Update on Sadie the Sennie

[Brittanyv326]

So I was thinking about it, and I only post when something bad that I need help with is going on. Which now is not too often! And that's good, but I still wanna be a part of the parrot forum

Sadie is telling me that I take too many pictures of her. I got the new Droid with a pretty good camera, and it does a little *beep beep* for auto focus before it clicks for the shutter. Every time Sadie hears that *beep beep* now, she does the shutter click! It's so cute!

And every time I kiss Bonnie (our dog), Sadie does the kiss noise right before I do! She's adorable, and I always gotta go kiss her too after that.

More cool stuff: we've discovered that Sadie is only super aggressive towards the world minus me when they try to pick her up or touch her from her cage, playstand, or myself. I can put her down somewhere and she'll let anyone pick her up and she will be pretty good for a while and even allow petting. So that's really encouraging and I'm very happy about it.

Anyways, here's the pictures I've taken. They never turn out as good as everyone else's pictures do, she really is more beautiful than my cameras can capture!
Sorry about the ones that are cut off.. forgot about the limit... woops!



















Homemade toy:

[entrancedbymyGCC]

You got some good shots!

Here's some photography advice that's worth what you paid for it... if you are using a point and shoot (phone included) you'll do best putting the bird smack in the middle and then cropping the photo later. Get as close in as you reasonably can. Try to avoid bright backgrounds, most simple cameras won't handle that too well.

Gee, I need to take more pix!

[Munchy]

She's adorable.

[Brittanyv326]

Thanks guys! and I'll have to use those tips. Having her makes me want to get one of those incredible cameras that really can focus and show you each and every feather in its perfection lol.

[Brittanyv326]

Sadie has gotten all of her flight feathers and learned how to fly on command very easily. "Back to Perch" was a little tougher but she still picked it up easily. The problem we're having is that she spooks VERY easily. I thought she was desensitized to a lot of sounds, but she freaks and flies probably a few times a week. I am dog and house sitting this week (I brought Sadie) and the dogs started barking while she was out on her perch and she took off... She flew across the house, navigated walls and corners like a pro as I'm hopelessly chasing.. and then into the sliding glass door. We have one at home and have gotten decals for them and she's only run into it once since, but here I figured since it was across the house - no worries! But yeah.. So I picked her up and she seemed fine, just spooked still. I started rubbing her face and down fell feather after feather. The little gray ones right by her ear. As I tried to investigate, more feathers fell.. Probably about a dozen little ones!!! She is still molting some, but this seems highly unusual! Her face looks pretty bad now. We are going on our annual camping trip next weekend and I don't want to worry about her while she's at the bird sitter.. Is this normal? Or should I take her to the vet before I go?? I have one okay picture of it. And Sadie's flight videos. Also, if Michael is reading, I saw you on America's Got Talent! I'm sorry Kili froze up, we all know she's amazing though! If she wouldn't have I bet you would have made it!


http://www.youtube.com/user/brittanyv32 ... blyFU3HT7k
http://www.youtube.com/user/brittanyv32 ... e0wGzEYopU

[Michael]

When parrots get in panic mode, feathers become loose and fall out if you touch them. Never happened on Kili but I learned this the hard way on Truman. Sadie will need to learn not to be scared of things with time. Try to make a "safe prech" or cage top always available to return to in times of fright rather than aimless flying.

[Brittanyv326]

I had no idea that they fell out when they're in panic mode, that's good to know. I took her to the vet today. I cried because apparently I haven't been doing as much as I should! And watching her struggle and scream is so sad. They buffed her beak and said that needs to be done every 6 months - which I had no idea, I thought they just buffed them on their perches. She looks beautiful now though! The tissue near her ear where the feathers were falling out is swollen, they prescribed an anti-inflammatory for that. She said by looking at her throat, she can tell that Sadie needs more sunlight. So we bought a sunlight supplement and I need to do research on the bulbs. We have an offer in on a house, we'll be moving probably in a month or so, and at that point, I'm getting her an outdoor cage since we'll have a much larger porch and she'll be out daily. We also did the CBC test and the gram stain and they said they'd call tomorrow to let us know the results. She gained 6 grams since her last visit, which the vet said was probably muscle from having flight now. I feel like such a slacking, bad owner about the beak, nails, and sunlight. She also made a comment about having her flighted, "You wanna take that risk?".. But honestly, at home she doesn't get spooked as easily and she knows our sliders are glass.. and she has her stand to go back to, which she does use. I know that Truman got injured, and you still believe the benefits outweigh the risks of flight. But if Sadie got injured worse than she has, I don't know if I could keep her flighted, I'd be nervous because this was so upsetting. It's going to be hard to transition into the new house and she'll be getting spooked a lot more, the house is twice the size, with many new sounds and smells and sights. I'm a bit concerned about that.

Also, another thing I learned is that the concrete perches cause a foot disease and she said if you ever have them, just keep them vertical for the bird to rub their beak on, but don't ever have them horizontal. For the nails, she said clip them every 4-6 weeks. This is surprising because the lady I got Sadie from recommended them and she's very parrot knowledgeable.

What a visit! So glad we took her in though, really. I think our bird sitter is probably going to not want to watch her again though - she normally doesn't do medications (and she has to for Sadie) and all of her birds are clipped and she has indirectly told me I shouldn't have Sadie flighted. The good thing is, I think we got that training right (thanks, Michael for all the videos & info) because Sadie is not out of control with the flight, she only flies on command or when she's spooked. Sometimes when we're eating, too, but not all the time. She doesn't run into anything at home.

Thank goodness my baby is okay, though! Easy fixes for everything.

[zazanomore]

Don't beat yourself up about it.

You took her to the vet and had her checked up. That's a lot more than most owners do.

[Brittanyv326]

Thank you. I know there was a discussion somewhere sometime ago about how annual vet visits may not be worth it, but with everything we learned this time, I think that it's definitely worth the exam cost of $57, although all of Sadie's tests and medications added up to be $191. And that's STILL worth it! Any amount is worth knowing she's healthy, and hopefully we'll go in and have nothing be wrong next year.