Birds are intelligent, sensitive creatures that require a vet who understands their unique anatomy and behavior. At South Pasadena Animal Hospital, our veterinarians provide comprehensive care for parrots, cockatiels, conures, parakeets, finches, canaries, and other companion birds. From annual wellness exams and beak trims to illness diagnosis and feather-plucking consultations, we give your feathered family member the attentive care they deserve.
From tiny finches to large macaws, our vets understand avian physiology, behavior, and the subtle signs that indicate illness in birds — who are notorious for hiding symptoms until they're seriously sick.
We know that vet visits can be stressful for birds. Our team uses gentle restraint techniques and keeps exam times efficient to minimize anxiety for your feathered companion.
We perform bloodwork, fecal gram stains, crop washes, and X-rays in-house for quick results. Rapid diagnosis is critical for birds since they can decline fast.
No surprise bills. Our exam fees and common services are posted online so you can plan your visit with confidence. View our prices.
Wellness exams, feather plucking evaluation, respiratory issues, beak and nail trims, nutritional counseling.
Annual checkups, behavioral consultations, blood panels, Psittacosis testing, wing trims.
Wellness exams, feather condition assessment, crop issues, egg-binding evaluation.
Respiratory infections, mite infestations, tumor screening, nutritional guidance.
Air sac mite treatment, respiratory support, wellness monitoring, leg band issues.
Canker treatment, respiratory disease, wellness exams, parasite screening.
Here's the thing about birds that we wish every owner knew on day one: a bird that looks sick has been sick for a while. Concealing illness isn't a quirk — it's survival wiring. In the wild, the bird that visibly struggles is the bird that gets picked off, so they hold the performance together until they physically can't. That's why a bird sitting fluffed at the bottom of the cage isn't in the early stage of something. It's usually late.
Which flips the usual logic. With a dog you can often watch a mild symptom for a day. With a bird, the mild symptom is the emergency, and we'd genuinely rather see your cockatiel for something that turns out to be nothing than see the same bird four days later.
Respiratory trouble. Tail-bobbing with each breath, open-mouth breathing, clicking, discharge from the nares. Birds have an unforgiving respiratory system — air sacs run right through the body — and it's also why airborne toxins hit them so hard. Overheated non-stick cookware is the one we bring up constantly, because it can kill a bird in the same kitchen where nobody else notices a thing.
Nutrition. Still, after all these years, the seed-only diet. Seed is fat and not much else, and the vitamin A deficiency that follows shows up as sinus problems, poor feather quality, and mouth lesions. Converting a stubborn adult bird off seed is slow, genuinely frustrating work, and it's worth doing — ask us and we'll walk you through it rather than sending you home to figure it out.
Feather destruction. Owners want one cause. There usually isn't one. Skin disease, diet, light cycle, cage placement, boredom, hormones, and stress braid together, and untangling it takes a real workup and patience. Anyone offering a quick fix is guessing. More on that in our post on feather plucking.
Egg binding. A female straining, sitting on the cage floor, tail pumping, sometimes weak in the legs — that's a today problem, not a tomorrow one. It happens in single hens with no male anywhere near them, which surprises people every time.
We weigh every bird, every visit, in grams — and the gram matters. Feathers hide a startling amount of weight loss, and a bird that looks identical to last year can be meaningfully lighter underneath. Tracked over time, that number is the earliest warning we get. Beyond the scale: feather and skin condition, eyes, nares and cere, vent, a listen to the air sacs, a look in the mouth, and a real conversation about diet, cage, and light. Bloodwork when the picture warrants it, read against avian reference ranges rather than a dog's.
Sitting fluffed on the cage floor. Tail-bobbing or open-mouth breathing. Not eating, or seed hulls piling up untouched. A sudden change in droppings — colour, volume, or water content. Blood anywhere. Straining. Any contact with an overheated pan. Reach us at (626) 441-1314 — with birds, hours count.
Visit us at 3116 W Main St in Alhambra, just west of the Fremont Avenue intersection. Easy street parking is available right out front.
Monday – Friday: 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM & 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Saturday – Sunday: Closed
Closed for lunch 1–2 PM everyday.
Yes. Birds are prey animals and instinctively hide illness. An annual exam with bloodwork can catch diseases like liver problems, infections, or nutritional deficiencies before visible symptoms appear. Early detection saves lives.
Feather plucking can be caused by medical issues (skin infections, liver disease, hormonal imbalances) or behavioral factors (stress, boredom, improper lighting). A thorough vet exam is the first step to finding the cause. Read our guide to feather plucking for more information.
Use a small, secure travel carrier or cage with a towel draped over it to reduce stress. Avoid temperature extremes — keep the car comfortable. Bring a sample of your bird's current food and a photo of their cage setup for the vet to review.
Yes, we provide wing trims, nail trims, and beak trims as part of our avian services. These can be done during a wellness exam or as a standalone grooming visit.
Watch for fluffed feathers, sitting on the cage floor, decreased appetite, tail bobbing while breathing, nasal discharge, changes in droppings (color, consistency, volume), or unusual quietness. If you notice any of these, schedule a vet visit promptly.
Schedule your pet's appointment online in under a minute, or give us a call and our team will find a time that works for you.
Finding a qualified bird vet in Alhambra and the San Gabriel Valley is not easy. Most general practice veterinary clinics focus exclusively on dogs and cats, leaving bird owners with few options nearby. South Pasadena Animal Hospital at 3116 West Main Street in Alhambra is proud to be one of the few local clinics that provides veterinary care for companion birds alongside our traditional small animal practice.
Avian medicine requires an understanding of how birds differ from mammals — from their unique respiratory systems and hollow bones to their rapid metabolisms and tendency to mask symptoms of illness. Our veterinarians take the time to perform thorough physical exams, review diet and environment, and recommend appropriate diagnostics when needed. Whether your cockatiel has a respiratory wheeze, your parrot is plucking feathers, or your parakeet needs its first wellness exam, we approach each case with the knowledge and care your bird deserves.
Our in-house diagnostic capabilities allow us to run avian bloodwork, perform fecal gram stains, take digital X-rays, and conduct crop washes — all without sending samples to an outside lab and waiting days for results. This is especially important for birds, who can deteriorate quickly once symptoms become apparent. We also offer grooming services including wing, nail, and beak trims.
Bird owners travel to SPAH from across the region, including Pasadena, South Pasadena, San Gabriel, Monterey Park, Arcadia, and Highland Park, because quality avian veterinary care is genuinely rare in the area. If you are looking for a bird vet you can trust, contact us to schedule your bird's appointment.