Rhode Island Parrot Rescue

[Navre]

I worked with Marvin, the Mealy, a lot today. He has balance issues, but if you support him he's happy to be out and about. He is sweet to most, but not everyone.

His liver bile something or other tests were normal, and the vet had said that he was a normal weight for a mealy.

His age is unknown. He is open banded. He seems elderly. He has not been sexed, and if I had to guess, based on behavior, I'd say Marvin is a hen.
I suppose it's possible that he backs up into my arm like a presenting hen does because he is trying to balance, but his actions seem hen-like to me. I'm not an expert at all, though, but generally if a bird really likes me, it has turned out to be female.

[Navre]

Squeaky, the little plucked GCC has a potential new family! He will be going, hopefully, to a home with another GCC.

He is doing so much better. He has stopped biting so much, and he still wants a lot of attention.

The adoption procedure has a few more steps, but I've been worried about him and I'll be glad when he gets to a new home, especially one with another GCC.

[liz]

I enjoy reading your posts.

[Pajarita]

Oh, what great news about poor little Squeaky!

As to Marvin, I would like to know whether the results are from a bile acids test or just a normal biochems panel because most vets I know use the biochems only and those are not any good for liver issues. The reason I am saying this is because his overgrown beak and balance issues are both symptoms of liver problems.

[Navre]

I think Marvin's balance issues are because his feet are bad. I guess he was kept in the cage for 20+ years, on a perch that was way too small. He also doesn't flap his wings as much or as soon as most birds seem to for balance. He probably doesn't know he can fly. Maybe he can't at this point. He isn't clipped, but if he was caged for decades, maybe he just doesn't know how.

[Wolf]

Although I don't have as much experience as I would like to have, I don't know of many things other than liver issues that causes a birds beat to grow so much. I have a budgie with liver issues and have to trim his beak on a regular basis.

[liz]

I guess it could be for any illness. If they don't feel good they don't play and chew.

I had a hamster when I was a teenager who's teeth grew too long to eat. Living on a farm it was out of the question to take a hamster to the vet. I found a small pair of wire cutters in my dad's tools. I cleaned them up and used them every week to shorten his teeth so he could eat.

[Pajarita]

Yes, atrophied muscles and tendons in the toes, feet and legs would cause difficulty in perching stability but this is something that is regained in a relatively short period of time - not so with wings which, if they have been atrophied for years, will never get the normal function back.

[Navre]

Our newest grey at the rescue, Hope, has some red feathers on her legs. I took some video, I'll try to upload a screen shot later.

She says, "Is this a talking bird?" when ever someone approaches her cage.
She also spreads her wings and says, "I want a showwwwwwwwwer."

[Navre]

Apparently this video was too big for photo bucket. It cut off the some which it too bad, because the end had Marvin, the Mealy, making his funny noises.

http://vid348.photobucket.com/albums/q3 ... 7F9AE1.mp4