According to the 2009-2010 National Pet Owners Survey, approximately 62% of U.S. households own a pet, which equates to 71.4 million homes. Of those homes, 15 million of those pets are birds. This year, it has been estimated that $47.7 billion will be spent on our pets in the U.S. That is a lot of money not to mention a lot of animals that need proper care. If you have ever had a bird as a pet there is much to consider before introducing these creatures into your home environment. Birds are intelligent creatures, sensitive to light and finicky eaters. Most of the typical mixes you find in the average pet food section are actually inadequate for their dietary needs. If you are going to purchase a bird from a store, keep in mind that they are extremely stressed in a pet shop environment and really need time to be “themselves”. In this segment of The Organic View, Dr. Joel Murphy will be my guest to talk about his work with birds. Dr. Murphy has written four books on pet care. His latest book,”How To Care For Your Pet Bird: Practical Advice From Dr. Joel Murphy” is one of the best references every person who has a bird companion should have. Dr. Murphy is one of the first veterinarians in the world to become diplomat, American Board of Veterinary Practitioners Certified in Avian Practice. This is the only advanced certification for exotic bird medicine and this level of expertise requires an extremely high level of training and testing. Dr. Joel Murphy has never been satisfied with the status quo and has spent his professional life pushing the envelope in both traditional medicine and surgery and holistic veterinary medicine. He has been pushing the boundary in such diverse subjects such as parrot/pet bird medicine, herbal medicine/ nutraceuticals, homeopathy, flower essences, energy therapy, rainforest research, meditation and nature photography. If you would like to learn more about proper care for your birds, stay tuned!