Dr. Tiffany Margolin with our cockatiel Maddie
This is the time of year to be thankful and as a bird owner, I am thankful for avian veterinarians; specifically board-certified avian veterinarians. I have seen several over the years and I am thankful for each one. Unfortunately, board-certified avian vets are not common. In the Los Angeles area, I can count the number of them on my hand. I have driven up to 60 miles to see one because it is extremely important to me that the vet my birds see is properly trained to specifically treat birds, as they are physically and physiologically worlds apart from dogs and cats.
It takes a very special person to become an avian vet. Not only must they possess a love and passion for birds but they must be dedicated as additional training and experience is required. They must publish research in the field and pass an extensive certification exam to demonstrate their qualifications. All of this can take years and add thousands of dollars to already high student loans.
This article is dedicated to one of those rare, board-certified avian vets. Her name was Dr. Tiffany Margolin, ABVP, or 'Dr. Tiffany' as she identified herself. She was our bird vet for years and was instrumental in saving the lives of several of our birds. Unfortunately, she took her own life on November 26, 2017.
My family first met Dr. Tiffany many years ago. She was working for another board-certified avian vet, Dr. Max Weiss, who sold us our first cockatiel. Dr. Tiffany became a board-certified avian vet while working under Dr. Weiss and we began seeing her when Dr. Weiss retired. She treated a special-needs bird we had, a female pearl cockatiel named Isa who had a congenital, neurological condition that rendered her unable to walk or fly. Isa was six months old when we rescued her. Before we saw Dr. Tiffany and after Dr. Weiss retired, we briefly saw another vet. This vet did not think Isa would make it more than a couple of months. When Dr. Tiffany saw Isa, she did not want to give us false hope. She also gave Isa a few months, but under her care, Isa thrived. Due to medication and better nutrition prescribed by Dr. Tiffany, Isa became more active and her personality began to shine. She would communicate with us through a variety of chirps and peeps since her mobility was so limited. She let us know when she wanted to be picked up or cuddled. She began playing with our other female cockatiel, Maddie, who took her under her wing so to speak. For a while we almost forgot about the fact that Isa's time was limited. Under Dr. Tiffany, Isa lived for a year and a half, a year longer than anyone had given her. One morning, Isa wasn’t eating. I picked her up. She was cold. I held her close to keep her warm and brought her to the vet’s office. Dr. Tiffany did all she could, but Isa passed away peacefully under her care. Because of Dr. Tiffany, we had a whole year with our precious little one that no one thought possible. Dr. Tiffany gave us the greatest gift of all. Time.
Dr. Tiffany saved my sister’s bird, Beans, after he accidentally ingested a piece of window screen and suffered zinc poisoning. He was rushed to the hospital where Dr. Tiffany and Dr. Weiss performed surgery, removing the piece of zinc-coated metal from his tiny body. After a couple days, he came home. That was over a decade ago. He is now 24 years old and doing well. He wouldn’t be here had it not been for Dr. Tiffany.
Our female cockatiel Maddie had been a chronic egg layer. Dr. Weiss had performed a partial hysterectomy which thankfully stopped the egg laying. Unfortunately it had already taken a toll on her health. Maddie had liver disease and arthritis which Dr. Tiffany treated successfully for years. She prescribed medication for liver support and pain, and she treated the arthritis in Maddie’s wing with laser treatments and acupuncture. Yes, acupuncture! For a bird! Dr. Tiffany was trained in holistic medicine and believed it was just as beneficial to animals as it was to humans. Not one to argue with results, I continued to let her treat Maddie this way because it worked. After months of suffering from the arthritis, she was able to fly again.
A few years later Maddie became tired and fatigued. She wasn't herself. Something wasn't right. Dr. Tiffany ran a few tests which revealed Maddie had ovarian cancer. Heart broken and terrified, we begged Dr. Tiffany for her help. She said that she could remove the tumorous part of the ovary but as is the case with birds, she might not survive the surgery as birds are very sensitive to anesthesia and Maddie was already in a weakened state. It was an agonizing decision but in the end we decided we had to give Maddie a chance. Without the surgery, she would surely die. Dr. Tiffany performed the procedure. It was a success. Years later, Maddie was still cancer-free.
These are just a few of the miracles Dr. Tiffany performed. She performed many more for other bird owners and pet parents that we will never know. Dr. Tiffany's last "office" was a mobile vet unit she purchased herself appropriately named From the Heart Mobile Vet. She had once told me she wanted to be able to perform euthanasia for terminal patients in their homes because it was much less stressful to both the pet and the owner. At home, the pet parent and pet could bond in comfort and privacy and focus on the most important thing: saying goodbye. With the mobile unit, Dr. Tiffany was able to do just that. That's how much she cared.
Tragically, on November 26, 2017, Dr. Tiffany took her own life. I didn't realize how much she was suffering. I still feel guilty for not recognizing her pain. The previous times I had seen her, she was always busy trying to ease mine.
Several months after Dr. Tiffany's suicide, it was reported that another young, local female veterinarian named Dr. Amanda Lumsden had also taken her life. Dr. Lumsen specialized in felines and also owned a mobile vet unit, Cat Calls Mobile Veterinary Service, which provided the community with low-cost spay and neuters. Unfortunately, suicide is not uncommon in the veterinary field. Recent studies conducted have revealed that suicide, depression and anxiety rates among veterinarians are disproportionately high -four times higher than the general population and higher than in any other white collar profession. The suicide rate for female vets is four-times higher than that of their male counterparts. None of this should come as a surprise considering the immense stress veterinarians are under. "Compassion-fatigue" is a real. It is common for a veterinarian to work twelve to fourteen hour days, treating creatures who cannot communicate their pain and dealing with owners who expect miracles. Veterinarians only earn around 25% of the salary a human doctor takes home, sometimes barely enough to cover student loans. People tend to forget that vets go into the business because they love animals, and it hurts them to0 when they encounter a suffering animal that they cannot help. On top of that, having to perform euthanasia on a regular basis takes an emotional toll no matter how much mercy plays a part.
We should all be reminded that veterinarians are people just like us. They are not miracle workers. They deserve to earn a better living for the difficult work they do. They deserve our patience and respect. Dr. Tiffany was more than a vet who went the extra mile to care for our birds. She was a kind, compassionate soul and she was a friend. That is why her loss is so painful. She spoke to us as one would speak to family; frank, honest and plain. She never promised more than she could deliver. If anything, she under promised. She always prepared us for the worst but because of her skills and talent, helped us hope for the best. I wish she was here to see our birds who are still here because of her care. I wish she was here to see all of the animals she helped and the people she touched with her kindness. I wish she was here so we could tell her how important she was and how much she mattered. I wish she was here just because.
If you or someone you know is thinking about hurting themselves, call 9-1-1 or the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1 (800) 273-8255