TheTameParrot.com - Say “BYE” To Your Parrot Problems

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When people call me looking for a new bird, I ask them if this is their first bird. If it is, then I will try to educate them on the importance of proper bird care and the long term commitment that they require. Since some birds can live past 56 years, you will need to make sure that it is the kind of pet you are really looking for. Here are some pointers you should check out before investing in a new bird.

Get a young bird. It is best to get a very young bird. Training will be easier on both of you. I really believe it is better to purchase your bird from a breeder. There are good and bad breeders, so you need to do some research. Ask local vets if they know any reputable breeders. Visit them and see how well they care for the birds. If the place the birds are raised is an unhealthy mess, that’s a good clue to walk away.

>>In my e-book “The Easy Parrot System”, I talk about the questions you should ask your breeder and what precautions you should take. Get hold of the e-book from: http://www.TheTameParrot.com/The-Easy-Parrot-System/

Let the bird pick you! No joke! If you pick out a bird that you like, it doesn’t mean it will like you. There is nothing worse then getting a bird that dislikes you. Birds have personalities! They pick out people they like and they may be aggressive or shy away from someone they don’t like.

Always have your bird vet-checked at least once a year. It’s amazing how folks have their car checked out regularly, but totally ignore their bird! Since birds are very good at hiding when they are sick, you may not notice it until it’s too late. Learn how to identify the signs that they are not feeling well.

Be sure you get the proper size cage. It should be large enough for your bird to get some exercise their wings. It must have enough perch space. Watch the bar spacing and door openings. Birds will get their heads caught between the bars if too wide.

Birds love to play with toys! Load up on lots of them. Stay away from rope and cloths toys that will easily become frayed and get tangled around feet and toes.

Large birds like to chew. Unless you want to replace wooden perches every other week, get some wooden blocks. Hang them on chains and the birds will love them! If your birds are allowed out of the cage, they must be closely supervised. Wooden windowsills, furniture, and cabinets are their favorite treats!

Keep your bird’s wings clipped. If you are going to have it for a pet you don’t want him finding out what a ceiling fan feels like. It’s not uncommon for a bird to get out of its cage and fly out an open door or window. If a bird gets loose out side you may never get it back. (We have had it happen to us before.) Other dangers are flying into windows or into the kitchen where you are cooking on hot stoves. We have had some close calls there too. There are pros and cons about wing clipping, but our birds have to be clipped. I am not taking any chances on loosing one again.

Pay attention to your bird’s eating habits and behavior. Watch for changes. When a bird gets sick, they have a tendency to hide their illnesses. But the time the bird shows that it is sick, it may be too late to get it medical help.

It is important that you carry info on you that would tell an emergency official that you have a bird or birds at home that needs some one to check on them. It would be terrible to be in a bad accident and no one knows you have pets at home depending on you.

You should always have arrangements made for someone to take are care for your bird should you die. It isn’t a pleasant thought but remember that bigger birds have a long life span, and you want to make sure that you do have someone who will.

>>Check out my ebook at http://www.TheTameParrot.com/cb/ - I believe every parrot owner should have a copy of this. Learn more about getting the perfect bird to fit into your home in “The Easy Parrot System”- What Every Bird Owner Must Know

If you have read any of my articles, you will find one thing that I constantly say - Most problems that develop with birds can be directly traced to a poor diet. It’s no different than with humans. Too much of one food type and not enough of another will always result in health problems.

You know this! You were taught this in school! They drilled that silly pyramid food chain nonsense into your head right from kindergarten! But it never occurs to you to apply this logic to your pet birds!

Birds have the same nutritional requirements as humans. And if you feed your bird that way, you will never have problems.

THE EVILS OF AN ALL-SEED DIET

One of my recent bird rescues involved a pair of Blue Front Amazons. The owner had been put into hospital, and from there she would be going into a nursing home. The family was at a loss of what to do with the birds. They knew this was a proven pair of breeders that regularly produced babies, so they thought they would give it a try. They kept the birds for several months and did what any uneducated bird owners would do…give it an all-seed bird diet. It was quick and easy, and didn’t cost them much money!

As time went by, the bird’s attitude changed. They became less active, and never did lay any eggs. It became a burden on them to keep unproductive birds, so they turned them over to us.

My wife is the medical expert of our aviary, and immediately noticed the signs of a sick bird. Black tips on the feathers, no energy, some respiratory problems, and a low body weight.

One of the most common diet related diseases in birds (especially Amazons) is hypovitaminosis A, or Vitamin A deficiency. This is mainly caused by a poor diet, especially if the only food the bird gets is seed. Bird seed only has a trace of Vitamin A in it, making it a terrible diet.

Birds that develop ‘hypovitaminosis A’ develop a variety of health problems, especially a much lower immune system, and poor reproduction. As the disease develops, the bird will show countless sighs of illness.

I knew right away what the problem with our rescued Amazons was…..now all we had to do was move fast to cure it.

Dianna is is a Blue Front Amazon with low body weight caused by a Vitamin A deficiency.

Analissa is a Double Yellow Head Amazon she came to me with a severe Vitamin A deficiency and had E-coli infection. Most of her feathers were black tipped and the feathers on top of her head were suppose to be yellow

You can see from the photo the black coloring on the front of her head.

This photo was taken of her about 6 months after medical treatment and a change in her diet.

A BIT MORE BACKGROUND

Body chemistry is a very complicate thing….it is a very delicate balance of minerals and vitamins, and they all work together. Calcium and Vitamin D are both needed for proper digestion. It is much the same with Vitamin A…a protein-deficient diet will effect the bird by inhibiting its ability to absorb Vitamin A. Again, a balanced diet is important.

If caught early, this disease is easy to cure. In its later stages, long term medical care may be needed. So it’s important to be able to identify the symptoms in their early stages. One of the easiest signs to see is poor feather color. In Amazons, this will show up as a darkening of the tips of the feathers. Hypovitaminosis A will have a lot of effects on the respiratory system, so look for sneezing, wheezing, or nasal discharge that will become crusted and plug the nostrils. The bird will begin to lose energy and may become a bit lethargic. He will slow his eating and begin to lose weight. In the later stages you will notice a foul smelling breath, and patches of white in the mouth.

TREATMENT

If you begin to see these signs, take your bird to a vet. He will do a simple CBC Blood test that will quickly identify the deficiency, and will give you some additional advice on how to proceed. NEVER treat your bird with human vitamins or medications without first consulting your vet.

You must change the bird’s diet and begin to include foods rich in beta carotene. Some of the best sources for this are any carrots (especially carrot juice), canned pumpkin, sweet potatoes, kale and spinach. Dandelion greens are another excellent source. Keep these foods in their cage along with their other diet, and encourage them to eat it.

There is a product on the market called Sirulina. This is readily available on line, and in some of the better pet stores and health food stores. Spirulina is an edible blue-green microalgae sold as a dry powder. It is rich in Vitamin B12, and has 20 times more Vitamin A then carrots. Feed this to your bird for 3 weeks, and you will begin to notice a dramatic effect.

The long term treatment is to ensure your bird has proper nutrition. If you can’t adjust its diet, begin to feed it a good vitamin mix. Pay attention to the label and make sure it has a good amount of Vitamin A. I am particularly fond of Nekton-S, but any good mix will do. Lafeber has a good multi-vitamin mix that is not that expensive and will do the job.

Don’t forget that sunlight is also an important part of the bird’s treatment. Try to give the bird a few hours a day in front of the window. A much better method would be to purchase a bird lamp with a full spectrum light, and allow the bird to get 12 hours of this light per day.

Do you have any super-secret bird recipes that you’d like to share? Or have any questions on your bird diet? Please post your questions, feedbacks and comments below. Thank you!