New to the Parrot ownership world!

[seagoatdeb]

Sunny always acts hungry, but his weight is always good, and I weigh twice a week. He gets excited if I am in the kitchen and am making any kind of noise...lol.... i am really lucky right now, mine are both good about getting on the scale...lol I had thought she already had taken the parrot to the vet, but if she feels she should again then by all means i agree, she is the one there that sees how the parrot is.

[Pajarita]

My birds also beg for human food, that's normal. Same as it's normal for a juvenile to eat more than an adult (think teenagers!) but, taking everything into consideration (and that includes the fact that the OP never had the bird vetted and neither did the breeder who rescued and sold it to her), I would say that a complete checkup is in order. What the heck, like I always say: Better safe than sorry!

[seagoatdeb]

My birds also beg for human food, that's normal. Same as it's normal for a juvenile to eat more than an adult (think teenagers!) but, taking everything into consideration (and that includes the fact that the OP never had the bird vetted and neither did the breeder who rescued and sold it to her), I would say that a complete checkup is in order. What the heck, like I always say: Better safe than sorry!

Okay, now I get why you think the parrots needs a vet check, you must have missed where the OP said the parrot had been to the vet. I believe the falling was probaly the newly clipped nails, as long as it only happened once, it doesnt seem like a concern.

[Wolf]

I can not fault either the fact nor your suggestions and this is part of the reason for the course of action that I recommended. I felt that if the money for the vet visit was beyond the OPs means at this point in time that detoxifying the liver as well as improving the diet and trying to keep the birds stress levels down would help until the OP could better afford the vet visit and bile acids test and not my saying that the bird did not need this test done. If there is liver damage then the sooner that it is begun to be treated the better and most of the treatment for it is relatively non toxic, so even if the bile acids test shows that the liver is fine this would not harm the bird.

[Pajarita]

Okay, now I get why you think the parrots needs a vet check, you must have missed where the OP said the parrot had been to the vet. I believe the falling was probaly the newly clipped nails, as long as it only happened once, it doesnt seem like a concern.

No, I did not miss it. I know the bird went to the vet but had no tests done (" I haven't done the X-rays and all the testing yet. I will in a couple months though.") and we all know that a visual exam will tell VERY, VERY little in terms of the bird's actual health. The visit was more for grooming than anything else, apparently.

Wolf, the problem with just giving milk thistle and a better diet is that, if what the bird has is hepatitis, although milk thistle would help with the actual function of the liver, the infection will continue to grow. Same thing with cancer, milk thistle will help but, in cases when it's a distinct tumor(s), surgery is recommended.

[seagoatdeb]

Okay, now I get why you think the parrots needs a vet check, you must have missed where the OP said the parrot had been to the vet. I believe the falling was probaly the newly clipped nails, as long as it only happened once, it doesnt seem like a concern.

No, I did not miss it. I know the bird went to the vet but had no tests done (" I haven't done the X-rays and all the testing yet. I will in a couple months though.") and we all know that a visual exam will tell VERY, VERY little in terms of the bird's actual health. The visit was more for grooming than anything else, apparently.

Wolf, the problem with just giving milk thistle and a better diet is that, if what the bird has is hepatitis, although milk thistle would help with the actual function of the liver, the infection will continue to grow. Same thing with cancer, milk thistle will help but, in cases when it's a distinct tumor(s), surgery is recommended.

She said she was getting tests done in a couple months, she seems to be proceeding the way she should.

[Wolf]

I agree with you especially when it comes to the possibility of cancer, the primary treatment for hepatitis, at least in humans is an injection of B vitamin complex and as far as I can tell this bird is not showing signs of hepatitis. So the improvement in diet should be effective in either stopping or curing any hepatitis and along with the milk thistle to detox the live which helps with the most likely cause of a liver disorder, long enough for the bird to see the vet on a couple of months. It will do nothing at all to help if this were to prove to be a cancer. If it were to be a cancer than every single day could be critical, I agree.
Still going by the listing of symptoms for liver disease given in my avian medical text this bird is actually not showing these symptoms at this time, which could just mean that it has not progressed to the degree needed to show the symptoms. I can not fault what you are saying and am not even trying to do that, I am just trying to help the OP make it through this with the maximum amount of information and options. Not even my doctors jump right to the worst possible scenarios for the things that are going wrong with my body unless there are symptoms to support that type of diagnosis.

[Jesscat]

Hi all:) I am taking Joe to the vet very soon. She is doing very well. I have been taking her outside once or twice a week. Not to much yet because she acts really scared still. She is doing much better when I take her in her cage though. We hope to get another cage soon as well.

We are past the honeymoon stage! She talks SO much! I never would have guessed! She says, "come here", "what are you doing", "pick me up" haha. Some more to but this is everyday now! I gave her raspberries the other day and started freaking out that her foot was bleeding. It wasn't though it was Rasberry! I have been posting different chops on a Facebook page a taking in all advice I can. She had a seed mix I was mixing in the morning just a little. I still do but only a few pieces. She has been very upset when I don't give her very many. I just have been distracting her as much as possible.

I am still afraid of her. She is just crazy enough with her toys that I know she could really get me. It makes me very careful. She knows it and literally laughs at me often! I'm having a blast with this amazing little creature!

I can't remember if I mentioned before but we went camping for 2 days and left her in her cage. My grandma came over 4 times a day with treats and fresh water/food! She seemed mad at first but got over it in 10 min! She loves us:)

Her feathers are looking better!

[Pajarita]

Good news on her feathers and your taking her to the vet soon! Please ask the vet to do a bile acid tests because not all vets do it automatically.

If she is beating up on her toys, she must be overly hormonal because the Senegal hens I've had were the mellowest birds ever (I've never got a single bite from all three of them! - the male, on the other hand, was the bane of my existence for 3.5 years).

Now, when you say you are feeding her chop, are you referring to a food made out of only chopped raw veggies or gloop which has both cooked whole grains and veggies? Because, if it's the former, that's the reason why she is not happy and asks for seeds as the grains would satisfy her 'craving' for seeds.

And, when you say you are still afraid of her, does that mean you don't ever ask her to step up? If not, doesn't she fly to your head or shoulders?

[Jesscat]

Well I prepare all different kinds of food for her. She has whatever veggie we are eating. Lately lots of cantaloupe. I made some chop and posted on a site. It was cooked and uncooked with mango, corn, broccoli, red pepper, and Quiana. I am attempting to make her bird bread today. I gave her uncooked carrots, Brussels sprout leaves, and half a strawberry this morning.

I ask her often to step up and she is literally laughing at me. I have started trying to stick train her from on her cage. She will come rite to my shoulder and fly's to me in the kitchen if I'm not quick enough with meals. She will step up after working a lot with her on the cage. When I get her away from the cage she sits on a chair or shelf. I really need a perch. I'm not sure what kind to get her yet.
I have been taking her outside in her cage. She is getting used to it.

I will ask the vet when I take her. She is talking up a storm as well. I think she thinks she runs me lol. She might still be a male. Sex isn't determined and with her pied it's harder to tell.