A day with the Birds.

The Motor City Bird Breeders Club held their semi-annual bird expo on Saturday October 13th and Warren Woods Veterinary Hospital was there to represent.  We arrived at 8:40 am for set up with the doors opening at 10:00.  We spent the day at our table prominently placed near the front of the hall and experienced the company of many interesting people and their birds.  Some of our clients were in attendance and we enjoyed catching up with them and hearing their bird stories.  The show hosts many bird related groups and vendors.   Bird breeders, rescue groups, wholesalers and retailers are all in attendance.  

 At the Warren Woods Veterinary Hospital table Nicole, Beth and myself spent the day helping bird buyers and owners gather health and veterinary information for their feathered pets.  We had many informational brochures for bird owners and healthy bird food, supplements and toys for purchase.   Our friend Darlene and Chirping Friends supplied the toys called "Birdie Bangles" for use to offer to the patrons.  The toys that Darlene offers are so creative and cute and we were happy to promote them for her. 

We were surrounded by beautiful birds and were able to talk to their keepers and breeders. We admired the beautiful canaries at the table next to us (Nicole almost bought one) and saw some rare pied parrotlets that were so cute.  I found a jewelry vendor (I love jewelry) and bought a couple beautiful bird necklaces.  We ended up spending more money than we took in, but we were happy to be there to talk to all of the bird people.   The next show will be held in April, so check with our Facebook page and we will let you in on the details so you can join us there.  We love the Motor City Bird Breeders Expo and I know you will too.

Tough economy leads to sub standard veterinary care for pets.

The economic downturn that we all thought would pass in a couple years is hanging on to those of us living in Michigan. As a result, not only are our families suffering, but our pets are suffering as well.  When families are trying to cut expenses one of the first budget items that tends to be cut is the pet care dollar.  Not only do people cut back on their pet's preventative health care (i.e. vaccinations, annual blood, urine and fecal monitoring, heart worm preventative) , but they delay seeking veterinary advice when their pet is ill hoping for a spontaneous cure.  They turn to internet sites to try to diagnose and treat their pet in order to save money.  Sometimes this diagnostic and treatment delay can lead to increased costs and pet suffering in the long run.

 Low cost/charity veterinary hospitals and vaccine clinics are cropping up all over the state that offer discounted services for pet owners. Although these places do save the pet owner money,  the clinics and their services don't always live up to the veterinary practice standards mandated by the profession.  Low cost can often mean cutting out vital life sustaining and monitoring procedures for  patients and in turn dangerous medical and surgical practices.  Cost cutting can result in poor pain management, poor surgical monitoring by inexperienced and non-licensed practitioners and post operative complications that can cost more money and endanger pets.

When selecting a veterinary hospital for your pet consider the big picture and ask questions about staff experience, licensing, standards practiced and followup care.  Be sure you are selecting the best veterinary medicine not just the cheapest.  Ask about AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) certification.  Hospitals that have worked to certify themselves through AAHA adhere to a strict code of standards and are inspected to be sure they meet the standards in all areas of their practice.  Membership in the Michigan Veterinary Medical Association, American Veterinary Medical Association and other state and national organizations implies that the hospital keeps up with current developments in veterinary medicine.  Look at all the facts and try to choose the best pet care for your family member within your budget.