Jeff and Linda M.’s pet bird, a Caique named Momo, has always been known to be very resourceful and curious. Recently, Momo’s inquisitiveness got the better of her after she got into a daily pill minder, leading her pet parents to a necessary and urgent phone call to the ASCPA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC).

Jeff was working from home when he realized that Momo had suddenly become very quiet. He went to investigate and found her getting into the pills. By the time Jeff reached her, Momo had already chewed up several capsules – including a thyroid medication and a probiotic blend – and had powder all over the counter around her.

Already worried for his feathery friend, things got even worse after Jeff called his regular avian veterinarian. As luck would have it, there was an international avian veterinary conference happening that day and he was unable to get ahold of anyone. Knowing that he needed to find immediate assistance for Momo, Jeff turned next to APCC.

After contacting APCC, Jeff was able to speak with a certified veterinary technician who took a thorough health history and asked him to go over the details of what happened. The technician then consulted with an APCC veterinarian, who was able to confirm that thankfully, the exposure was not considered serious. They instructed Jeff to continue to monitor Momo at home for any symptoms or abnormalities.

This was a huge relief, and Jeff was grateful to the APCC staff for giving him the peace of mind he needed. He monitored Momo at home for the rest of the day and was relieved that no symptoms developed following Momo’s ingestion.

Jeff tells us that it felt good to know he had another resource for the future in case his avian veterinarian was not available. As for Momo, she is happy to be able to continue to do the things she loves, such as having free reign of the house, sitting in her bay window and eating her favorite snack, cheese!