By Dr. Rosemary Stolzer-Bolton, DVM
About This E-Book
Your comprehensive veterinary guide to raising healthy, thriving parrots.
Written by Dr. Rosemary Stolzer-Bolton, DVM, this guide covers the complete biology, husbandry, and medical care of companion parrots — from budgerigars to Hyacinth Macaws — with honest, science-based guidance on what parrot ownership actually requires across a lifespan that can exceed 50 years.
What's inside:
• Species guide — Budgies, Cockatiels, Conures, Caiques, Eclectus, African Greys, Amazons, Cockatoos & Macaws
• Avian anatomy & physiology — air sac system, syrinx, keel bone assessment, cloaca & why toxins kill so fast
• Parrot behavior & psychology — flock bonding, pinning pupils, hormonal aggression & the one-person bird
• Acquiring your parrot — captive-bred only, CITES regulations, pre-purchase health panel & quarantine
• Housing & cage setup — bar spacing by species, stainless steel hardware, perch variety & Teflon-free room rules
• Nutrition — converting seed addicts to pellets, vitamin A deficiency, toxic foods (avocado, xylitol, chocolate)
• Enrichment & training — foraging imperative, clicker training, target stick & why enrichment is not optional
• Handling & socialization — step-up command, reading body language, biting prevention & toweling technique
• Feather care & bathing — bathing 3x weekly, powder down, wing clip debate & blood feather emergencies
• Air quality — PTFE/Teflon fumes kill within minutes — the complete toxin-free household guide
• Psittacosis — Chlamydia psittaci, zoonotic disease, lime-green urates & mandatory 45-day doxycycline protocol
• Common diseases — PBFD (circovirus), PDD/Avian Bornavirus, Aspergillosis, Polyomavirus & fatty liver disease
• Feather destructive behavior — medical rule-out workup, behavioral triggers & multimodal treatment
• Heavy metal toxicity — zinc from galvanized cages, lead from old paint & chelation protocol
• Reproductive health & egg binding — chronic laying, hypocalcemia, egg binding emergency & leuprolide protocol
• Preventive health care — daily weight monitoring, annual wellness exam, sleep requirements & finding an avian vet
• Emergency & first aid — Teflon exposure, cat attacks, blood feathers, crop burns & hospital cage setup
• Lifespan & senior care — Macaws to 80 years, estate planning, arthritis, lipomas & quality of life
• Record keeping — daily gram scale weights, dropping log, vet records & estate planning documentation
Evidence-based. Veterinarian-written. No fluff — just the clinical knowledge you need for a parrot that may outlive you.