<aside> 🧑‍⚕️ It is important to locate a reputable vet who is comfortable treating pigeons before you get your pet pigeon! Ideally, a healthy pigeon bred by a reputable companion breeder or obtained from a rescue should not require veterinary care, but emergencies happen, so an owner must be aware of where their bird can go in a critical situation before it occurs.

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Unfortunately, not all vets are comfortable treating pigeons, and some vets can even hold outdated care knowledge or stigma against pigeons as pets, so it’s important to screen your vet.

A good vet is someone who not only handles your pet respectfully, but also talks to you appropriately and who you feel comfortable around. Sometimes, you may not mesh well with a vet, and that’s okay; it’s important you find one whom you are comfortable asking questions and leaving your animal with.

Below are some details on what is important to consider when looking for a pigeon vet:

• Does the vet regularly treat birds? While some cat and dog vets may be comfortable treating pigeons, keep in mind that the more regularly a vet treats birds, the more likely they are going to be to identify illness rapidly in your pet! Hence, looking for avian specialist vets will often result in vets more familiar with birds, their anatomy, and treating health issues unique to birds.
• Does the vet sound knowledgeable about birds? While it is impossible for one person to know everything about every bird species, your vet should demonstrate good knowledge of birds, their anatomy, common pathogens that affect them, and their general husbandry and care! If your vet says a lot of things you think are untrue, they may not be as knowledgeable about bird care as they should be in order to safely treat them.
• Has the vet treated pigeons before, or just parrots or chickens? It can be incredibly difficult to find a vet with adequate pigeon and dove experience, however there are some key differences in pigeon, parrot, and chicken care. A lot of vets try to apply parrot or chicken care to pigeons, such as eating greens or using Panacur to treat worms (which is safe for parrots and chickens but toxic to pigeons). Keep this in mind, and if the vet isn’t experienced in treating pigeons, double-check medications and diet advice with other pigeon keepers.
• Is the vet close to you? There is nothing wrong with traveling a fair distance to see a preferred vet, however keep in mind that this distance can be detrimental in the case of emergencies. It is good practice to, if possible, locate an emergency after-hours clinic that will take birds in the event of a disaster.
• How does the vet handle your pet pigeon? The vet should handle your pet in a way which you are comfortable with. If they are flipping the bird onto its back without reason, restraining it in harsh ways, or seeming reluctant to touch your bird, these are all red flags for a vet. The vet must view your pet pigeon as a pet, not poultry, so if you are uncomfortable with their treatment of your bird, it is completely fine to find a new vet.
• Does the vet discuss your pet with you and answer any questions you may have? A vet should be able to explain things to you and willingly answer questions you have, especially about why this test or procedure will help diagnose your pet. Reluctance to talk to you about treatments, pathogens, or husbandry practices with you isn't in itself a red flag, but these points help us feel comfortable with a vet and understand the care our animal will need, so ideally, a vet should be happy to answer questions pertaining to your animals care.
• Does the vet have good reviews online? While checking reviews isn’t possible for every vet practice, and some reviews may be dramatized or a lie, this can give us a general idea of customer satisfaction. If the general consensus is negative, there is likely something about that vet or practice, and it’s best avoided.

First Visit

<aside> 🚨 Avian vets commonly prescribe 5 days of Panacur (fenbendazole) as treatment for giardia or capillaria in birds. It is highly toxic to pigeons! If your vet is not used to treating pigeons and suspects giardia or capillaria, it’s critical you confirm with the vet that they are aware of this. Flagyl (metronidazole) is commonly used to treat giardia in pigeons and ivermectin is used for capillaria treatment. Fenbendazole can be used in extremely rare and supervised cases, but never as a first-line treatment; albendazol is best avoided as well.

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Upon receiving a new pigeon, below are the recommended topics to discuss with your vet to ensure your pigeon is thoroughly checked over and receives a clean bill of health!

• Fecal float and fecal smear with gram staining to check for:
  • Worms
  • Coccidiosis
  • Giardia
  • Gastrointestinal infection
  • Gastrointestinal thrush
• Throat swab to check for:
  • Trichomoniasis (canker)
  • Candida (thrush)
  • Respiratory tract infections
• External parasite check to look for:
  • Wing Lice
  • Body lice or mites
  • Scaly leg mites

Typically, a vet will perform these tests during a routine check-up, and you will not have to request them specifically. However, some vets may not perform all of them by default; in this case, feel free to request the full test panel, especially if you’ve just received your pigeon.

More specialized testing that your vet should also be able to perform includes bacterial and fungal cultures of choana/trachea samples and fecal matter with sensitivity testing. Cultures help to determine what bacteria and fungi grows inside your pigeon and what specific antibiotics/antifungals it is susceptible to; this can be very important in case of antibiotic-resistant strains. This kind of testing isn’t commonly done on every checkup, but it is recommended on intake—or if you strongly suspect your pigeon is sick.

PCR testing can test for presence of specific bacteria in a sample. Similarly to cultures, on the very first checkup you can perform PCR tests for common bacteria that pigeons are susceptible to; later you should only do them when indicated by your vet, it’s rarely useful routinely. The list of recommended intake PCRs includes: