A New Year! A New Discovery!

December 29th was a very pretty day in Texas. It was so pleasant that the humans packed me up for a road trip! I like to go for car rides! Weeeeee! It's always fun to go outside too!

We drove for an hour, then the car stopped. Marcia opened my car door, and Jeff carried me in the door.  WAIT! NO! I don't like this place! Yup! It was a veterinarian's office! Totally unfamiliar to me, I've not been to this clinic.  Marcia begins filling out the paperwork. I'm not sick! I'm perfectly fine! I want to go home!

Soon, a nice lady walks up wearing a white jacket and begins to talk to my humans and looks down at me in my carrier. Yikes! This lady in the white jacket is Dr. Osfosky! Dr. Osofsky is a Board Certified Avian Veterinarian and is the only Board Certified Avian Vet in the North Texas Area. I had never been to a bird vet with such credentials before! You see, a vet with the letters, "Dipl ABVP" means she made a choice to undergo a long and difficult process of additional studies and examination to become a specialist in avian care. It takes several additional years of study to receive this certification. OK, I'm impressed and I'm sure she is a swell doctor, but I still want to go home!

I get carried into a very small room and set my carrier on the table. There is still much talking going on. Lots of talking about a towel! I HATE the TOWEL! The doctor tells Jeff to hold me close to his chest, and she will quickly put a towel over me. Once in the towel she will hand him to a nice man named Alex. (Alex? I knew a parrot named Alex! This is NOT ALEX! Believe me, he had no feathers and he was not my friend!) All the while, I was growling that insidious growl I perform when I get upset with the kitchen rug. Once I was in Alex's hands, the towel disappeared! What? How nice! NO TOWEL! I soon stopped growling. I still didn't like the fact that Alex was holding me by the head and the feet, but I let the Dr. Osfosky examine me. I growled a few more times just to let them know I wasn't completely OK with the situation!

Before I knew it, the exam was over and they put me back on the table. I climbed to the top of my carrier where Marcia was quick to give me a nut. OK, All done, let's go home!

Little did I know that was the first part of the exam. They were letting me take a break.  You see, they don't like to stress their patents out too much, so they do the exam in two parts!

OH! NOW, THEY WANT MY BLOOD!  We do the whole procedure again, only this time Alex lays me down on the table on a soft towel. As the doctor draws the blood from my neck, Alex allows me to bite the towel. I appreciate that he felt I needed to take my aggression out on something! Honestly, it only took less than a minute and I was back on my feet, not hardly a feather ruffled and chomping on another nut! At last! All Done! Whew!

They will send this blood sample to a lab and have it examined. A complete blood count will be performed. They will also use the sample to check liver, kidney, and muscle enzymes; total protein and globulin levels; electrolytes (such as sodium and potassium) levels; blood sugar; calcium and phosphorus concentrations; and cholesterol.

This trip to the vet was hands down the best experience I ever had! I would go back in a minute! (Well... one minute, maybe a year from now!) Everyone there was just wonderful! In addition, I made a few new friends!

This is a picture of me saying goodbye to nice Dr. Osfosky. My foot is up, and I'm ready to go home! I know I look annoyed in this picture. I was a little, but the camera happened to take the picture when I was blinking.

Soon, I was home, I had a nice lunch and a little nap.  A few days later the results of my blood test came back, and everything was normal except my triglycerides were just a tiny bit high. Thank Goodness I found that out! I was told that I need to cut back on my almond/nut eating. Very good advice for all of us! Marcia and Jeff included!  :>

I'm so glad my humans continued to search for an avian vet and discovered Dr. Osfosky. She and her staff really understand the needs of parrots and all that they require. I encourage all of you to discover an avian vet for your parrots. Even if you have to go on a road trip, it's important for your bird's health. There are some very good veterinarians who's practice include birds that are not avian certified, what is important is that you find one that you feel comfortable with and one that provides the best possible care and able to answer all your questions and concerns. Here is a website that will help you find one. Here is a website that explains what you should expect when you visit an avian veterinarian, and what your avian vet expects from you.

If ever in the Dallas/Fort Worth Area and you need an Avian Veterinarian, I highly recommend the good people at Carrollton West Pet Hospital!

Oh! I nearly forgot! I also requested a DNA blood test to determine my sex. FINALLY! I'll know if I'm a girl or a boy! (Actually, I already know... my poor humans do not! :> ) When I get the results I'll make the announcement! How Exciting!

Road Trip - Memorial Day 2011

♫ ♪ ♫ On the Road Again!  ♫ ♪ ♫  

Memorial Day Weekend 2011

Back to my favorite destination, Marble Falls, Texas! Right in the heart of Texas!  ( Click here to read about a previous Road Trip I took to this area.)

This time... I got to stay in the La Quinta Hotel!

We arrived and got used to the accommodations!  Very Nice Room!  Love the art work and soft beds, but actually I prefer my perch and the "Art" I make on the floor when I eat!  I slept in my travel cage, but Jeff had to put it on the desk. It was more sturdy than the bed and I slept very well!

Nice TV too!  Can we take this one home?

This is the kitchen!  Small, but adequate.  Microwave, sink, and refrigerator!  That's all Marcia needs!  See my Sprout container?  I brought it so I could have fresh sprouts with my meals!

Here I am by the window on my perch.  There was a lovely view of Lake Marble Falls.  Also, a nice balcony, but I didn't have a chance to go out there.  We were too busy because...

we were in Marble Falls for a very special Birthday Party! My Cousin "P"'s 2nd Birthday Party! The Party was about to begin! So we better go!  Weeeeeeeeee!   Party! Party! Party!

The party was being held at my Uncle's Lake house on Lake LBJ.  I've been there many times before.  I call him my, "Gunkle Mark!"  Here is a video of me talking about him!

Marcia and Jeff loaded up all my stuff and headed to the Lake House.  It took them about 2 trips each time.  Jeff carried the perch and packed it in the car, Marcia carried the box of stuff I needed.  Then they came back for me in my cage and other stuff they needed.  It was very much like traveling with a baby, only worse!  I think I require more stuff!!! (They did this several times over the course of the weekend!  They got a good work out!  Ha! It's so much fun watching them work on my behalf!)

Here I am at the Lake House all set up on my perch.  The party had started!

There were 28 adults, 11 kids of all ages, and my dog cousin, Harley. Harley is a cute Jack Russell Terrier.  Harley and I had to be kept apart. I liked all the people and they liked me.  Marcia and Jeff kept a close eye on me and made me feel safe around so many people.  I must say, all those people made a lot more noise than me!!!  Whew! Give me some peace and quiet!

My new cousins are so cute!!!  Actually, "P" is my 1st cousin , once removed.  "P" is the daughter of my cousin, "K".  (Aren't you glad you know that!)  This is also the first time I got to meet "P" and her new brother "D"!  Family!  Gotta Love it!!! Both of them are as cute as Buttons!!!!

Birthday Girl!  Ms. "P"

Master "D"

After a while, all the humans went down to the water and I had a chance to catch up on current events and watch some TV.

My favorite place was on the patio, visiting with all my friends and family!  The weather was nice, windy at times, but the nice breeze kept it cool and the mosquitoes away!  I must have gone out onto the patio 4 or 5 times over the weekend! 

Oh! I almost forgot!  There were a few other guests at the party!  Some kind of bird built a mud nest on the front porch of the house!  The eggs must of just hatched!  Here is a picture of the nest full of babies!!!

 That night we pack my stuff up and headed back to the hotel.  Here I am perched on the shower rod waiting for one of my humans to take a shower.

While at the hotel I met a nice dog who was staying in the room next door.  Her name was "Sophie" and she was a Yorkie.  She heard us every night when we can into our room. We could hear her as she would welcome us by saying, "Yap, Yap, yap, yap!"  Then she would be quiet!  Nice doggie!

The next morning, we packed up again for another day at the Lake.  While Marcia and Jeff got things packed, I perched on the shower rod and talked.

It was a fun trip and in case you are wondering... NO! I did not destroy anything in the hotel room and NO! I did not steal a towel!

It was good to be home again!

Wishing all of you safe travels!  Maybe I'll see ya on the road sometime!

Einstein's Relationship with the Towel

When Einstein was young (about 2 years old) she was occasionally belligerent with me. (For example, wouldn't get on my hand when I repeatedly asked her to.) I would say to her, "Want me to get the towel?" I would then go get a particular blue towel, wrap her up and physically remove her and place her where I wanted her to go. In 1999 we were not familiar with positive reinforcement training. We used the towel to coerce her to step up. She hated it!

Then it came to pass that all I had to do was just ask her, "Do you want me to go get the towel?" and she would immediately comply to my wishes. No toweling necessary. I don't take this approach any longer, but now, sometimes when she is asking for something... and if I don't respond to her immediate demand... She will say to me..., "Want me to get the TOWEL!!!!"

Aside from the humor, quickly we learned this was not the right thing to do! Not only did it make her scared of the towel, it also made her distrust us. We learned our lesson! We began using positive reinforcement and offering treats when she would not step up for us. She did forgive us, and our relationship has mended. However, we are still working with her to feel comfortable being toweled. Parronts do make mistakes and I will forever regret making this one.

Moral of this story: If you own a parrot, please learn all you can about Positive Reinforcement Training!