Thanks for helping

[sarahof]

We just feed him pellets, he eats them sometimes but I'm not sure he's eating enough. He eats millet just fine though- goes crazy with the noise whenever we take him out. The vet and breeder never said anything about soft food.

Whenever I'm home he is out the whole time- I think my mom has him out quite a bit when I'm at school too.

[Wolf]

He is not getting enough nutrition and is malnourished and if he is not eating enough of the pellets then he is also hungry. Try soaking the pellets in unsweetened apple juice and see if he eats better.

I am not surprised that the breeder did not tell you anything as that is very common, but I am surprised about the vet, did you talk to the vet about how the bird was acting or about the birds diet at all?

As much as I would like to say that you bird is getting enough time out of his cage and that he is also getting enough personal attention all that you have told me is that he is out whenever you are home, but I am sorry, but I do not have any idea of when you are home or how many minutes or hours that may be. Thinking that your mom is spending time with him when you are gone also does not give me anything time wise that I can use. It does not tell me how many hours of out of cage time the bird has nor how much of that time is spent in personal interaction with your bird.

Please don't be offended, but the only reason that I am on the forum is to try and help improve the lives of these wonderful birds, when I don't know an answer I start researching the situation until I can give an answer that will be useful to you in making your bird happier and healthier. I do not get paid to do any of this, I do it simply because I care. You are my only window into the world of your bird, you are my eyes and ears into the world that your bird experiences and the only means I have of knowing what he does or what happens to him. I really do appreciate that you are giving me the opportunity to try to help you with you precious bird/friend, but if I am to be of benefit to you both I really need accurate answers to the questions that I ask, otherwise I am just guessing, which seems to me to be of very little value.

[sarahof]

Sorry, . This weekend was a three day weekend and I never left the house, so he was out all day all three days. I leave for school at 6 AM and get home at around 4:30 - 5:00 PM, depending on traffic. I get home around 7 on Thurday though. I will definetly try the applejuice thing, but because I don't have any unsweetened applejuice and my mom would think I'm being paranoid if I ask for it, could I use water? We took him to the vet when we first got him last Sunday so we didn't know much about how he would act now.

Thanks for the response though, I've been constantly stressed out and worried about him no one we know has any birds so this is the only place I can ask so far

[Chantilly]

Sorry, . This weekend was a three day weekend and I never left the house, so he was out all day all three days. I leave for school at 6 AM and get home at around 4:30 - 5:00 PM, depending on traffic. I get home around 7 on Thurday though. I will definetly try the applejuice thing, but because I don't have any unsweetened applejuice and my mom would think I'm being paranoid if I ask for it, could I use water? We took him to the vet when we first got him last Sunday so we didn't know much about how he would act now.

Thanks for the response though, I've been constantly stressed out and worried about him no one we know has any birds so this is the only place I can ask so far

To soften it up for him for now atleast yes, but If you can get your hands on apple juice I am sure he would love it.

[liz]

Sorry, . This weekend was a three day weekend and I never left the house, so he was out all day all three days. I leave for school at 6 AM and get home at around 4:30 - 5:00 PM, depending on traffic. I get home around 7 on Thurday though. I will definetly try the applejuice thing, but because I don't have any unsweetened applejuice and my mom would think I'm being paranoid if I ask for it, could I use water? We took him to the vet when we first got him last Sunday so we didn't know much about how he would act now.

Thanks for the response though, I've been constantly stressed out and worried about him no one we know has any birds so this is the only place I can ask so far

Your Momma knows how much the bird means to you and will get you unsweetened juice. I give mine a bowl of juice at least once a week and they love it. A blender will turn any fruit or veg into apple saws and etc. My Amazons love grapes but I cut them in two for the cockatiels.

[Wolf]

Well, I suppose that you need to explain to your mom that you are getting information from here on this forum and perhaps show it to her so that she can see for herself what this forum is all about. We don't want her to think that any of this is due to any sort of panic attack. Did you read the list in the link that I gave you? It is a very important list and comes in very useful, I know that with 7 birds of my own that I use it quite a bit.

Yes you can soak the pellets in water but unsweetened fruit juice would be better for him. You can also soak a little bit of whole wheat bread in fruit juice for him. At this point in time the two most important things that you can do with your bird is to improve his diet and to reassure him and win his trust. I know about when you get home so that you can spend time with him, but I still do not know how much time you spend with him. I understand that you don't know very much about your bird and that the place that you got him is of no help and that you are concerned about him, but you really need to slow down and read the questions and give us the information that we are asking for if we are going to be able to do much good for you and your bird. Have you named him yet? When you get home and have you friend out what do you do with him? What time do you put him to bed? What fruits and raw vegetables do you normally have in the house that we can start using to improve his diet with? Don't worry about how to get him to eat them just yet, because we will help you with that.
If you live in the USA, what state do you live in? This is just so that we can figure out what type of resources are available for you and your bird as well as what the climate is where you live.

[sarahof]

It's too late. He died. I'm never getting another bird again- I don't want to replace him. I feel like a part of myself is dead. I spent countless hours with him, I tried everything- force feeding-feeding it, baking bird treats, the water/applejuice thing. It's all because the vet said it was fine to feed him pellets- he starved. It's my fault- I knew something was wrong. We even spent hundreds of dollars on the bird er. I've wanted a bird for years and it's the only thing I've ever asked for for Christmas- you have no idea how ecstatic I was when I first held him, I actually started crying. He was only a baby.

I'm never going to stop crying, I actually feel like I'm going to throw up

Please pray for him/her in heaven

I'm probably never coming b.ack here so thanks for trying to help.




Okay I did throw up

[Wolf]

I am so sorry for this loss of your baby, I know how you feel at this time, but do not blame yourself, you tried to save him. There are so many things that can go wrong with these birds and it is not easy to raise them and keep them healthy. This was very likely a genetic problem that no one could have foreseen and it happens far more often than it should. I know that none of this will make you feel any better at this time, but although it does feel like it, it is not the end of the world. I wish that I could help you to feel better but only time is going to heal this kind of hurt.