Bright green poop this morning!

terriebari

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Help!

My CAG, Casper always greets me in the morning with a big poop. this morning, it was bright green (lime color) and it REALLY smelled ver strong.

I have read that bright green can be an indicator of liver disease. I was on vacation last week and I am sure that the people that bird sat gave him peanuts to get him back in his cage (probably 2 a day). I am concerned, but don't want to rush to the vet if it isn't necessary. Should I panic and get him to the vet right away, or should I wait to see if it was a one-time thing? Is it automatically an indicator or liver disease or something serious, if the poop is this color? He is 10 years old and his poop is really not a consistent color, I've just never seen this particular bright color.

Thanks
Terrie
 
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terriebari

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Ah, yes, and I should add that the color of his pellets, which are Kaytee Rainbow Chunky, have changed to a much brighter color, and the green in the pellets is very close to the green in his poop. That color changed about a week ago.
 

Auggie's Dad

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Sounds like your second post pretty much answered your own question. Yes, stool color is something to keep an eye on as any changes can be the first indication of illness, but they can also simply indicate what color of food they ate.



I have read that bright green can be an indicator of liver disease.

This much is true.

Is it automatically an indicator or liver disease or something serious, if the poop is this color?

But no, it could be many other things, especially if you just changed his food.

So certainly don't panic. Should you bring him to the vet? It wouldn't hurt, but if this is the only thing that has changed I doubt it would be necessary. Do be on the look out for other signals. If his behavior, feather condition, skin color, or anything else is also changing then it would be much more indicative of a medical concern.

Again it is important to notice such changes in stool, but if there are no other signs or symptoms and the color change can be readily explained by a change in diet then I would not be worried. Just keep an eye out the next few days.
 
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terriebari

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Thanks, Guys. I guess I will wait and check it out over the next couple of days. I was unsure that if it was an illness, how much time I would have to get him to the vet and get him well. I know birds hide illnesses as long as possible. Obviously, he would not be able to control his poop color. He is acting normally, but I don't want to be fooled by that. Since he tends to be a scratcher, I can't rely on that, and I don't really get to see his skin so much that I'd notice a difference unless it was extreme.

I will see if it happens again. I think it is time for me to switch to something other than peanuts to get him into his cage at night.

If you have any suggestions regarding liver disease, just in case, I would welcome them.

Thanks again!
Terrie
 

Auggie's Dad

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I used to use peanuts as well but after being advised to change that treat I found a few great options.

First were dried banana chips, Auggie loved them. They have the similar crunchiness of a peanut, are "fun" to eat, have good nutrients, just all around good choice. I see these occasionally at grocery stores and they usually come in buckets large enough to last quite a while.

Now Auggie's treat for going back to his cage on command is dried blueberries - he loves these things even more than peanuts and the bananas. They are also a good and healthy treat. They don't have the crunch, but if your bird is as much of a fruit-nut as mine is he'd probably enjoy them.

There are plenty of other dried fruits which are quite handy for this type of treat. Auggie gets dried papaya as a regular treat as well - I use these more for a general purpose reward while the blueberries are specific for going back to his cage.

Most pet stores have a few choices of these types of dried fruits, but they can be pricey - grocery stores are really the way to go. If you have Trader Joes in your area they usually have a whole isle for dried fruit and they are quite reasonably priced.
 
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terriebari

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Thanks so much, A.D.! CAsper doens't like banana chips, but he might like a different type of nut or maybe even a hot pepper now and then! He likes carrots and a few other veggies, but his absolute favorite is...CHICKEN!
:)
 

Jez

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I doubt it's anything to worry about - I think the color would change gradually - rather than overnight. My bet is the food since it changed so quickly. But like AD said, a visit to the vet wouldn't hurt - no need to rush though. Let us know what happens.
 

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