Friday, September 9, 2016

How do you help a baby bird?

This flow-chart is courtesy of wires.org.au

What do you do when you come across a baby bird in distress? Thousands of well-intended people bring young birds found on the ground to veterinary hospitals and clinics. The problem here is that it is almost impossible for us to reunite birds with their parents.

According to WIRES, for many common bird species in Australia, “chicks go through a growth stage where they spend time on the ground.”

They should be left in the care of their parents wherever possible. It’s better to follow the steps outlined above.

In other news, Arizona Veterinarian Deberah Butler freed a distressed Elk that wandered into her yard after becoming entangled in a swing, bringing new meaning to the term “home visit” (and it wasn’t a quick appointment!) You can read about it here.

For those who can’t get enough of Vitamin N (nature), We Are Explorers wrote this post about NSW-based adventures to have with your dog.

And for anyone who wants to learn more about how humans and dogs communicate, check out this Catalyst episode, the first of a two-part series, on dogmanship.


Thank you to those of you who continue to contribute to The Vet Cook Book. If you’re thinking about it but need some encouragement, or wish to contribute in a way other than providing a recipe, drop us a line: vetcookbook [at] gmail.com We will be sharing some more recipes soon. Why would you want to be part of this? Its fun. Its delicious. You can make something and eat the results. Its an excuse to get together with people. Its a good chance to share a positive story or some great advice. It's going to be amazeballs.