Sick bird. Help please!

CTR · New Member Joined: Aug 10, 2006 Posts: 2

Hello,

Just like to start by welcoming myself to this forum. Look forward to using it.

My parents own a Riki, have done now for about two and half years. We all get a lot of enjoyment from the bird so were distressed a few months ago when the bird became ill.

He was very unstable on his perch, would fall off sometimes, when walking around on the cage floor he would hold his head lop-sided and would cling to the side of the cage for a long time. He was also not interested in coming out of the cage and was very quiet, no wistling and very little chirping. Clearly there was something wrong with the bird so he was taken to a local vet who immediately professed upon seeing him 'I don't know anything about these kind of animals'. Rolling Eyes

Anyway, he was given a vitamin supplement to be added to his water. This seemed to do the trick and within a week or so he was back to full strength and able to be allowed out of the cage again.

Within the last week or so the bird is has started to show similar symptoms, although not as acute. When out of the cage he seems to get very disorientated very quickly when flying and will fly into walls and struggle to make a proper landing. And now literally within the last few minutes he had what I can only describe as a 'fit'.

He fell of his perch and was twitching/shaking lying on his side on the floor of the cage. He seems OK now but is very subdued and quiet which is completely out of character for him.

He is fed a diet of sunflower seeds and various other bird seeds, is treated to scrambled eggs (which he goes crazy for) amongst other things.

The only thing I have noticed recently is that the pet shop we get his sunflower seeds from changed their supplier of the seeds and they now come in a different packaging. Since feeding him on these new seeds he puts nearly everyone of them into his water tray, and will fill the tray up daily necessitating the need for it to be emptied (he is given fresh water daily too). Could this be a clue??

Sorry for the long post by I am very concerned as to welfare of the bird and fear for his health.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Liam.

debbie · Snr Member Joined: Jul 31, 2006 Posts: 71

hi,
just a quick reply about your sick bird GET RID OF THE SUN FLOWER . i have had similar in the past , you can only try it but if you take away the sun flower replace it with some thing like silverbeet or similar . too much sunflow will also make the feathers fall out ,be carefull with that stuff i realy dont like it, to oily ,i only feed a little sunflow in the winter months and none at all in summer as it is to heating
its worth a try.
debbie

Kaka-riki · Site Admin Joined: May 30, 2005 Posts: 363

Hi Liam,

I am concerned that your birds diet sounds very high in fat and low in any nutrional value. Sunflower seeds have very little value and when fed in high amounts can actually do more harm than good. They are high in fat content and very low in vitamin.

If your Kakariki loves sunflower my suggestion would be to sprout the seeds first which reduces the fat content and is less harmful to the bird. I would also broaden the birds diet to include lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. You will find the seed becomes a secondary food supplement as Kakariki much prefer fresh food to seed in the majority of cases.

Do a search on the site and check out the threads on diet. I am sure you will find all the information you need using this resource. Poor diets can have a dramatic effect on the health of any caged bird and Kakariki are no different. Perhaps adding the vitamin supplement in the water again will also help at least in the short term.

Steptoe · Site Admin Joined: Oct 06, 2004 Posts: 4550

Look at a kakariki natural habitat....there are no sunflower, grass type seeds..well very little...it is what we call bush, or subtropical jungle.
leaves , berries, fruit, pine species trees, grubbs, insects.

We have on many occassions had 'resucued' kakatki that have been raised on seed, and maybe the odd veggie matter. It can take weeks to a yr to get these to a good diet.
We do have a cockireil mix, with lower Sunflower content...but as our kakariki are raised with fruit veggies, they eat mainly these.

As the guys above say...go to the diet section...to the left is a quick search block to help u find more detailed info

CTR · New Member Joined: Aug 10, 2006 Posts: 2

Thanks you very much for the replies

I have been saying to my parents for sometime about the diet that our bird is fed on but only after reading this have they now listened!! Rolling Eyes

He is given fresh fruit and vegetables but nowhere near enough IMHO and is obviously having too much cr@p in his diet as some of you have suggested.

The changes to his diet will now take IMMEDIATE effect and I hope that I see a turn around in his general well being soon.

I will keep you informed of 'Berties' progress.

Thanks once again, I appreciate your help in this matter.

MyGully · Snr Member Joined: Jun 22, 2006 Posts: 91

I have to agree with the others, please supplement the birds diet. If you wish get some Pentivite- human baby vitamin drops and give the bird one drop a day for three days and the at least two drops a week (use a different eye dropper- their's is too big). This way you do not have to depend on the amount of vegies the bird eats-. Most birds only eat what Mum ate, so they might not eat the vegies you give them.
Vitamin A deficiency can give some of the symptoms your bird shows. Also did you know that some birds can be allergic to sunflower seeds?? me either until I was told recently by a bird vet. Kathy

debbie · Snr Member Joined: Jul 31, 2006 Posts: 71

gaday,
nice to see people tossing this subject around as i see many birds suffer unessisarily(spelling whoops) due to diet problems. i would of given a thumbs up smiley but i cant get my smilies working.
ps within in that it was said kakas like pines, i have a norflok island pine in my yard is that safe to put in avairys?????
deb

Steptoe · Site Admin Joined: Oct 06, 2004 Posts: 4550

MyGully · Snr Member Joined: Jun 22, 2006 Posts: 91

Hi, I have always read and been told not to give my birds any plant that you know is toxic to humans and to play it safe by giving them trees and plants that bear fruit that you can eat.

BUT there are some plants that are tolerated by you and not birds according to some breeders. Lettuce is bad for budgies.
Avocado is very bad for parrots. Pine needles & berries are bad
below is a good list of the bad things. Hope this helps. Kathy
http://www.birdsnways.com/articles/plntstox.htm

Steptoe · Site Admin Joined: Oct 06, 2004 Posts: 4550

I did not say u can give these to your birds...
I said

MyGully · Snr Member Joined: Jun 22, 2006 Posts: 91

thanks Steptoe, very interesting. You are brave, working with Kak's must be very exciting. I will read more, Kathy

Karen · Snr Member Joined: Nov 12, 2005 Posts: 221

ou know I find it very interesting how different foods can be poisonous to us & fine to animals & vice versa.
I was just saying to my mother tonight how my kak's just love the red hot chillies & it sends them into ecstacy & the one time I just touched a seed from one of these chillies to my tongue had me running to the milk bottle.
Why doesn't this have the same effect on kak's?
I am fascinated by the differences especially considering we are of the same planet & evolved from the same primordial ooze that was the start of this planet!