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GENERAL HEALTH:
The best thing you can do to monitor your birds' general health and well being between vet visits is to KNOW YOUR BIRD! Record and check daily droppings, weight changes (at least once weekly), general appearance and activity levels including vocalization. Remember, birds are prey animals and as such will instinctively hide any illness up to the last moments of their life if possible. Listlessness, too much time at bottom of their cage or on perch fluffed up, wet nare and/or vent areas, dripping eyes or glazed eyes can be signs of illness. If in doubt, please check it out! Purchase a scale which weighs in one gram increments; keep a first aid kit on hand at all times with products specific to your species including a carrier which will retain heat (plastic terrarium types are best) Have the number for your Avian Vet and/or emergency center right in your kit. Heat is important when transporting (there are products sold to insert in the carrier under towels which will give plenty of warmth "hot hands" (tm) paks are inexpensive and throw heat for up to 18 hours); you can also use a rubber glove filled with warm water! Most of all, do only what you need to do to stabilize them and get them to the vet. There are products available for bleeding (Quik stop, styptic powder and cornstarch) but it is best, even after you have bleeding controlled to have your bird checked by an expert. Get instruction on pulling broken blood feathers. This is one of the most common causes of uncontrolled bleeding. Your vet and/or avian breeder will be pleased to instruct you.
Birds need approximately 12 hours of dark/sleep/private time per day...Covering and/or having smaller sleep cage available will help you to provide this to them. uncontrolled
BATHING: So important....bathing, leads to preening and both are very natural, healthy functions for our birds....I leave a small plastic birdy tub in the bottom of the cage with no more than 1/2" of water; my parrotlet uses this daily to bathe! I place it under the tube of the water bottle and it catches drips also! My Quaker is sprayed at least three times weekly, as he will not bathe in a dish. I use a Mister Mist'r Wizard (tm) bottle which delivers a marvelous, rain forest spray. Many birds will not tolerate either and since it is important to their health to bathe at least twice weekly, you may find you have to bathe them gently in the sink (fill with 1/2 inch of water) or perhaps wrap in a dripping washcloth (don't squeeze!). Again, I use distilled water for these activities also!
Always wash your hands before handling your bird! If you have been to pet shops and/or bird fairs change your clothing before handling your birds. Do not visit homes where there are other birds with your bird and if you must leave your bird somewhere while you are away; ask that your bird be quarantined, if possible, from other birds. Many avian diseases hide in birds, which appear healthy and normal for many, many years...., is exposure to others worth taking the chance that you might have problems later? These are safety measures and should not be considered unnecessary or extreme.
If you can place your birds' cage by a window with (no direct) bright indirect light and particularly if there are things for them to watch outside, you will find a healthy ego will develop. Watch for drafts but allow as much fresh air as you can! Natural light and fresh air are very important to continued good health and well being!