How do I keep my bird's health record?

1. On Pets, tap Add pet and pick Bird.
2. Pick the Kind of bird, like Budgie, Cockatiel or Canary. It's optional, and Other takes any name.
3. Under Where it lives, pick Kept as: One bird or A group. Pick Housing if you like: Indoor cage or Outdoor aviary.
4. Save. Your bird's page opens, ready for a first weigh-in.

One bird or a flock?

Pick One bird to follow a single bird, and A group for birds kept together, like an aviary of budgies. A group is named after the flock and counts its birds ("8 budgies").

• A group asks How many, at least 2. "Change it when birds join or leave."
• A group hides sex, birth date, leg ring and Weight. The form says why: "Nobody weighs a flock one by one."
• Outdoor aviary changes the deworming suggestion. See deworming for aviary birds.

Which fields does a bird's profile have?

The same profile as other pets, in bird words: Kind of bird, Color or mutation and Leg ring for the ring number. Coat, spayed or neutered, blood type and the usual groomer are not shown for birds. See the pet profile.

Why weigh in grams, and what is the keel score?

Birds are always weighed in whole grams, because avian vets weigh and dose in grams. The keel score is an optional 1 to 5 score of the body, felt at the breastbone.

1. Open Weight and log a weigh-in in grams.
2. If you like, set the Keel score. The app explains: "Feel the breastbone in the middle of the chest. 3 is ideal."
3. Save. The score shows on the latest weight ("Keel score on 19 Oct · 3 is ideal") and on every row.

The scores read Emaciated, Thin, Ideal, Heavy and Obese. Birds don't get the 1 to 9 body condition score that cats and dogs have.

What is the weight loss warning?

When a weigh-in is 10% or more below the highest one in the 30 days before it, VetVitae shows "Down {percent}% since {date}." with "In birds this is a reason to see a vet." It shows on the Weight section, the Overview, the vet link, and as a Down tag on the weigh-in. It clears once a weigh-in comes back within 10%. See weight.

How do I log a molt?

A molt stays open while it lasts. You log when it started, what you see while it goes on, and close it when it ends.

1. On your bird's page, tap Add, then Molt.
2. Set Started on. Leave It already ended off while it's still going.
3. Under What you see, pick How heavy (Light or Heavy) and any Problems: Bald patches, Broken or deformed feathers, Bleeding pin feathers or None.
4. For parrots and larger birds, pick Feathers: Normal, Stress bars, Plucked or chewed or Abnormal growth. Budgies, canaries and finches don't have this field.
5. Save. The profile shows "Molting since {date}" until you close it.
6. When it's over, open the molt and tap It ended.

After 12 weeks, VetVitae asks once "Did {name}'s molt end?". Not yet keeps it open and it won't ask again. With bald patches, the app notes: "Healthy birds never go bald during a molt. Show this to your vet."

Can I compare photos between molts?

Yes. A molt can hold photos of the same four spots each time (chest, wings, back and tail), and Compare with past molts puts two molts side by side. "Same light and angle each time makes them easier to compare."

How do I log eggs?

Log one entry per clutch, even when the eggs come over several days. VetVitae keeps it open while the eggs incubate, works out the hatch date for common birds, and asks once whether they hatched.

1. On your bird's page, tap Add, then Eggs. It's offered to females and birds of unknown sex.
2. Set Laid on, the day of the first egg.
3. Set How many. It starts at the usual clutch for the kind, with a line like "Budgies usually lay 4 to 6."
4. Pick Fertile (Unknown, Yes or No) and the Outcome: Incubating, Hatched or Removed.
5. Check the Expected hatch date and save.

For budgies, cockatiels, lovebirds, canaries and zebra finches, the expected hatch is worked out from the last egg plus the usual incubation, and the form shows how ("Last egg about 14 Oct (5 eggs, one every other day), plus 18 days for budgies."). You can change it, and Use the worked-out date brings it back. For other birds, add the date if you know it.

While the eggs incubate, the profile shows "Eggs incubating since {date}", the date goes to Next up and Home, and you get a reminder the day before. On the day, VetVitae asks once "Did {name}'s eggs hatch?".

Where do I find the clutches?

Eggs have no section of their own. Every clutch is in the Timeline under Eggs, and each clutch's page lists all of your bird's clutches.

What is chronic laying?

When a bird lays 2 clutches or more in 6 months (3 for canaries), VetVitae shows "Laying often weakens birds. Talk to your vet." on the clutch, the Overview, Health at a glance and the vet link.

What does DNA sexing change?

A DNA sexing test sets your bird's sex, and the profile then reads "Female · by DNA".

1. Open Exams and log a test, picking DNA sexing.
2. When the result is in, pick Male, Female or Inconclusive.
3. If the result differs from the profile, VetVitae asks "Set {name}'s sex to female?". Pick Set to female, or Keep unknown.

Changing the sex by hand later drops "by DNA". Birds can also log Psittacosis, Giardia and Other tests. See exams and tests.

What about vaccines and deworming?

Birds have no vaccine plan in VetVitae, so the Vaccines section is hidden. Deworming works as for any pet, with one difference for birds in an outdoor aviary.

• With Housing set to Outdoor aviary, deworming suggests 6 months of protection instead of the usual default, and the profile says "Suggested: deworming every 6 months."
• The Overview suggests "No deworming in the last 6 months" for aviary birds when nothing was logged in that time.
• See deworming.

Questions