Jennifer Graham
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jennifervet.bsky.social
Jennifer Graham
@jennifervet.bsky.social
680 followers 1.1K following 51 posts
Avian/zoological companion animal veterinarian, all things plant and animal obsessed, forager wannabe, AL blue dot
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jennifervet.bsky.social
Hangin’ with a rooster I found at the Huntsville, AL #nokings march ❤️🐔
Down with tyranny, up with microscopy sign I carried for the Huntsville (AL) No Kings March. I ran across a giant rooster and asked him to pose for a picture ❤️🐔
October 20, 2025 at 12:51 AM
jennifervet.bsky.social
Fun day foraging in AL! Locust blossoms, crimson clover, greenbrier, wild anise, and curly dock. Also learned about fringe tree and trillium. And I can _finally_ ID persimmon based on bark appearance!

#forage
#nature
#plants
#persimmon
#tupelocypress
#trillium
Fringe tree - useful on wounds, stimulates bile flow, and is a diuretic. Also - it is stunning when flowering! Trillium ❤️ Tupelo cypress…I’m so lucky there are right up the road from where I live 🥰 Locust flowers are delicious!
April 14, 2025 at 1:35 AM
jennifervet.bsky.social
April 9, 2025 at 3:34 PM
jennifervet.bsky.social
Kombucha batch #5 - green tea, strawberry, kiwi, maypop, elderberry!

#kombucha
Kombucha bottles with green tea, strawberry, kiwi, maypop, elderberry. This is my 5th batch and so far so good!
April 5, 2025 at 7:42 PM
jennifervet.bsky.social
More Iceland pics? Don’t mind if I do 🥰
#Iceland
A gorgeous waterfall (Seljalandsfoss) in Iceland alongside a rainbow 🌈❤️ A walk along the Arnarstapi cliffs in Iceland - stunning! A lava tunnel in Iceland. The ice formations were magical! Tomato rows in a greenhouse in Iceland. The tomatoes in Iceland were some of the best I’ve ever tasted!
March 28, 2025 at 7:12 PM
jennifervet.bsky.social
Just returned from an incredible trip to Iceland. So much beauty! Although I felt as though I should apologize for the orange cheeto, it was clear that Icelanders understand we’re not all asshats. It was hard to transition back to a country with so little concern for many things I hold dear
An Icelandic pony we saw on our travels ❤️ We saw the northern lights! I loved this picture best since it looks like a bird Basalt columns. We saw so many incredible things on our trip. It was fascinating to learn all about a landscape formed by volcanoes. We even walked through a magical lava tube! A glacier we visited. It was heartbreaking to hear about how quickly it is receding. I have no doubt it will eventually be gone 😢
March 25, 2025 at 4:43 PM
jennifervet.bsky.social
Papayago Rescue House is incredibly dedicated to educating on the great responsibility that comes with sharing life with a feathered friend. This is Coco Chanel, Papayago’s ambassador bird. If you would like to help her or any other birds in their care, check out:
papayagorescuehouse.org

#vetmed
Coco Chanel - Papayago Rescue House’s ambassador Moluccan cockatoo. Coco is a great ambassador bird since she is a perfect example of all that comes along with parrots in captivity - screaming, messes, feather damaging behavior (she has to wear vests as she self mutilates), and sometimes, total adorableness. Sadly she could never survive outside of captivity and she is the victim of the pet trade. She has been rehomed multiple times, abused (you can see her feet deformities), and has clearly had a rough cockatoo life. She’s one of the lucky ones since she has now landed into a life of luxury. So so many more birds are abandoned, stuck in tiny cages on poor nutrition and minimal environmental stimulation, and experience a lifetime of suffering. Rescue organizations are overwhelmed with more birds than they can help. All this is to say - ADOPT!!! Don’t shop!
February 21, 2025 at 2:48 PM
jennifervet.bsky.social
This kombucha batch has maypop, kiwi, and elderberry - so pretty!
This kombucha with maypop, kiwi, and elderberry has a gorgeous golden red hue. Fruit is visible in the bottom and top of the bottles.
February 17, 2025 at 9:30 PM
jennifervet.bsky.social
Green tea kombucha - 2nd ferment with homegrown maypop (i.e., passionflower). Delicious fruit from a plant that also provides habitat for 3 native butterfly species ❤️

Hippie level 500 ✅

#kombucha #maypop #plants #sustainability
Kombucha made from green tea ready for second ferment. I added homegrown maypop fruit to the bottles. If you look closely at the bottle on the left you will see the fruit collecting toward the top of the bottle.
January 25, 2025 at 6:43 PM
jennifervet.bsky.social
Budgerigars have a colored area around nostrils (cere). When mature, males have a blue cere and females are pink/brown (variable). It’s hard to tell when they’re immature (stripes on forehead) but if you look at the outer rim of the nostril, young males have a thin blue ring and females are white!
This is a young male budgie. If you look closely, the area just around the nostril is blue. If this bird were female, it would be white. I’ve always struggled to differentiate sexes in the younger birds so this was a great tip to get! Keep in mind that DNA sexing (or knowing if the bird has laid an egg) is the most reliable way to know sex in many avian species. When budgies are young they have stripes across the top of the head. As they age the stripes disappear off the forehead and are further back on the head. Once the stripes fade, the entire cere gives a better clue since the entire area is blue (male) or pink/brown (female). I have spoken to breeders who say this can vary a lot, especially during breeding season - so it is not absolute. It is important to be aware of this as we use cere color as a potential indicator of neoplasia (cancer). If a bird with a blue cere suddenly changes to brown, it is possible the bird could have an estrogen producing tumor. This will generally be in the gonad/kidney region and as it enlarges, pressure against the ischiatic nerve can result in paresis and the inability to use the affected leg(s). So if you see a male budgie with sudden cere color change and lameness, this is a differential. Radiographs are often helpful as the gonadal/renal area may have a mass effect. GnRH agonists may provide some relief as the mass may decrease in size, reducing pressure on the nerve.
January 25, 2025 at 4:14 PM
jennifervet.bsky.social
It’s a Christmas miracle - the book published a month earlier than I thought it would!

Now buy 100 copies so I can buy a farm off the royalties!

(no….sadly not remotely how it works 😹🤣)

#avian #vetmed #finally #parrot #academicsky
Hot off the presses - 2nd edition of the 5-minute avian consult. All you ever wanted to know about veterinary medicine as it relates to birds (and then some)… Our forward to the textbook. I thanked house officers and students I’ve worked with through the years. They’re actually the ones doing the hard part 🥰
December 24, 2024 at 7:06 PM
jennifervet.bsky.social
My lovely golden with severe hydrocephalus and cerebellar hypoplasia gets the best compliments when she comes to work with me 🥰

#vetmed #goldenretriever #hydrocephalus #cerebellarhypoplasia #seizure
“The best smooth brain around” is on my golden retriever’s cage ID at work. She has cerebellar hypoplasia and hydrocephalus so she truly does have a smooth brain!
December 17, 2024 at 6:34 PM
jennifervet.bsky.social
First ever batch of kombucha in second ferment! Do I finally get my hippie card in the mail or is there some sort of application process?
#kombucha #hippieinthemaking
My first batch of kombucha! I got 5 bottles out of the first batch and these are full of different fruits, herbs, and juice. They are different colors (from pinkish to yellow) based on added ingredients and I think they’re so pretty! The lavender, rosemary, and lemon grass I added are all from my garden ❤️
December 14, 2024 at 2:57 PM
jennifervet.bsky.social
Vet visits are so exhausting 😹

#vetmed #mammals #ferrets #stinkythief #exotic
Ferret sleeping after his veterinary exam. He’s on his back in a fleece blanket being completely adorable ❤️ Ferret sleeping after his veterinary exam. He’s on his back being completely adorable ❤️ Ferret sleeping after his veterinary exam. He’s on his side in a grey fleece blanket being completely adorable ❤️
December 12, 2024 at 5:57 PM
jennifervet.bsky.social
Don't know what to get that impossible-to-shop-for someone for the holidays? Look no further! The 2nd edition of the Avian Five-Minute Consult is out soon. Pre-order your copy today! Supplies are limited*

*Because it hasn't gone to print yet 😹

www.wiley.com/en-jp/Blackw...

#vetmed #avian #exotic
Cover for our new Wiley Avian 5-Minute consult text. Pre-order your copy today!
December 10, 2024 at 3:48 PM
jennifervet.bsky.social
Hell hath no fury like a sugar glider scorned

#vetmed #mammals #sugarglidersarefromthedevil
A sugar glider in an anesthetic facemask outraged about being given gas anesthesia to facilitate a nail trim. After it already bit my tech 🙄
December 5, 2024 at 4:52 PM
jennifervet.bsky.social
Fishing adventures!
#fishing #flyfishing #womenanglers
Large redfish I caught on the fly off the coast of Coccodrie, LA. We were sight fishing on the flats. Tripletail I caught on the fly off the coast of Coccodrie, LA. My very first striper on the fly! Happy day!!! I did not catch this catfish on a fly rod (spin casting) but I love this picture. If it isn’t obvious, this catfish was not pleased.
December 4, 2024 at 1:48 AM
jennifervet.bsky.social
Fun chicken patients…just because I can ❤️🐔

#vetmed #birds #chicken #funcases
2 white silkie hens standing on the blue speckled exam room floor. A frizzle chicken. Which looks exactly how it sounds. This one is brown/tan, black, and white and has feathers poking out everywhere! Polish chicken that is tan and black with a huge tuft of feather sticking out on top. Ameraucana hens. The one in the left is black and tan and the one on the right is white/grey/black/cream. They have a blue-egg gene and lay gorgeous blue/green pastel eggs ❤️
December 3, 2024 at 6:35 PM
jennifervet.bsky.social
Wow little buddy…tell me how you _really_ feel about your vet visit 😬🤣 🦎

#vetmed #herps #unhappypatient
Bearded dragon flipping me off at a vet visit. Seriously though…he has toe injuries that make it look like he’s flipping me off. But in my heart I know he means it 😂
December 2, 2024 at 3:09 PM
jennifervet.bsky.social
In honor of some of my favorite patients - Happy Thanksgiving! ❤️🦃
#vetmed #turkey #birds #anesthesia
Turkey recovering after extensive wound repair from a coyote attack. Fortunately, this bird did great! Turkey under anesthesia. Monitoring equipment is fairly easy to place due to their large size and extensive vascular tissue. Handsomest turkey showing off! I love the silver feathering on this turkey.
November 28, 2024 at 11:24 AM
jennifervet.bsky.social
Poor duck! Male ducks (drakes) often present on emergency with phallus prolapse secondary to overzealous mating behaviors. If medical management does not work, surgical amputation can be performed without issue. These rads show how truly ginormous duck testicles are - no…not a tumor! #vetmed #birds
Phallus prolapse in a male duck. Surprisingly this duck presented with concern for respiratory distress. It turned out the bird’s straining behavior looked like difficulty breathing but the lungs/airsacs were fine! Most male birds do not possess a phallus - only around 3% do! Among those that do are ducks, geese, swans, and ratites including ostrich, emus, and rheas. Lateral radiographic projection of the duck with the phallus prolapse. The testicles are naturally enlarged during mating season and are often mistaken for tumors. Can you find them? A later radiograph of this same bird is marked to outline the testicular shadow. Ventrodorsal radiographic projection of a duck with a phallus prolapse. If you look closely, you can see the syringeal bulla at the left side of the tracheal bifurcation. This is positioned ventral to the clavicle and inside the triangle formed by the left coracoid, clavicle, and keel. This boney projection off the trachea is responsible for the deeper ‘quack’ sound in males (females do not possess this structure). Lateral radiographic projection of the duck with the phallus prolapse. The red circle is outlining the huge internal testicles. This is normal during mating season but often (understandably) mistaken for a tumor.
November 27, 2024 at 5:40 PM
jennifervet.bsky.social
Me: So the bad news is…I backed your truck into a brick wall

Dad: What’s the good news?

Me: I fixed it!

😬😹

#oops
Picture of dad’s truck after I backed into a brick wall. The back panel is very dented and scraped up Picture of dad’s truck after I put 2 ginormous bandaids over the dent. Sharpie marker writing reads: Dr. G’s Kwalitie Truk Repar
November 27, 2024 at 5:11 PM
jennifervet.bsky.social
Did you know most psittacine (parrot) species are not dimorphic? DNA sexing may be needed to differentiate sexes. Fun fact - in mature African grey parrots, red ventral feathers near the vent are edged in grey in females. While subtle, you can see it here #vetmed #parrot #birds #science #veterinary
Ventral view of the tail in a sedate African grey parrot showing grey edging of the red feathers surrounding the vent, characteristic of a female. The males have solid red feathers without this grey edging. This ‘sex check’ only works in mature birds.
November 25, 2024 at 4:55 PM
jennifervet.bsky.social
Are these my cutest patients of the day? Only time will tell…❤️🐀❤️
#veterinary #mammals #vetmed #cutestpatient
Cutest baby dumbo rats in for their first vet visits. They are brothers and one has a patch over the left eye and the other has a patch over the right eye ❤️
November 21, 2024 at 4:55 PM
jennifervet.bsky.social
Even if someone was crazy enough to try a plant intervention, is there any possibility it could help? Asking for a friend 😹

❤️🍃🌱

#plant #gardening #houseplant #ineedanintervention
Ridiculous numbers of houseplants Even more houseplants Many of my outside plants (including garden peppers I couldn’t bear to let freeze) brought inside for the winter My cat and parrot not helping whatsoever with plant care
November 20, 2024 at 5:18 PM