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by: Gary A. Gallerstein
Topics include: commercially formulated diets, your new bird, feather problems, acquired birds, feather picking, your avian veterinarian, wet droppings, contact your veterinarian, feather disease, psittacine beak, keep your bird, avian veterinarians, avian medicine, bird owners, very young birds, larger parrots, sick birds, your feathered friend, microscopic exam, pet birds, bird care, cover the cage, affected birds, lower beak, egg binding
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Book Description The title of this edition reflects the fact that this book is the most thorough and cuurrent work in print for all bird owners. It covers all aspects of pet bird ownership, including selection, nutrition, behavior, home physicals, emergency medical care, preventive medicine and much more. Keep it by the cage for quick reference. User friendly with an index of signs for medical treatment and applicable for all species of pet birds. From the Publisher The most trusted and complete health book available for pet bird owners.-- About the Author Dr. Gary Gallerstein is a praciticing veterinarian whose primary interest is birds. He is a graduate of the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis and is at the forefront of avian medicine, nutrition, and husbandry. He is at work on a new edition of this perennial favorite
Editorial Reviews -- From Library Journal Veterinarian Gallerstein has thoroughly revamped and updated his classic Bird Owner's Home Health and Care Handbook (see "Grooming Your Pet Care Collection," LJ 2/1/93, p. 49-53) to reflect the major advances in the field since the 1984 edition. He discusses the many aspects and responsibilities of pet bird ownership--selection, training, nutrition, grooming, healthcare, breeding, and coping with death--in an easily understandable and sympathetic manner. His coverage of diseases and health disorders and their signs and treatments is extensive and clearly presented. The chapters on "home physicals" and emergency care alone will be worth the price of the book to anyone whose little feathered friend becomes ill. Gallerstein's text is supplemented by sections written by experts in various aspects of aviculture. Tips on environmentally friendly birdkeeping, information on parrot conservation, and recipes for home-cooked foods such as "Nutri-Birdie Bars" round out a fascinating and comprehensive handbook. This key resource for bird owners, breeders, and veterinarians is highly recommended for public and veterinary college libraries. (Photos and index not seen.)-- Jennifer King, Monmouth Cty. Lib., Manalapan, N.J. Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Brian Speer, DVM Co-author, The Large Macaws and Birds for Dummies This book is a gem. Packed with information. It needs to be a part of every bird owner's library.
Good medical advice..... -- Gary Gallerstein is a doctor of veterinary medicine. Although his book presents plenty of material on bird health care and preventative maintenance, his main focus seems to be on diagnosing and dealing with the various ailments that afflict pet birds. His book contains all sorts of graphic illustrations of sick, deformed, dying, and dead birds he probably photographed in his clinic. His photos might prove useful for determining whether or not you need to take your bird to a vet (is the ailment life threatening) or if you can treat it at home. He also suggests first aid for birds before you take them to the vet. The jacket proclaims the book as the definitive work in print on the subject of bird health care, and I have no reason to doubt this is true since it seems very technical. While Gallerstein has written a useful book (especially his suggestions for keeping your bird healthy via good feeding practices, grooming, and cleanliness), he comes at the topic of living with a pet bird from a medical standpoint. This book is excellent for helping the lay person (and perhaps the professional??) diagnose an ailment. However, if you're interested in bird behavior, bird psychology, and training your bird, you will have to check elsewhere. THE COMPLETE BIRD OWNER'S HANDBOOK can be a useful addition to your bird book library. However, if you can only afford one book, you may want to buy a DUMMIES book, for example, COCKATIELS FOR DUMMIES which covers all aspects of living with a bird and provides a good deal of useful anecdotal information.
Reviews:
As the title indicates, this book is "complete" -- As the title indicates, this book is "complete". Dr. Gallerstein starts off with a chapter to really make a person think about whether a pet bird would be right for you. If the answer to this is "yes", he then goes on to help you decide which bird you should be looking for - age, size, noise level, how to pick a healthy bird, etc. He gives a brief description of several types of birds, indicating where they live in the wild, their size, noise level, age at maturity, activity level, playfulness, destructiveness, cuddliness, talking potential, biting potential and whether they are good for first-time bird owners. He also gives the potential life span for these birds. Dr. Gallerstein then talks about bringing your new bird home. He gives some excellent examples of the "do's and the don'ts" to help a bird owner introduce a new bird into the household. He talks about what causes stress & how to reduce stress as well as the daily care and the weekly care required for this bird and a few time saving tips to help you out. The chapter on proper caging & furnishings provides plenty of information to help you make a decision about what is required for birds ranging from finches, canaries & budgies to the macaws. There is even a shopping list provided so that you don't forget anything when you go to the pet supply store to pick out your bird's accessories. The nutrition chapter covers information for new bird owners as well as experienced bird owners. Dr. Gallerstein explains what should be fed to your bird as well as why so you will have a good reason to start making changes in your bird's diet, if you haven't been following this advice. This chapter ends with some wonderful recipes. At some point, you are going to have to hold your bird and the chapter on bird restraint explains how to do this for the various sized birds. Dr. Gallerstein then moves nicely into the chapter on grooming with detailed pictures to help with his descriptions. Safety for your bird is important & information is provided regarding young children, other pets (including other birds) and household dangers. Everyone wants a well-behaved parrot and Dr. Gallerstein leads both new & experienced parrot owners through some very informative suggestions and ideas. The chapter titled Avian Anatomy and Physiology has extremely interesting information including colour photographs of normal and not so normal parrot droppings. Home Physicals and Veterinary Care are both chapters that provide information for experienced pet bird owners as well as the new bird owner and should really be read more than once to help you remember all the important information in it. Another valuable chapter is titled Medical Emergencies and it starts off with a list indicating which emergencies are life threatening, which require veterinary attention within the day & which can wait until the next day for treatment. Each of the emergencies is then discussed in more detail throughout the chapter. This is an excellent book for both new and experienced bird owners that I highly recommend.
We require this book -- We give this book to all our adoptive candidates, and we test them on their knowledge before they take home a bird from The Gabriel Foundation. We order cases of this book! It is the most comprehensive bird book out there. There are more in depth books on behavior, species, medicine, etc, but if you are only getting one book **which you shouldn't do- there are many great parrot books and the more you know*** this is a fine choice. The list of safe woods is invaluable. A Must for Anyone Living With a Bird -- This definitive reference book covers it all -- proper nutrition for birds, avian physiology, basic first-aid, avian diseases, and a wide spectrum of medical topics relating to companion birds. This user-friendly book is ideal for both the novice and the experienced bird parent. If you share your life with birds, you will want this book close at hand.
Every Bird Owner Must Have This Book -- I read this book (among others) prior to purchasing my first large bird. Of the selection I read, this one was the best at preparing me for the experience I was in for. This book described, in detail, what equipment I needed to have ready for any potential problems, basic first aid, and explained the basic characteristics of my new found friend. The only area in which I found the book lacking, was information regarding the training and correction of behavioral problems, however there are other great books for that. Overall, this book is an excellent reference. A Must for Bird Owners -- I found this book to be quite informative on all of the most common bird health problems. It describes diseases and problems and tells how to remedy these problems on your own or lets you know when you should quarantine your bird or seek veterinary help. It also shows you how to deal with things such as nail and feather clipping etc. It is written in a format that is very easy for everyone to understand. In my opinion this book is a must for every bird owner, no matter what kind of bird you own you will find alot of useful information here.
Planet-Pets.com Recommended -- Whether you are an established bird enthusiast or have just bought your first bird, The Complete Bird Owner's Handbook covers everything a bird lover may need to know to raise healthy birds. An extensive References section provides advice on many species. Not exactly complete, but a good beginner's guide -- This guide provides general advice concening nutrition, medicine, and equipment for pet birds, but it doesn't cover any topic in great detail. If you are interested in reading about the pros and cons of different species, keep shopping. This book covers species characteristics in an all-too-brief appendix. Also, this book is mostly aimed at the hookbills - parrots, cockatoos, budgies, etc. If you are interested in finches, mynahs, canaries and the like, you might find this book to be inadequate. However,I found this book to be very useful when I first got my parrot, and I still peruse it from time to time, especially the sections on diagnosing illness and medical care.
The Complete Bird Owner's Handbook -- This book has over 300 pages, starting with the tips on buying a new bird, followed by do's and don'ts, health, longevity, creating a happy environment all the way to the basic anatomy and physiology, spotting a sickness, home medical care and when to see a veterinarian as well as rules for transporting . The last chapter addresses the loss of a pet and the difficult decisions regarding euthanasia. The Appendix deals with birds by species, breeding, as well as listing bird magazines and organizations. This book is a definite must for every bird owner. The best book available for general pet bird care. -- This is a book that would probably benefit every bird owner. It provides clear, concise information regarding every aspect of bird care. Gallerstein (a veterinarian) utilizes current veterinary and behavioral knowledge in his text. The importance of nutrition in overall bird health is emphasized, and even recipes are included. The front inside cover even has a nice section on emergencies and how to deal with them.