Almost black poop

Horada

New member
Mar 30, 2017
33
0
Australia
Parrots
x2 Male Cockatiels (Born Aug 2016)
Sunny - younger, placid & dominant
Sky - Older, trouble, jealous & chewer

Previously had a male Budgie that lived for 12 years.
This morning Sunny did a really dark green poop which is almost black poop with green urine. It wasn't a lot that came out and was like a splatter instead of a coil.

Diet is rainbow pellets, some seed, corn and broccoli. Sunny drink a lot more water than Sky.

I've since put Sky in a separate cage incase he might get sick from Sunny (But they hate it and want to be together lol).

Fast forward to the end of the day, Sunny has done watery poops with some white but next to no solids.

I'm going to take him to an avian vet in 2 days because it's not open until then. But anyone know what it might mean with his poop?
 

SailBoat

Supporting Member
Jul 10, 2015
17,646
10,008
Western, Michigan
Parrots
DYH Amazon
I am very sorry that your Thread has not been address sooner. Please find attached Segment of the I Love Amazons - ... Thread that addresses the question of colour of the Poop. I hope that it helps!

A Parrot's Droppings Can Be an Early Indicator of Illness

As part of reviewing what should be included as part of this Thread, I had originally elected not to include this Segment guessing that it contained ā€˜knownā€™ information. However, the number of other Threads found in the many Forums regarding this subject has proven me very wrong.

Dr. Harris quickly defines and provides clarity of each Compound of a Parrotā€™s Droppings, in addition to the importance of keeping a watchful eye for any changes from normal.

Enjoy this quick, pointed, and informative document.

Amazon Forums: I Love Amazons - ...
Steven (SailBoat), November 2016


A Parrot's Droppings Can Be an Early Indicator of Illness
Author: Don J. Harris, DVM ā€“ Provided with Permission

Because Parrots are excellent at hiding illness, your Parrotā€™s dropping may be one of the early indicators that your Parrot is sick. There are three components to your Parrotā€™s droppingsā€”the Stool Component, the Urine Component and the Uric Acid Component. Changes in any of the three components should be taken seriously and may indicate your Parrot is sick. Any abnormal signs demand the immediate attention of your Avian Veterinarian.

1. The Stool Component
The Stool comes from the Gastrointestinal Tract and is usually a greenish rope or blob. This portion of the Parrotā€™s droppings is highly influenced by the Parrotā€™s diet and can radically vary with a change in diet. For example, beets can make the Stools red, while blueberries may turn the Stools purple. Colorants in some commercial diets can also change the color of the Stools. Color changes are often irrelevant, but Parrot owners should be concerned if the Stools become black or have a strong or unusual odor.

2. The Urine Component
Your Parrotā€™s kidneys produce the relatively clear, watery Urine portion. The water content of the foods your Parrot eats directly influences the amount of water in your Parrotā€™s droppings. Wet Stools, however, should become drier with dry foods. Large amounts of water persistently present in the droppings could be a sign of serious disease and you should consult your Avian Veterinarian.

3. The Uric Acid Component
The white/cream colored Uric Acid portion of your birdā€™s droppings is a very important indicator of health. This part of the droppings should without exception be white or near white in color. Changes to lime green, bright yellow, mustard brown, pale brown and brick red are common signs of very serious illness. Any change from normal should be investigated immediately.

Establish a normal benchmark in your Parrot by observing and keeping a record of the number, volume, color and consistency of your Parrotā€™s droppings. This can be very helpful later if you notice a change.
 

Sunnyclover

New member
Jan 11, 2017
1,646
43
New Jersey
Parrots
Sun Conure - Ollie- Hatched 08/18/16*

Nanday Conure -Finley- Hatched 10/07/17*

Turquoise Yellow Sided Green Cheek Conure -Paris- Hatched 03/03/18*

Black Capped Conure -North- Hatched 10/10/18
When did this happen did Sunny have blueberries? After Ollie has blueberries (which are his favorite) he has black poops for about 3 hours or so. It could be a color of food Sunny is eating. I have talked to the vet about it before and it's normal. Hope this helps!
 

Scott

Supporting Member
Aug 21, 2010
32,673
9,789
San Diego, California USA, Earth, Milky Way Galaxy
Parrots
Goffins: Gabby, Abby, Squeaky, Peanut, Popcorn / Citron: Alice / Eclectus: Angel /Timneh Grey: ET / Blue Fronted Amazon: Gonzo /

RIP Gandalf and Big Bird, you are missed.
Any updates pending the vet visit? An isolated unusual dropping may be the result of a specific food (like blueberries, pomegranates, etc) but prolonged examples may be a sign of illness. Good idea to isolate Sunny and keep him warm with lots of rest.

I'm guessing by now you have one day or less until the vet is available. Hope all is well, please update us when you are able.!
 
OP
Horada

Horada

New member
Mar 30, 2017
33
0
Australia
Parrots
x2 Male Cockatiels (Born Aug 2016)
Sunny - younger, placid & dominant
Sky - Older, trouble, jealous & chewer

Previously had a male Budgie that lived for 12 years.
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #5
When did this happen did Sunny have blueberries? After Ollie has blueberries (which are his favorite) he has black poops for about 3 hours or so. It could be a color of food Sunny is eating. I have talked to the vet about it before and it's normal. Hope this helps!

No, he's never had blueberries (I can't get them to try to eat other fruit/veg that isn't broccoli or corn somehow). The rainbow pellets wouldn't make it black either.

Any updates pending the vet visit? An isolated unusual dropping may be the result of a specific food (like blueberries, pomegranates, etc) but prolonged examples may be a sign of illness. Good idea to isolate Sunny and keep him warm with lots of rest.

I'm guessing by now you have one day or less until the vet is available. Hope all is well, please update us when you are able.!

I am aware certain foods change the colour of their poop and I know black poop can be a worry. The vet will be open tomorrow (shut from the weekend and public holidays) so hopefully they'll have availability then.

Sunny has been eating but not much solids have come out, it's mostly urine. Even this morning his "wake up" poop was a small black flat pancake with the white & clear urine. (Unrelated, sky pooped a bucket load after waking up lol so he's fine, like the usual piggy he is)

Sunny has also lost 6 grams since march, weighing 80g now and he's supposed to be big for a tiel - the vet pointed that out in his first vet visit.

Sky's more vocal about being separated - he's been climbing all around the cage and avoiding to go back in the cage to try and get to Sunny. I ended up sitting with him last night til he was sleepy and moved the cage in another room so he'd calm down and sleep. I put the cages side by side again before I went to work or else they would just call each other for the entire day.

If I have one out they immediately fly back to the cage to be closer to the other one and start calling for each other (Which gets really loud)
 

EllenD

New member
Aug 20, 2016
3,979
65
State College, PA
Parrots
Senegal Parrot named "Kane"; Yellow-Sided Green Cheek Conure named "Bowie"; Blue Quaker Parrot named "Lita Ford"; Cockatiel named "Duff"; 8 American/English Budgie Hybrids; Ringneck Dove named "Dylan"
How is Sunny today? I just read through this post and I'm sure you understand the implications of a bird passing black colored stools. You mentioned that Sunny has been eating normally yet since he passed the black colored stool he has only passed urine/uric acid and no solid droppings...Has he passed any solid brown or green droppings yet, like this morning? Or how about more black colored stool? Was that single black stool the only black stool he has passed? I hope you've got him at an avian vet now as you said you were going to do, and that you'll let us know what the avian vet did as far as tests he ran, and what he said the problem is, as well as any medications he prescribed...

I understand that your birds are having some separation anxiety and are calling to each other constantly, but please use some common sense here and keep Sunny isolated and all other birds you have in totally separate rooms from Sunny!!! You don't know what's wrong with him or whether or not he has a parasite or a bacterial or fungal infection, all of which would be very contagious to any other birds in the same room as him, especially if you put your other bird's cages next to Sunny's cage! Just because your other birds have yet to show any signs or symptoms of illness does not mean that they haven't contracted a parasite or an infection from Sunny, or thatthat's won't now that you put their cages back together in the same room (and right next to each other to boot)! Birds hide all signs and symptoms of illness and pain for as long as they possibly can, it's instinctual. By the time they actually show ANY signs of being ill they have actually been sick for quite some time, and this makes them much more difficult to treat because the infections or parasites have aggressively progressed in the meantime!

Please, separate all other birds from Sunny! He needs to be in a completely separate room from any and all other birds until he either has cultures, parasite checks, and a fecal smear done and they all come back negative, or if the avian vet diagnoses Sunny with a bacterial or fungal infection or with a parasitic infection and puts him on antibiotics, antifungals, antiparasitics, etc. he should be separated from any and all other birds (TOTALLY DIFFERENT ROOM!) until he finishes ALL of his medications and has a follow-up fecal smear, culture, etc. and it comes back negative! LET YOUR BIRDS SCREAM! LET THEM CONTACT CALL! IT'S BETTER THAN THEM ALL GETTING SICK!

I may sound forceful or harsh about separating your birds from Sunny until you absolutely know that he's 100% healthy and negative for infections and parasites, but you'll thank me if none of your other birds become sick...Or worse.

I find that a lot of people, in fact the majority of people who either bring home a new bird into their current flock, or people who have multiple birds in their home and one of their birds starts to show signs and symptoms of illness refuse to practice proper quarantining techniques! I have no idea why it's so difficult or such a big deal for people to separate a sick or POTENTIALLY SICK bird from all of their other birds, or why they just simply cannot wait 30 days to introduce a new bird they've brought home to their current birds, especially when it could very well mean losing ALL of their birds if they don't! It's a no-brainer, so what if they are contact calling each other all day long, wouldn't you rather they were screaming all day long than dead?


"Dance like nobody's watching..."
 
OP
Horada

Horada

New member
Mar 30, 2017
33
0
Australia
Parrots
x2 Male Cockatiels (Born Aug 2016)
Sunny - younger, placid & dominant
Sky - Older, trouble, jealous & chewer

Previously had a male Budgie that lived for 12 years.
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #8
How is Sunny today? I just read through this post and I'm sure you understand the implications of a bird passing black colored stools. You mentioned that Sunny has been eating normally yet since he passed the black colored stool he has only passed urine/uric acid and no solid droppings...Has he passed any solid brown or green droppings yet, like this morning? Or how about more black colored stool? ..... Please, separate all other birds from Sunny! He needs to be in a completely separate room from any and all other birds...

Sunny went to the vet today, he's had normal poops today and some of when I got back from work yesterday. I haven't seen them black again today.

The vet said he's gotten leaner than his first visit (About Oct 2016) and his chest muscles have gone down a grade. He's leaner than he should be and lost weight since the vet first weighed him.

He said he doesn't think it's contagious or else Sky would have it already and Sky hasn't been affected.

He didn't mention seeing anything in the poop smear (Which was a normal colour), he did a physical check and I'll find out the blood test results in the morning.

Sunny sat on me while he got the blood test needle ready and the vet noticed how he looked a little unwell because he was puffed up a little.

Also I was not aware to have then in separate rooms if one is contagious, I just knew separate cages.
 

Scott

Supporting Member
Aug 21, 2010
32,673
9,789
San Diego, California USA, Earth, Milky Way Galaxy
Parrots
Goffins: Gabby, Abby, Squeaky, Peanut, Popcorn / Citron: Alice / Eclectus: Angel /Timneh Grey: ET / Blue Fronted Amazon: Gonzo /

RIP Gandalf and Big Bird, you are missed.
Thanks for the update! Let's hope the blood panel gives some constructive clues!
 
OP
Horada

Horada

New member
Mar 30, 2017
33
0
Australia
Parrots
x2 Male Cockatiels (Born Aug 2016)
Sunny - younger, placid & dominant
Sky - Older, trouble, jealous & chewer

Previously had a male Budgie that lived for 12 years.
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #11
Lets hope that the Blood Tests provide some clarity one way or the other! Best Wishes!

Thanks for the update! Let's hope the blood panel gives some constructive clues!

The vet said the blood test results are a little worse than his first visit. He's not anemic, but is deficient in calcium and protein. (We do have cuttle fish and a bell in the cage). The blood count was ok.

The black poop may of been caused by the kidneys or a bird heath thing which I don't know how spell the name of but it would explain why he drinks a lot of water and the poop.

The vet wanted to do a follow up blood test in 3 weeks to see if there is any changes but doesn't think its life threatening.

Sunny shat up a storm this morning lol was a small pancake, normal colour though
 

Scott

Supporting Member
Aug 21, 2010
32,673
9,789
San Diego, California USA, Earth, Milky Way Galaxy
Parrots
Goffins: Gabby, Abby, Squeaky, Peanut, Popcorn / Citron: Alice / Eclectus: Angel /Timneh Grey: ET / Blue Fronted Amazon: Gonzo /

RIP Gandalf and Big Bird, you are missed.
Did the vet give you some guidance to help with the calcium and protein deficiencies?
 
OP
Horada

Horada

New member
Mar 30, 2017
33
0
Australia
Parrots
x2 Male Cockatiels (Born Aug 2016)
Sunny - younger, placid & dominant
Sky - Older, trouble, jealous & chewer

Previously had a male Budgie that lived for 12 years.
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #13
Did the vet give you some guidance to help with the calcium and protein deficiencies?

He didn't actually. But I only know the bell and cuttle fish has calcium he can eat.
 
OP
Horada

Horada

New member
Mar 30, 2017
33
0
Australia
Parrots
x2 Male Cockatiels (Born Aug 2016)
Sunny - younger, placid & dominant
Sky - Older, trouble, jealous & chewer

Previously had a male Budgie that lived for 12 years.
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #14
UPDATE:

Sunny went to the vet again yesterday. There were parasites found in his poop and I'm now giving him ā€‹and Sky medicine for the next 7 days.

The bottle says "Give 0.1ML to the beak twice a day..." - I find the wording amusing.

The vet mentioned that new information has found there may be healthy parasites to its species. After captive pidgeons had some and weren't harmful but if they had the wild pigeon parasites they were harmful.

Anyway, the blood test came back today as the very last numbers in the low range that's still acceptable. The vet mentioned he may have liver disease but it's very hard to diagnose in young animals so it may not be related. He said we'll just have to see in his annual checkup.
 

adz1984

New member
Dec 4, 2016
269
0
Australia
Parrots
Alexandrine (Bella) RB2 (Unammed)
Looks like your persistence paid off and you caught something! I would offer the meds on a spoon and see if they would just lick it up, 0.1ml isn't very much and who knows they could like the taste and see it as a treat, if not maybe add another 0.1ml of natural juice.. much better than trying to force the meds down.
 
OP
Horada

Horada

New member
Mar 30, 2017
33
0
Australia
Parrots
x2 Male Cockatiels (Born Aug 2016)
Sunny - younger, placid & dominant
Sky - Older, trouble, jealous & chewer

Previously had a male Budgie that lived for 12 years.
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #16
Looks like your persistence paid off and you caught something! I would offer the meds on a spoon and see if they would just lick it up, 0.1ml isn't very much and who knows they could like the taste and see it as a treat, if not maybe add another 0.1ml of natural juice.. much better than trying to force the meds down.

I never thought of that, I was just doing what the vet said for me to do which was to hold them and syringe it in their mouth - behind the tongue - and then reward them after with seed.

I couldn't imagine them actually liking it since the vet said they normally hate it. Unless sunny is actually a freak and seems to like it - vet's words when I mentioned he seemed to like it since he was licking the syringe after.

Sky doesn't like it, he was trying to block the syringe with his tongue this morning lol. I just have to do it until Wednesday, hopefully they won't completely hate me by then. I'll just keep bribing with food.
 
Last edited:

Scott

Supporting Member
Aug 21, 2010
32,673
9,789
San Diego, California USA, Earth, Milky Way Galaxy
Parrots
Goffins: Gabby, Abby, Squeaky, Peanut, Popcorn / Citron: Alice / Eclectus: Angel /Timneh Grey: ET / Blue Fronted Amazon: Gonzo /

RIP Gandalf and Big Bird, you are missed.
Good heavens, liver disease? Definitely keep a close watch. Some members have used a specific liquid aloe as liver detox and swear by the results. You'd first want confirmation, and determine whether your vet believes in homeopathic meds as companion to traditional.
 
OP
Horada

Horada

New member
Mar 30, 2017
33
0
Australia
Parrots
x2 Male Cockatiels (Born Aug 2016)
Sunny - younger, placid & dominant
Sky - Older, trouble, jealous & chewer

Previously had a male Budgie that lived for 12 years.
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #18
Good heavens, liver disease? Definitely keep a close watch. Some members have used a specific liquid aloe as liver detox and swear by the results. You'd first want confirmation, and determine whether your vet believes in homeopathic meds as companion to traditional.

I hope he doesn't have liver disease, the vet only mentioned overgrown beak & nails as symptoms. I'm happy to give him whatever if he ended u getting diagnosed with it so it'd help him. I haven't heard of the aloe detox before though.

At the moment he seems alright, he's a little chattier than normal - he's mostly quiet. He's a lean little birdie but he's put a little weight on (4g or so).
 

Most Reactions

Latest posts

Top