What medical expenses should I expect for conure?

[tweedamay]

I'm looking into buying either a GCC for Sun Conure. I had a Sun Conure many years ago and we never had need to take him to the vet as he was a happy and healthy little guy. However, I'm wondering if any of you take your fids to the vet for an annual well bird health check or perhaps some kind of vaccination or regular treatment. Other than the initial cost of bringing home birdy, what kind of annual medical expense should I plan for for a typical healthy bird? And, yes, I understand with any pet or fid you can encounter unexpected medical costs. Similarly, if you've ever had an extreme medical circumstance with your fid, please feel free to share that information including the damage to your wallet. Please and thank you!

[Wolf]

While this is a very good question, it is also really impossible to answer with any accuracy. While avian vets are expensive to say the least, they don't have a standard cost that all of them abide by and so the cost varies a great deal from I vet to the next. Aside from genetics, the health of your bird will ultimately depend on your understanding and application of good bird keeping. Some find it best to put aside an emergency fund for their birds in an attempt to cope with possible vet costs, and thusly reduce the financial impact that an avian illness can generate.

[tweedamay]

Thanks Wolf!

[cml]

Both my birds are insured, which mitigates the costs by 75% for all vet emergencies. Insurance, if available where you are, is a good option to an emergency fund.

[moderndaydinosaurs]

Insurance is great for emergencies!!! Unfortunately, many smaller private practice avian vet clinics may not offer it. Mine doesn't. It's worth it if you can get it though.

It is hard to estimate costs with much accuracy, as was already said, but I just took my grey to the vet for his annual exam and for exam, blood work, fecal culture, and a nail trim it cost me $212. That's similar to what I paid his previous vet (now retired) and seems to be the going rate in my area. I don't think the size of the bird makes a difference. I think it would be reasonable to budget for $150-200 for annual vet expenses for a healthy bird. Also, to be perfectly honest, I don't take my birds every year. For young, healthy birds, every other year is usually fine.

[marie83]

Insurance is great for emergencies!!! Unfortunately, many smaller private practice avian vet clinics may not offer it. Mine doesn't. It's worth it if you can get it though.

It is hard to estimate costs with much accuracy, as was already said, but I just took my grey to the vet for his annual exam and for exam, blood work, fecal culture, and a nail trim it cost me $212. That's similar to what I paid his previous vet (now retired) and seems to be the going rate in my area. I don't think the size of the bird makes a difference. I think it would be reasonable to budget for $150-200 for annual vet expenses for a healthy bird. Also, to be perfectly honest, I don't take my birds every year. For young, healthy birds, every other year is usually fine.

Ive never heard of a vets which wont accept insurance clients, if anything they prefer them cuz their clients tend to agree to more tests/treatments than those who arent insured.

Anyway in answer to your question, I dont take mine for yearly checks, maybe I should but I dont. They dont need wormers, vaccinations or insecticides so thats not an expense either. Your main expense will be if your bird gets sick and then the costs can go through the roof. Ive been really lucky with mine really and spent less than £700-800 in vets fees in just under 15 years, it could so easily be double, treble, quadruple.....etc, that amount.

[Tman007]

What I would do is just try and put a little aside every pay day no matter how small and just let it build up and go from there.