changed droppings

My sulfur crested cockatoo has changed droppings, this has gone from the normal looking droppings to a dropping of the size of a galahs egg or big as a garden snail.
These are white/yellow mustard colour and a thichened cream mixture.
This bird has been our pet for 26 years and has the run of our yard while I am home and is out for about five hours each day Saturdays and Sundays and about one hour week days.
I have noticed no discharge from nose holes, no staining on vent, eyes are clear and eats well.
This started when I had to work for three weeks straight before christmas and had very little time to take her out of the cage. Her cage is 4mx1mx2m with fresh water every day by auto system and her diet is lge parret mix, fresh corn every day plus green veg, grapes and apple.
As she thinks she is a dog she gets half a smako or scotch finger each day with the dogs when I get home.
This bird is very clucky and thinks im her mate.
We are not new to birds as this is one of 30 different birds we have from electus to quackers to budgies.
None of the other birds have changed droppings.
I have wormed this bird this month also but no change to droppings.
This may be nothing and my wife has no idea either.
Hopping you can help.

cheers Shane.

How long has this gone on for a few days or longer?
Have you changed something in the diet, or perhaps given different fruits?

You said the run of the yard. Are there any new plants or flowers that she might have eaten or outside bugs.

For the benefit of those of us on this side of the big pond, what are smako & Scotch fingers?

Thanks for your relies, this has been going on for about 6 weeks now.
Yes she has the run of the yard with only new planted left over parrot mix that she digs up and eats the new roots and shoots.
This started about 6 to 8 weeks ago, she also started not to eat her green peas and only eats her sweet corn. We give her a small bowl every night, about an egg cup full of mixed peas and sweet corn.
Smako's
SCHMACKOS® | Home
scotch finger
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=...HKqSjigfp3YGgDw&ved=0CFMQsAQ&biw=1346&bih=600

i KNOW THESE ARE NOT HEALTHY BUT ITS A TREAT.

Thanks for the link.

Hah, I thought "scotch finger" meant a finger of scotch, which would kill a bird! I'm glad it's not, haha!

If I were you, I might try keeping her inside, for a few days to see if maybe she is eating anything in the yard that's doing it. If it doesn't change after a day or two, then it's definitely vet time.

Shane, a few years back there was some veterinary commentary about feeding dog & cat foods & treats to parrots, with the problem being that the protein concentrates used in those foods/treats was too hot (strong) for birds systems.

Dr. Lisa Paul, DVM, offers the following about feeding dog and cat food to birds:

“Be careful in using dog food & cat food. These foods often may contain gram negative bacteria. The gram negative bacteria can make birds VERY ill. In addition, I have seen large numbers of birds sicken & die when the fats in the dog & cat food become rancid.

Also, while many enjoy them, cookies & sweet biscuits are not good for birds because of the sugar content.....just like we humans, a lot of sugar is not good for parrots.....the amount of sugar consumption from a Scotch Finger is considerably greater for a bird than when we eat one. Just because a food is safe for we humans does not necessarily make it safe for parrot consumption.

Thanks for your replies, as you have stated these are probably not the best things for my bird, just to clear up on this, she gets a piece of smako and a half a scotch finger but I know this is not desirable but this has been going on for over ten years or more so thats not something thats changed.

I will keep her in her cage for a few days and see what becomes of this.
I will take a sample of her droppings to the vet after this if no change.
Will keep you posted.

cheers Shane.

update, took the girl to the vet today, had her checked over but only found she is a bit under weight., about 100 grams but has no muscle mass around her breast bone.
Had a poo sample tested by microscope and found a huge mass of plant cells, white bit fine and wet/clear bit fine.
No bacteria, no other little parasites so all good so far.

So have concluded that sweet corn is to be cut for one week, no scotch fingers or schmakos for a week and see if things change.
If no change after a week will do bloods and go from there.
But there is no physical signs of any illness apart from weight loss.

cheers for your valued help everyone and I will keep you posted.

Regards Shane.

I half wonder if the culprit is the corn... corn is a high genetically modified food (aka GMO - genetically modified organism; if I recall the term correctly), and perhaps the corn that you've been feeding is different than the corn you fed a few months ago? It's pretty scary to think that corn has been so genetically modified that not even insects will eat it. They've modified it to the point that it repels bugs. They've also done it with grains apparently. If bugs wont eat it, kind of makes you wonder how healthy it is for us to eat!

That is, assuming you aren't using organic foods already.



Lack of muscle mass is to be expected in birds who are either cage-bound or those who are clipped/do not fly. I can definitely tell the difference in my cockatiels between the one that flies frequently and has a good weight vs those who are on the scrawny side and those who have more fat than muscle. I once weighed two of my tiels, one that was clearly overweight and the other one that was fit. The fatter cockatiel (she was unable to fly for the entire time I had her - having come to me that way) felt heavier, but the fit cockaitel weighed 6 grams more! I was shocked at the difference! My fit tiels don't get out of breath as quickly as the unfit ones, too.



It's been over a week though, any updates on your 'too?

Well I was not happy with the droppings after the week and although they changed in colour they still rather large and still like thickened cream.
I tracked down an avian vet and took my girl there. this is a highly regarded vet and been around for many years.
The vet checked her over and said there was something not right with the digestion of the food, it was not what she was eating.
I had blood work done and xrays done, the xray machine is a high power one like used for breast xrays.

The results are as follows,
The blood was very thin and not right but enough to be alarmed about.
The xrays showed very little air space left in lungs, a large mass in her reproductive area, her gut was twice the size it should be and had a large mass in the area under her breast bone.
The conclusion was she has cancer and is at the end of her life, she was starving to death as she could not break down the food, this is why she was eating all the time.

I made the decision to put her out of her pain and to have an autopsy to make sure she did not have something the other birds could get.

This was one of the hardest things I have done, she was my friend with unconditional love for 27 years. I miss her as we spent most of my free time together.

I am also having her tested for beak and feather as she had no white powder on her in the last few weeks but this could be from whatever else she had going on.


Thanks for all your replies they were much appreciated.


regards Shane.

I'm so sorry to hear of the results! My deepest condolences!


Please, if you learn of anything else, could you let us know?