After spending a lot of time with your bird, you will learn his habits and what is normal for him. If your bird starts sleeping more than usual, sitting fluffed up or his poop changes, you should find a vet fairly soon. I rely a lot on my instinct. If your instinct says he is not acting quite right and you are wondering if you should take him to a vet, it is better to be safe than sorry.  Depending on what it is, I may watch them for a day or two but sometimes if you wait it might be too late. In the wild they have to hide their sickness or they will be attacked by other birds or animals. Believe me when I say birds can hide their sickness really well. Don’t take chances if you think your bird might be sick – get him to a vet.

Sometime people panic when their bird breaks a blood feather, but it usually clots on its own. If it doesn’t, you can put flour or corn starch on it to help it clot. It is important to note that you should NEVER USE QUICK STOP! It is poisonous and birds can accidentally eat it when they preen their feathers. Although the Quick Stop bottle says it is safe, avian vets will tell you to only use it on the toe nails to stop bleeding caused by a nail trim. If there is a cut on the skin, only use flour or corn starch. Quick Stop can kill the tissue and make the situation worse.