Roxy toe tapping episode

c3honey84 · Feb 28, 2013

Roxy toe tapping episode-how to stop it??

Roxy started toe tapping yesterday like crazy. I feel awful. Her foot was spasming so bad that she could not sleep. It is not as bad, but she is doing it right now. I have not changed her diet. I still give her all fresh foods, and pellets once in awhile. I don't know what to do but I am so upset.

Riio · Feb 28, 2013

I am sorry to ask, what is toe tapping? What usually causes it?

c3honey84 · Feb 28, 2013

It is the involuntary clenching and unclenching of a parrot's feet. It creates a tapping sound on their cage. It is usually caused by a vitamin deficiency...but can also be caused by metal toxicity or food allergy.

moni.k · Feb 28, 2013

Have you contacted your avian vet? I think getting a full panel blood work will help pinpoint why she's toe tapping (if it is due to vitamin deficiency or any other diet related problem, lucky it can be fixed with proper treatment). At my avian vet it's about 200 for a full blood panel. I did it for Nalani and I think it's important to get it done each year (even though they seem healthy) to see what's going on with their body in full detail. Just because these animals hide their illnesses till the very end.

I know you take great care of Roxy and I am so sorry you're going through this. Give Roxy a hug for me <3

c3honey84 · Feb 28, 2013

I actually just had a full blood panel done in August and it cost me $400. Everything was fine. I just don't have the money to do another one...

Peeker · Feb 28, 2013

Sorry she is toe tapping. Has she been eating pellets? Mine have had incidences of tapping on occasion from too much pellet (the main culprit), sweet potato, even too much beans and rice. I've had good luck getting it stopped by going all fresh fruits and veggies for a spell before adding small amounts of these things back into the diet.

Do you have any ideas what it could be from?

sodakat · Feb 28, 2013

Peeker is right. Go all fresh for a few days. Usually it doesn't last long.

I just went through a bad episode with Sully of TT and WF. I never did figure out what caused it.

If she's still tapping on Sunday, PM me. I have a solution but am not going to type it here.

c3honey84 · Mar 1, 2013

Peeker said:
Sorry she is toe tapping. Has she been eating pellets? Mine have had incidences of tapping on occasion from too much pellet (the main culprit), sweet potato, even too much beans and rice. I've had good luck getting it stopped by going all fresh fruits and veggies for a spell before adding small amounts of these things back into the diet.

Do you have any ideas what it could be from?

I hardly ever give Roxy pellets unless I happen to be running late in the morning. The other day, I was running late and I did give her some pellets, but it was Zupreem all natural. I have done this before, and she never toe tapped. Other than the one day every few months that I am running late, she gets 100% fresh food. I just feel so bad. I just gave her an almond and she could barely eat it because she could not hold it in the foot that keeps tapping and she could not stand on that foot either! I feel like she keeps looking at me like why is my toe tapping?? I emailed my vet, but he did not answer me yet. Today she is eating jalapeno, carrots, baby corn, strawberries, and zuccini. I will let you guys know if she is still doing it by the weekend...

sodakat · Mar 1, 2013

A sudden temperature change can cause tapping, but usually it subsides as soon at the bird warms up. Mine all tapped the morning after I left them in the outside aviary when the temperatures dropped lower than forecast. They were fine as soon as the sun warmed them though.

Also, an injury sometimes causes tapping. LaFitte tapped after chipping the tip off his beak for example.

My youngest female, Lucy, tapped for a short while about the time she started becoming sexually mature. I've read that sometimes when their sexual organs swell it can cause tapping. This is completely anectdotal though. Lucy was about two when it happened and it was short lived.

Another thing to consider is that a particular item of food might have been "off". Even organic produce can become contaminated.

I hope your girl is better today.

lpolliard · Mar 1, 2013

moni.k said:
Have you contacted your avian vet? I think getting a full panel blood work will help pinpoint why she's toe tapping (if it is due to vitamin deficiency or any other diet related problem, lucky it can be fixed with proper treatment).

I read it was from vitamin over dose. That why you want to stay away from supplements and fortification. Pellets are vitamin fortified. A few now and then is okay but an all pellet diet not so good.

c3honey84 · Mar 1, 2013

lpolliard said:
moni.k said:

Have you contacted your avian vet? I think getting a full panel blood work will help pinpoint why she's toe tapping (if it is due to vitamin deficiency or any other diet related problem, lucky it can be fixed with proper treatment).

Click to expand...

I read it was from vitamin over dose. That why you want to stay away from supplements and fortification. Pellets are vitamin fortified. A few now and then is okay but an all pellet diet not so good.

Yes, as I said before, I do not have Roxy on a pelleted diet. All fresh foods. Just once in awhile when I am running late to work, and I will give her some pellets. (Not even once a month.) I also do the same thing when I take her on a long car ride. I will put some pellets in her travel bowl. I have been doing this for two years and never had a problem.

Anyways, Roxy was tapping really badly this morning, but the good news is that when I came home from work, it was gone. Thank God. From now on, even when I am running a little late, I will let myself be late, and take the time to make Roxy some breakfast. Thanks guys.

sodakat · Mar 2, 2013

So glad she's better.

I've read everything I can get my hands on regarding TT and WF and so far no scientific study has proven what causes it. There are lots of theories including too many man made vitamins.

I know what I've seen with my Eclectus and when I realized even COLD can cause it, I know we have much to learn.

Kiwibird · Mar 2, 2013

I'm not really familiar with the causes of toe tapping, but I see someone else mentioned a possible cause of a food allergy. I also see you feed her corn and some pellets also contain corn, and I can't help but wonder if that may have something to do with it. Most of the corn today (that isn't certified organic) is grown using GMO seeds, which have been altered to produce their own pesticides internally and are not as nutritionally packed as traditional corn. That means, when you eat it or your bird eats it, you are ingesting small doses of pesticides that can't be washed away and getting less nutrients by volume. It may not be the reason, but may be worth investigating as a potential cause by doing an elimination diet (aka remove corn from her diet) and see if that resolves the problem.

birdbrainzz4me · Mar 2, 2013

i couldn't help but to read this, i had an eclectus that did the toe tapping. our avian vet told us that it was from a vitamin a deficiency. so we bought harrison's high potency formula pellet food and it eventually went away, along with the black stress lines in his feather's. this is going against everything else every body else is saying, so i am interested to find out what's going on.

drlisaort · Mar 2, 2013

I'm so sorry to hear about Roxy toe tapping. When Oliver first came home he was tapping intermittently but I attributed the tapping to Charlie's Bird House where I bought him. Charlie is awesome and I wouldn't change a thing, but I know Oliver ate mostly seed and pellet with a chunk of fruit in the middle of the day. Now he eats mostly fruits and veggies and beans with brown rice. Of course now I'm re-thinking maybe I need to cool it on the beans and rice! I had no idea it could lead to problems. Sheesh...so much to learn.

Peeker · Mar 2, 2013

drlisaort said:
I'm so sorry to hear about Roxy toe tapping. When Oliver first came home he was tapping intermittently but I attributed the tapping to Charlie's Bird House where I bought him. Charlie is awesome and I wouldn't change a thing, but I know Oliver ate mostly seed and pellet with a chunk of fruit in the middle of the day. Now he eats mostly fruits and veggies and beans with brown rice. Of course now I'm re-thinking maybe I need to cool it on the beans and rice! I had no idea it could lead to problems. Sheesh...so much to learn.

I really have no idea if that could be the problem with Oliver. It seems to build up in the systems of my guys especially my male. Keep an eye on it to see if it could be a problem. I'm just careful to keep things in better balance here and that mean fresh fruits and veggies are fed in higher amounts than the beans and rice.

c3honey84 · Mar 2, 2013

birdbrainzz4me said:
i couldn't help but to read this, i had an eclectus that did the toe tapping. our avian vet told us that it was from a vitamin a deficiency. so we bought harrison's high potency formula pellet food and it eventually went away, along with the black stress lines in his feather's. this is going against everything else every body else is saying, so i am interested to find out what's going on.

Yes a vitamin A deficiency can cause toe tapping. But they would only have a vitamin A deficiency if they are not fed the right diet. My bird gets vitamin A every single day in the form of either carrots, sweet potatoes, or various other vegetables.

Roxy toe tapping episode

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Jasper is destroying his feathers :(

Chicks are 5 weeks old today

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