An annual examination for an older parrot is partly a conversation about what you see at home every day. The veterinarian handles the bird briefly and skilfully, yet the living history — which perches are still used, which have been abandoned, how climbing looks on an ordinary morning — comes from you. Arriving with specific observations makes the joint part of that examination sharper and more useful for the years ahead.
Grip Strength and How It Is Checked
Grip tells the examiner a great deal. A parrot steps onto a hand or a test perch, and the clinician feels whether both feet close with similar strength, whether the bird releases willingly, and whether one foot works noticeably harder than the other. Report whether your parrot has started gripping with the beak for balance, leaning against cage bars while resting, or sitting with weight shifted persistently to one side. Mention any recent falls, missed landings, or reluctance to step up onto a hand that was previously accepted without hesitation.
Toes, Feet, and Range of Movement
During the hands-on part, each toe is looked at and moved gently in turn. The examiner notes posture — toes that curl, splay, or rest at odd angles — along with thickened scales, reddened skin over a joint, or a joint that stops short of its expected movement. You can help by reporting what you see during normal care: nails catching on perches, one foot lifted and held tucked more often, or slow, deliberate foot placement on ladders and ropes. Photographs of your parrot standing squarely, taken on a flat surface at home, give a useful comparison across years.
Perch Behaviour History Only You Can Give
Behaviour at the perches often changes before anything looks wrong on the foot itself. Note whether top perches have been swapped for lower ones, whether the bird now sleeps on a flat platform or the cage floor, and whether climbing routes have become one-way, with flying down replacing the climb. Changes in play count too: foot toys ignored, swings avoided, or shorter out-of-cage sessions chosen by the bird. Write down when each change appeared, even roughly, because a sequence over months reads very differently from a single tired afternoon.
Questions Worth Asking at the Visit
Ask what the examiner found on each foot, what changes you should watch for before the next annual visit, and whether perch variety, layout, or weight deserves attention as part of general care for an older bird. Any question about supplements or medication belongs in that room, with the bird examined, rather than in a shop or a forum. Leave with a clear picture of what is stable, what is changing, and what would justify an earlier return appointment.
Between Annual Visits: Your Observation Routine
The examination samples one day, while you see the other three hundred and sixty-four. A brief monthly perch watch — five unhurried minutes noting which perches are chosen, how landings look, and whether climbing routes have changed — builds the record that makes each annual visit comparative rather than impressionistic. Keep perch arrangements stable between visits where you can, so a change in the bird reflects the bird rather than the furniture, and note any rearrangement you do make. If grip or climbing changes suddenly rather than gradually, or the bird falls repeatedly, that pace of change deserves a call before the annual date rather than a note saved for it.
A Pet Passport file opened through KinsLe lets you carry weight records, past examination notes, and your perch-behaviour log into every annual visit without hunting through drawers.