Q: Make sure that your budgie has an appropriate cage and easy access to food and water. All the necessary supplies can be found at pet supply stores. Keep the cage in a room that is moderate in temperature. If the temperature feels good to you, then your bird should be comfortable as well. When you first get a budgie, give it a few weeks to get used to its surroundings. Then you can start to tame and train it.  If possible, keep your budgie’s cage in a room where you spend a lot of time in.  This will help it get used to the sight of you.  Play music around your bird. This will get your budgie used to the volume level of your home, and it may enjoy hearing the music. Talk softly to your budgie when you give it water and food, so that it will create positive associations with you. You can also make a point to leave treats on or just inside its cage. This can be a difficult decision to make once you get your bird. If you have questions about clipping the bird’s wings, talk to your veterinarian.  Trimming your bird’s wings does not cause it any pain, when done properly by a professional. With its wings trimmed, your budgie will not be able to fly for a few months, until its feathers grow back. That way, you can leave its cage door open, and the budgie can explore more with less chance of it escaping. This can make it easier to train. On the other hand, not everyone likes the idea of altering a bird. There are also concerns that the inability to fly can be distressing to a bird.
A: Keep your budgie comfortable. Don’t try to tame your bird right away. Consider whether you want to clip your budgie’s wings.

Q: Hookworm is most common in developing nations in Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America. Areas with poor sanitation, water treatment, and plumbing/sewage infrastructure are especially at risk. The hookworm larvae live in the soil and migrate toward the surface in search of oxygen and sunlight. Coming into contact with soil in high-risk areas — whether by hand or by walking barefoot — increases your odds of infection. Sunbathing on your back can also cause infection. Hookworms thrive best in a moist, sandy environment. There are three ways to contract hookworm: through skin penetration, oral ingestion, and rarely via breast milk. If you either live in or have visited a high-risk area, think about whether any of those modes of transmission are possible. Skin penetration is most common through the feet, but can occur anywhere on the body.  You can contract it orally by eating food prepared by an infected host or coming into contact with infected feces. Dog and cat owners, especially, can contract hookworm while handling their pets' feces.  Soil can become contaminated by pet feces, as well. Consider whether you've walked barefoot somewhere dogs or cats defecate. " If you have an infection type called "cutaneous larva migrans," you may develop a very memorable rash. The word "serpiginous" shares a root with "serpent," or snake. The rash has that name because you can see the hookworms moving around under the surface of the skin, like snakes. This rash migrates one to two centimeters a day, from which we get the "migrans" part of the name. Once you've contracted hookworm, they find their way into your bloodstream. When they reach the lungs, they penetrate the air sacs around the lung (alveoli) and cause inflammation. This may result in a mild cough or perhaps a sore throat while the larvae continue up the airway toward the glottis. Other symptoms of this stage might include:  Wheezing Headache Coughing up blood As the larvae approach the glottis, they get swallowed and make their way to the small intestine. They attach to the intestinal walls with their teeth, causing blood loss as they feed on protein. If they are allowed to mature in the intestines, they can cause malnutrition and anemia. Symptoms of anemia include:  Fatigue Weakness Pale skin A fast or irregular heartbeat Shortness of breath Chest pain Dizziness Cognitive problems Cold hands and feet Headache Hookworms migrate to the intestines, so gastrointestinal discomfort is not uncommon, especially following eating. Because the hookworms repeatedly bite the intestinal wall, the pain is like an internal bee sting. Other gastrointestinal problems may include diarrhea, appetite loss, or weight loss. The severity of symptoms depends on the "load" or "worm burden." If you have 100-500 larvae in your system, symptoms will be mild or nonexistent. A medium load is 500 or larger, and a large load is 1,000 or greater. If you live in a high-risk area, ask the doctor to make hookworm testing part of your regular checkup. If you recently travelled to a high-risk area, see your doctor when you return. Give her a thorough history of your travels, as well as your interactions with dogs and cats. The doctor may perform the following tests to diagnose a hookworm infection:  Analysis of a stool sample for eggs and parasites  A chest radiograph to look for larvae in the lungs A complete blood count (CBC) and iron panel to check for anemia
A:
Consider your exposure to high-risk areas. Think about how you could have contracted hookworm. Watch for a "serpiginous rash. Look for mild coughing or sore throat. Notice signs of anemia. Do not ignore stomach pain. Note that many patients do not exhibit symptoms. Seek early diagnosis.