not understand how bad sunflower seeds are for parrots. Just because it is on a shelf in a pet shop doesn’t necessarily mean it is good for your pet. Sunflower seeds can also give birds Aspergillosis, a fungal infection that affects their respiratory systems and lungs over time,” said Shy.
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She said parrots should have a balanced diet of healthy seeds, a variety of safe fruits and veggies, and pellets.
“If you are unable to care for your birds and provide them the life they deserve, please consider surrendering them to a reputable organisation so that the bird doesn’t land in the wrong hands,” pleaded Shy.
The feedback from the parrot owners was positive, and they looked forward to the next visit.
Shy encouraged everyone to realise it’s never too late to change the lives of their parrots, and it’s important to remember that we become forever responsible for what we tame.
If you want to know more about improving the lives of the parrots you share your life with, call Shy on 083 653 9755.
