Contact
The Richard M. Schubot Parrot Wellness & Welfare Program
Telephone: (530) 752-1393
Location
UC Davis Health Science District
VMTH
1 Garrod Drive
Davis, California 95616
The Richard M. Schubot Parrot Wellness & Welfare Program
The Richard M. Schubot Parrot Wellness and Welfare Program is dedicated to supporting resources, education and clinical care of companion parrots, providing optimal quality of life, disease prevention and treatment. Maintaining the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine’s tradition of excellence, this innovative program just for parrots encompasses
- Preventative health
- Nutrition
- Behavior
- Environmental enrichment
- Pain prevention and management
- Pediatric and geriatric care
Our program also supports research focused on providing best practices for protecting the health and well-being of parrots kept by private owners, aviculturists and zoological collections.
Your gift supports parrots, students and community outreach, all the necessary ingredients to make our parrot wellness and welfare program the leading model for helping parrots and the people who care for them. To learn more about how you can support the Richard M. Schubot Parrot Wellness & Welfare Program, please contact our Development Office at development@vetmed.ucdavis.edu, (530) 752-7024.
Community Services
Wellness classes for you and your bird: Look for upcoming seminars, both virtual and at our location, for parrot owners to talk about best care practices for parrots.
Mobile services: We offer on-site consultation services for large parrot collections and parrot rescue centers.
Veterinary Education
We promote teaching about the health and welfare of parrots at all levels within the School of Veterinary Medicine.
Veterinary students: The School of Veterinary Medicine has incorporated Parrot Health into its core curriculum for all veterinary students. Throughout their four years of education, veterinary students have opportunities to learn about the unique anatomy, health needs and welfare issues of parrots.
Residency program: The School of Veterinary Medicine offers a three-year residency program to give veterinarians advanced, specialized training in parrot medicine. Residents, who successfully complete this program focused on companion birds and other non-traditional companion animals, can become board-certified specialists in zoological medicine.
Parrot Focused Research
Research Studies: Our program focuses on select studies benefiting the parrot population with an emphasis on pain management, pharmacologic treatment of diseases, clinical pathology, diagnostic imaging, reproduction and behavior. Some of the recent examples of publications include:
- Evaluation of the analgesic efficacy and metabolism of opioid drugs, non-steroideal anti-inflammatory drugs, cannabinoids and other analgesics in parrots.
- Evaluation of the metabolism and efficacy of antibiotics and antifungals in parrots
- Development of reference values for hematologic and biochemical tests in parrots.
- Standardization of diagnostic imaging techniques in parrots with special interest in those used to diagnose cardiovascular diseases like atherosclerosis.
- Evaluation of the efficacy on drugs used in the management of reproductive diseases.
- Evaluation of prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases in parrots with a special interest in atherosclerosis.
- Evaluation on diagnostic and treatment modalities for cancer in birds.
Team approach: Researchers work with a team of mentors in Avian Sciences, Avian Nutrition and the faculty in the Companion Exotic Animal Medicine and Surgery Service.
Health and wellness: Projects link post-graduate with research projects designed to improve psittacine health and wellness.
Faculty Recognition
Congratulations to Dr. Guzman for being awarded for being named the Messmer Family Presidential Chair in Companion Exotic Animal Medicine & Surgery. This honor is a testament to his dedication to advancing veterinary care for all companion exotic animals.