Exotic Patient of the Week

This beautiful baby cockatiel is Angel Baby, and she injured her foot when she was only 4 weeks old. We’re not sure how it happened, but she wasn’t using her foot. X-rays couldn’t find any fractures, but we couldn’t rule-out the possibility so we put a small bandage on her left foot. Two weeks… Read more

Bird Cage Cleaning Tips

Everyday cleaning tips: Wipe down your bird’s cage, perches, and playgym with a bird-safe cleaner, wipe or brush at end of the day. Use a handheld vacuum to suck up seeds, dander, feather, and dust, and/or keep a dust pan nearby to sweep up debris. Speed-cleaning products… Read more

Screaming behavior in parrots

  This article is borrowed from Barbara Heidenreich with the owner’s permission. Wow. That Bird Sure Can Scream! By Barbara Heidenreich www.GoodBirdInc.com “Screaming. Somebody reinforced the heck out of that behavior.” I said to myself. Misty, a double yellow headed Amazon… Read more

Renal Tumor in a Budgie

Among the hundreds of parrot species kept as pets, budgies (also known as budgerigars or parakeets) have a reputation for being extremely prone to cancer. It’s a very sad and unfortunate fact, and due to the perception that they’re not as valuable as some other species, research as to why… Read more

Pet Insurance

Do yourself and your new puppy a favor by enrolling in pet insurance as soon as possible. Most companies won’t cover pre-existing conditions, so the best time to enroll is when your puppy is perfectly healthy! Pet insurance companies and options have expanded greatly in the past few years,… Read more

Egg binding in a cockatiel

Some female cockatiels can be very “hormonal” and lay eggs even when there is no male bird around. This happened recently to a cockatiel who came to Olathe Animal Hospital on emergency because she was trying to lay an egg but she became egg-bound. This means she was unable to pass the egg. This… Read more

Wing Fracture Repair in an Amazon Parrot

Things weren’t looking good for this Double-yellow headed Amazon parrot–she was 40 years old, had eaten seeds (sunflower seeds are her favorite!) her whole life, and she had just broken her wing (complete fracture of the right radius and ulna) after falling off her perch. The fact that she has… Read more

Wing Trims

Not all bird owners want their birds’ wings trimmed, and that’s perfectly okay! In some situations, we feels it’s best to NOT trim the wings. However, when it is time to trim your birds wings, keep in mind the following points: Trim both wings equally. Trim each feather individually (ie don’t… Read more

Eagle Evaluated for Operation Wildlife

The Olathe Animal Hospital and its doctors have a fascination for wildlife and exotic species.  A significant portion of our patients include non-traditional pets.  We have the knowledge and training to prevent, and when necessary, treat many of the common conditions that occur in small… Read more

Medicating Exotic Pets

You may find yourself wondering, “How do I give my _______ (parrot, hamster, guinea pig, rabbit, hedgehog, etc.) medication?” Because we see so many exotics at Olathe Animal Hospital, we are faced with this question a lot. The answer lies in compounding! Compounding is the process of taking the… Read more

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