Kris Ahlgrim, DVM

16/07/2024

This sounds like getting a head start on marinating the chicken! 🐔

16/05/2024

Did you know????

09/04/2024

During positive reinforcement training, a clicker can be used to indicate that your bird performed the appropriate behavior, and a reward is coming. The clicker is often referred to as a “bridge,” because it connects the desired behavior with the reward. You can use a commercial clicker, the click of a ballpoint pen, or a verbal click noise for this purpose.

03/04/2024

My reinforcer is cheese! What is yours????

During training, make sure the reinforcer (eg: the reward) is valued highly by your bird. Food rewards are often great motivators for birds. For parrots, a small piece of fresh or dried fruit, single seed, almond sliver, or other small piece of nut often works well. For chickens, try offering a dried mealworm, piece of strawberry, or sunflower seed.

26/03/2024

You can never be too careful!!!!

Not every commercial or homemade enrichment item is 100% safe. Always supervise how your bird interacts with each toy or enrichment item.

01/03/2024

Does your little leprechaun 🦜need a new toy??? Look no further!!

Get Creative2 provides fun and educational avian workshops, focusing on enrichment, nutrition, health and wellness as well as offering a unique line of parrot toys, perches, swings and much more.

23/02/2024

What phobias do YOU have???

20/02/2024

Nothing can beat a nice bath!!!!!

06/02/2024

Just like children, Parrots need someone to teach them how to play the game!

Some birds need to be trained on how to interact and play with a toy. This can be accomplished through positive reinforcement training such as clicker training or target training to get the bird to touch or manipulate the toy. For other birds, like Yuzu the parrotlet, training IS a form of play.

02/02/2024

Pygostyle.......who came up with that word?!

At the end of the avian vertebral column, we find the pygostyle. This is a fusion of the last 4 to 10 (depending on species) coccygeal vertebrae. The tail muscles and tail feathers are supported by the pygostyle.

Photo by Peter Pryharski on Unsplash

05/01/2024

Useful information that may be opposite of what you initially thought!!!!

Potty Training Pet Birds

Birds defecate often. For this reason, some owners will try to potty train their bird.

When a bird receives a reward for defecating on command or at the right spot, they might start pushing more or harder just to get a reward. In extreme cases this could even lead to cloacal prolapse. Another issue could occur when the owner is away and someone else takes care of the bird. The bird might not understand when and where it is allowed to defecate.

Photo by Manfred Goetz on Unsplash

26/12/2023

Happy Holidays!!!!!!!

06/12/2023

23/11/2023

……and holes in my shirts made from bird beaks, and feathers in my hair……

10/11/2023

Shouts for Sprouts!!! An easy way to add variety to your birds daily meals!

31/10/2023

Who doesn’t love a relaxing warm bath/shower! 😊

Does your feathered family member not like bath time? Try these options:
• Purchase a perch for in the shower
• Run the sink to see if they want to play in the stream of water
• Offer a shallow bowl of water in the cage
• Use a spray bottle
• Use a mister bottle (usually sold for reptiles) if your bird prefers a more gentle bath

https://www.aav.org/blogpost/1778905/494416/Bath-Time

17/10/2023

Do you give your feathered friends foraging opportunities????

10/10/2023

Positive Reinforcement!!!!

Behavior is a function of its consequence. As such, the frequency that an avian behavior is performed will change depending on the consequence that follows. If the behavior is rewarded (eg: gaining attention, interaction, or a treat), the behavior will increase. This is a very important concept when trying to train new behaviors in captive birds (and when trying to avoid undesirable behaviors!).

https://www.aav.org/blogpost/1778905/494417/Behavior-is-a-function-of-its-consequence

03/10/2023

26/09/2023

Need any foot toys? Contact Gaye Thomassen at GetCreative2.com! 🪶

Foot toys are smaller toys that are not attached to the cage. These toys can be easily held and manipulated by the bird. In addition to providing mental stimulation, foot toys also help birds build dexterity and balance.

https://www.aav.org/blogpost/1778905/493925/Foot-Toys

22/09/2023

Nature is so cool!!!!

17/09/2023

Happy National Pet Bird Day! Tell us what you love most about your feathered friends!

01/08/2023

Training is a great way to add enrichment to your parrot's day!

When done properly, training can be a very rewarding experience for both owners and their birds. Many of our companion birds are extremely intelligent and training is a chance for them to exercise their minds as well as their bodies. The AAV strongly recommends reward-based training methods over forced or punishment-based training methods; forcing birds to do things and punishing birds for undesired behaviors are harmful to the human-bird bond and will cause fear and aggression in our companion birds. You can train your bird to do silly behaviors such as dunk a tiny basketball in a hoop or useful behaviors such as calmly tolerating being wrapped in a towel to be examined by your avian veterinarian.

Learn more about basic bird care and training in our handout "Basic Care for Companion Birds" available at: https://www.aav.org/page/birdowners

Share what you've trained your birds to do!

19/07/2023

Cage size is important! In this case Bigger is Better!

Another form of environmental enrichment is offering the largest cage possible. Minimum cage sizes for different species can be found online, and you can also speak with your avian veterinarian for advice. Unfortunately, some of the cages advertised for birds are too small for these pets to exhibit natural behaviors.

Visit the blog post:
https://www.aav.org/blogpost/1778905/322568/Minimum-Cage-Size-Recommendations

15/07/2023

I love male Eclectus and respect (but still love) female Eclectus parrots!

11/07/2023

As we are heading toward mid-July, I want to update my whereabouts for the coming months. I will be covering veterinary shifts at Coalmine Animal Hospital in Littleton on the following dates:
7/6 (Thurs) 7/13(Thurs)
7/26 (Wed) 7/28 (Fri)
8/3 (Thurs) 8/4 (Fri)
8/7 (Mon) 8/10 (Thurs)
8/11 (Fri) 8/29 (Tues)
8/31 (Thurs)
If you call to schedule an appointment with me, be sure to let the staff know that you are a former client of mine because Coalmine AH is otherwise not accepting new clients at this time.
6740 South Pierce Street
Littleton, CO. 80128
303-973-3113

Happy Summer ☀️🔥
~Dr. Kris

06/07/2023

Who knew that birds behave just like humans!
And I thought they were better than us! :)

Researchers believe that more than 90% of bird species form monogamous relationships for the breeding season or longer, but some switch partners due to male promiscuity and long migration distances, according to a study in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.