Forums & Experts

About Ellen K. Cook, D.V.M.
I have been a small animal practitioner since I graduated from Purdue University Veterinary School in 1975. I am the…

Read more »

Ask An Expert: Ellen K. Cook, D.V.M.

Browse by category: Parrot Care, Behaviour and Training, Conservation, Ethics and Welfare, Housing and Environmental Enrichment, General, Health and Nutrition

My 6 year old African Grey seems to have a problem with growing her flight
feathers on one wing.
When I rehomed her 2 years ago she had all her primaries on the left wing
and none on the right. Her first owner informed me that she played so hard
that she frequently knocked out the primaries on this wing.
At her first vet visit (a few days after rehoming) my vet advised to clip
the left wing to keep her balanced while the right wing grew in. Since then
all her primaries are back on the left wing and the primaries on the right
wing have attempted to grow in 4-5 times, only to be knocked out when
playing with her toys and wiping out or spooking and flapping to the
ground.
I have noticed that the primaries (especially the first two) on the right
wing appear ragged when growing in compared to how the left ones come in.
Marnie eats a balanced diet considered excellent by my vet which includes
Harrisons pellets, fruits, veggies, nuts, grains, a cage mix free of
sunflower and peanuts (avian naturals) and sprouts. All of these are a
combination of dried, cooked and fresh. 95% of what she eats is Organic and
that which is not is pesticide, preservative etc free. She is offered a herb
mix (twin beaks aviaries) free fed and a supplement of OptOmega recommended
by my vet.
She get everything except her cooked foods via foraging toys which she
loves using.
She averages 4-12 hours out of the cage on a large playscape every day. Her
cage is 28"X42"X66" with a variety of toys and perches.
Could you please offer any advice as to how to help her grow in her right
primaries without breaking them and have them grow in healthy so that she
may finally regain the flight that she so desperately wants?




Answered by Ellen K. Cook, D.V.M.:

Hi-
First, I must commend you for rehoming Marnie; I know that rehomed parrots take lots of effort, but they repay that many times over! It appears that you are giving Marnie a great diet and a wonderful environment.

Unfortunately, Marnie's situation with breaking blood feathers is not an unusual one in clipped birds when the primaries (the first ten wing feathers) grow out. Normally, primaries usually molt and regrow one at a time; as the new feather regrows, it is supported and protected by the older, mature primary feathers on either side.

There are a couple of things I would recommend to help Marnie:

1. Keep her left wing trimmed while her right wing feathers grow in to keep her more balanced. This may take a year or more, as feathers normally molt every two years.

2. Keep her perches low in her cage and playstand, pad the floor with towels or blankets and put her toys downm low, so that if she does fall, she won;'t go far.

It takes time to resolve this kind of problem, but our parrots will be with us for many, many years, so a year is not that long in the scheme of things. Keep up the good work you have already begun, persistence will pay off!

filed under: Parrot Care

My Question: I bought a pair of rosellas in November 2007. I realised at the time that one of them (the male) had sore feet but I didn't realise the severity of it until I got home. The poor bird had 2 very very sore feet, so sore in fact that he was barely able to perch and was spending most of his time resting his body in the food dish so that he wouldn't have to put pressure on his feet. Previously to this experience two of my own rosellas (pale-headed) had suffered sore feet but I spent weeks treating them with anti-biotic and anti-septic cream and managed to cure them. Obviously I discovered the feet in the early stages. I have been treating this poor bird for six months now and his feet are still not better. They are not nearly as sore and lumpy as they were and he is not in as much pain but something else is needed and I would be grateful if someone couldn't enlighten me as to what is used for pododermatis in birds. The poor bird is so stressed from being picked up 3-4 times per week. I have done a lot of research and have found treatments for rats and other rodents but am afraid that the creams used would not be safe for birds. I have gone to a few small animal vets for advice but none of them are avian trained and are unable to help me. We have no avian vets whatsoever in the republic of Cyprus. Would be so grateful for advice. Gemma Ralph

Answered by Ellen K. Cook, D.V.M.:

Hi Gemma, Pododermatitis can be very difficult to treat. The main problem is that one of the criteria of treatment is to get the bird's weight off his feet, an impossible task for an animal who spends most of his time on his feet! One of the best things you can do for your rosella is to provide clean, soft, padded surfaces for him to perch. The only ointment I recommend using on birds is Silvadene; place a thin layer on any open sores on the feet daily.

There are many various causes for sore feet in parrots and it is impossible to diagnose and prescribe treatment without actually "laying hands" on the bird. While small animal veterinarians may not be skilled at treating birds, they are skilled in the art of practicing medicine. A physical examination has the same elements whether you are dealing with a Rosella or a Rottweiler. Would your small animal veterinarians be willing to examine your bird and consult with an avian veterinarian via phone or email? That would be the best thing you could do. Good luck!

filed under: Parrot Care

I have read a lot about lactose intolerance in parrots, but most of it has just been confusing. I also know many parrots who love cheese (of various kinds), yogurt and milk and consume them in varying amounts. How does one know which milk products contain lactose (apart from writing the manufacturer, which doesn¹t always produce a satisfying answer)? Is lactose really bad for parrots? All parrots? In what amounts? What are the signs of lactose intolerance? Any and all information appreciated, thanks so much, Gina

Answered by Ellen K. Cook, D.V.M.:

Great question, Gina! I haven't met a parrot yet who doesn't love some form of dairy product. However, dairy products are not very compatible with a parrot's digestive tract! When you think of where most parrot species originate, you can understand why they do not digest dairy. Not any milk trees in the rain forests. However, parrots are not 100% lactose intolerant. Very tiny amounts of yogurt or hard cheeses seem to be OK for certain individuals. You can tell if your parrot cannot digest what you give him because he will have diarrhea-the solid portion of his droppings will be runny. This is from Web MD "The most common foods that are high in lactose include dairy products such as milk, ice cream and cheese. Lactose is also added to some foods, such as bread and baked goods, cereals, salad dressings, candies and snacks. Foods that contain whey, curds, milk by-products, dry milk solids and nonfat dry milk also contain lactose."

filed under: Health and Nutrition

My Question: I have a dirty bird (hahaa!). He is an 11 yr old adopted Patagonian Conure named Luther. He stinks. I have two other pattis, and if you've ever been around this species much, you will find that they have a lovely scent that reminds one of sandalwood mixed with jasmine.

Luther's scent is so strong that it's overpowering in comparison. When I adopted him I took him straight to the vet. The vet was surprised to find that Luther is missing most of his choanal pappillae in his pharynx. He said that was indicative of chronic allergies. Luther does have occasional sinus problems & recently went through a course of antibiotics & nasal drops for it. His periorbital eye ring had become swollen and waxy appearing, he was irritable, and did a lot of valsalva maneuvers to pop his ears (appearing as yawning). The reason I mention the sinus problem is because I think they might be related to why he stinks so much. In short, his preening is almost nil. Maybe too much dander? He preens only his tail feathers & they are overpreened to the point that all the ends are frazzled. But the rest of him is fraught with sheaths that have remained on old pin feathers. He is allowing me to help him with removing them now; he's good for about 30 minutes then loses his patience with me. I give him a good soaking bath two to three times a week to promote preening & he's on a Zupreem Original (no color) pelleted diet supplemented with El Paso Nutriberries, dried alfalfa, broccoli, and spinach, and fresh fruits & veggies. He's in a huge corner cage & I take him out daily to interact with him for about an hour.

Luther is an extremely vocal bird & I think a lot of his 'hollering' is because he doesn't feel good. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Answered by Ellen K. Cook, D.V.M.:

Hi Cynthia Jo,

Thanks for the great question...these dirty birds are no joke ;>)) I love the the smell of conures, 'toos, macaws, greys, all parrots! First, I must commend you on adopting Luther, for feeding him an excellent diet, giving him frequent showers and taking him to an avian veterinarian.

The missing choanal papillae could be caused from chronic allergies, infection, or poor diet (seeds). Sinus problems can be very difficult to resolve and may require further diagnostic testing to determine the cause and long-term treatment. What does the odor smell like? Garbage? Something dead? Spoiled fruit? How are Luther's droppings-do they have an odor? How was Luther's sinus infection diagnosed-blood tests? Sinus flush/cytology? X-rays? How long was the course of treatment you gave Luther and did his symptoms competely resolve? You may be correct in that a chronic infection can cause an odor.

If Luther does not preen much, this can add to his "odor" problem. Bathing and preening him should help, so please continue that. One-on-one interaction is wonderful, too. I would suggest delving a bit deeper into diagnostics to try to pinpoint Luther's odor. I hope you get to the bottom of things;>)

filed under: Health and Nutrition

I have a 12 year old African Grey & while we are in, he has free flight around the house. He’s healthy very alert & talkative has a good varied diet. Occasionally he has very watery droppings which seem to gush from him lasts for approx 4 dropping in 30 minutes. This can be repeated for the next day or 2. He shows no sigh of being unwell. My other concern is that VERY occasionally his droppings has a spot of blood in them might be in one isolated dropping but the other day it happened twice consecutively. This has been happening for 2 or 3 years and in total I would say that he has had approx 12 episodes. Again I will stress that he is a very lively active bird, Can someone please reassure me that there is nothing to worry about?

Answered by Ellen K. Cook, D.V.M.:

Hi Pat-

I am happy to hear your AG appears to be healthy in every respect except for his episodes of watery droppings. There are many reasons for the changes in droppings that you have noticed. Causes can vary from normal conditions(change in diet, increased water consumption, etc.) to severe disease.

Animals are excellent at disguising serious health problems until their condition appears to deteriorate suddenly. Birds are masters at camouflaging illness. Has your Grey been examined by a veterinarian experienced in treating birds? I would want to perform a good physical exam, fecal examinations, blood tests and possibly more with a parrot that has a history of episodes of watery droppings lasting a day or more, with occasional blood, like you describe in your bird. I would also ask that you keep a food diary, listing everything your bird eats in a typical day. I would want to know the details of the bird's environment, especially with him flying around the house. Is there anything he might ingest (food, plants, chemicals, etc.) that could trigger these episodes?

Here are a couple of links about droppings:

http://www.wingwise.com/droppings.htm

http://www.oldworldaviaries.com/text/miscellaneous/poop.html

Excellent question, Pat! Thanks for your concern for your bird. Let me know how he does.

filed under: Health and Nutrition

Page 1 of 1 pages