Bloodwork is Important in a Post-purchase Veterinary Exam

By Don J. Harris,DVM

All too often a bird owner with a recently purchased bird either does not take the bird to a veterinarian for examination, or if they do, the most important part of this exam is not preformed.

What is crucial in a post-purchase evaluation is the bloodwork. Because birds are great at hiding physical signs of illness, blood testing is mandatory in assessing the health of avian patients. The veterinarian may scrutinize a bird and look for any physical abnormalities, but even the healthiest looking birds can be hiding disease. Sometimes, blood tests are the only way to accurately uncover hidden health problems.

Many illnesses display no external signs until the end when the bird is at death’s door. By then, it is often too late to resolve the problem. Most problems can be addressed if detected early, and bloodwork is the key to early detection.

Bird owners should ask that blood tests be performed on their bird, even if the veterinarian doesn’t suggest it. In fact, if a veterinarian doesn’t discuss lab tests in the face of avian illness, another veterinarian should be sought. If the results are negative, the owner will have peace of mind knowing the bird is healthy. If the results suggest a problem, action can be taken to treat the condition. Bloodwork can also provide a baseline that can be helpful in future evaluations of your bird.

I recently became aware of a pet owner who took her bird to a veterinarian for a post-purchase exam. The veterinarian checked over the bird, did a culture of the bird’s throat and vent, and recommended bloodwork. The new bird owner decided not to do the blood tests. Everything appeared okay—until the bird died two days later. A necropsy showed the bird had Aspergillus fungus throughout its abdomen. Had the new owner consented to blood tests for her bird, the fungus would have been detected.

Possible conditions or diseases that may be diagnosed through a complete blood analysis include:

• Infections
• Parasites
• Reproductivity
• Malnutrition
• Metabolic disorders such as liver or kidney disease
• Vitamin deficiencies such as Vitamin A deficiency

Bloodwork is the veterinarian’s first and most important tool in evaluating patients. It is an internal view of the bird’s overall health. Depending on the results of the initial bloodwork, other diagnostic tests may be warranted to fully diagnose the extent or the cause of any abnormal findings.