Worried

[GreenWing]

Chance is acting quiet. She is eating fine but not as much as usual as she is a big eater. She is a little more spooked lately, things like the vacuum, and flew after squawking for me as I had a shower, just random little things. She breathes heavily as I scoop her up, but this isn't anything new. Tonight she went into her cage herself than on her play perch, she never hangs out in her cage and she isn't talking as much. She is however playing with her toys so this activity is relieving.
Still I'm a little concerned about her. Should I take her to the vet? Her avian vet is currently out of town but on the Association of Avian Vets website I found another vet.

[mmeager]

Hi GreenWing
I wouldn't panic, but I would trust my feelings. Its so hard with birds, they are masters at hiding any illness, which makes it so difficult for us to visually recognize when they are not well. But what we do have on our side is, the fact that we know our birds, we know there every movement! And because we love them so deeply, and spend so much of our time with them, we develop a "second sense" so to speak. Which helps us to recognize immediately when their behaviour changes, even slightly. And that could mean the difference between an easily treated bird, or a very sick bird, or just a normal stage Chance may be going thru.
But the thing is, we don't truly know! So, if you have any feelings of worry or concern, then Yes, listen to that second sense and take your bird to the vet, get some bloods done, worst case scenario you will discover an issue, best case you will have peace of mind. But if I were you, I would be making an appointment.

[Wolf]

Changes in the amount of food that a parrot eats could be a sign that something is not right. I know that if Kookooloo doesn't talk as much as normal that she is not feeling as well as she should. Parrots are creatures of habit, any change in behavior could signal an illness, so I would have her checked by the vet.

[Bird woman]

It is a very useful tool to have a gram scale to keep track of your birds weight , weighing the same time in the mornings before meal as to insure a proper weight log. Also there poop is another great indicator comparing to pictures you can find on line. Remember what you feed will effect the looks of it as well. Your vet can explain the different parts of the poop and what to look for. Just a few tips for things that can keep you proactive in there health and not spending a fortune on false alarms. Talk to your vet about these things, it took me years of reading and learning when I got my first bird. BW

[Michael]

It's a fine line between giving it time to see that it's going on continuously and not a one off. Many people rush to the vet at the first sign of the bird being weird. The problem is that it leaves you nothing to compare to and the vet may need you to wait and see how it goes. On the other hand, problems develop much more quickly in birds so you can't wait long. In most cases of being a bit weird, eating less, no immediate signs of injury or illness, give it 24 hours. This gives you a chance to see if the bird just sleeps it off and everything is back to normal. It also gives you a chance to see if the bird starts eating again or really not eating at all.

One thing to watch out for is vet closure days. Sometimes they may be closing for a weekend and you may have to go in before rather than after. Sorry this is a bit late but in case it helps you or anyone else.

PS here's a scale I sell that is great for any parrot.

[GreenWing]

Thank you, everyone. Chance is acting lively again, playing a lot, eating, and talking.The only thing that worries me a bit is her red tail is not bright in color, it looks dusty. What could this mean, is she not getting enough vitamins? I feed her a varied diet, so this leaves me still worried about my beloved feathered companion.

It's a fine line between giving it time to see that it's going on continuously and not a one off. Many people rush to the vet at the first sign of the bird being weird. The problem is that it leaves you nothing to compare to and the vet may need you to wait and see how it goes. On the other hand, problems develop much more quickly in birds so you can't wait long. In most cases of being a bit weird, eating less, no immediate signs of injury or illness, give it 24 hours. This gives you a chance to see if the bird just sleeps it off and everything is back to normal. It also gives you a chance to see if the bird starts eating again or really not eating at all.

One thing to watch out for is vet closure days. Sometimes they may be closing for a weekend and you may have to go in before rather than after. Sorry this is a bit late but in case it helps you or anyone else.

PS here's a scale I sell that is great for any parrot.

That's so true, I had trouble getting her in to see an avian vet around my work hours. Are her dusty looking tail feathers an immediate concern? She is acting okay now, at least, in behavior/eating/play/talking.

I'm thinking I need to up her vitamin A and D intake.

[Michael]

I never want to discourage someone from going to a vet over a medical concern. But I would say bad plumage s more indicative of long term rather than emergency problems. I would focus on improving the diet (particularly going to pellets if not already) and holding it that way until the next molt. You only get that sort of feedback once a year. Sometimes the bird is just stressed out over other stuff during molt and th feathers pay a toll and there is no nutritional problem.

Or are you saying the feathers are fine but there is something on the surface?