Choking on Seeds?

katie_fleming · Oct 17, 2014

Every night I give Jasper a tablespoon of pellets and a seed mix.

I've noticed a few times now he seems to choke while he's eating them. He'll start making weird movements with his head, mouth open, almost gasping. Tonight he did it again. A big sneeze seemed to help, and he made this sad chirp noise.

Any idea why this might be happening? Is it the seed mix? I'm thinking maybe it's because his dish in his cage is really deep and maybe he's trying to swallow when his head is down?

I'm very worried....this only has happened when eating this, not his normal meals. Please help

weco · Oct 17, 2014

I'd change the late snack to favorite fresh foods, fruits or greens, instead of the seeds & pellets, unless maybe the pellets are drizzled with apple, orange juice or other juice to wet the otherwise dry pellets.....

MrsKay · Oct 17, 2014

I agree with weco. Try a different snack. Maybe a shallower dish as well.

katie_fleming · Oct 17, 2014

So no seed mix/pellet mix at all? He has a mix of raw vegetables for breakfast/through the day, and dinnertime is a parrot mash.

His water dish is also on the other side of the cage from where I put his seeds...hmm..

RavensGryf · Oct 18, 2014

I'm thinking it might just be crop adjustment which is normal. You can see a thread where it's discussed here. Keep in mind the videos of the birds doing it don't look exactly like mine do when they do it. They don't all do it exactly the same. You should see my budgie when he does it occasionally.. he exaggerates it and really looks like something's wrong, but I know what it is. It's hard to say without seeing exactly what you're talking about, but check out this thread and see. Hope it's nothing, and Jasper is well

http://www.parrotforums.com/general-health-care/48745-help-please-urgent-emergency-12am.html

katie_fleming · Oct 18, 2014

It's kind of like that, but he looked scared and came to me right away. :S I don't know. I'll try sprinkling a bit of water on it tonight and see if that makes a difference.

BTW what does adjusting their crop actually mean??

RavensGryf · Oct 18, 2014

katie_fleming said:
BTW what does adjusting their crop actually mean??

You know... I tried to find more info on the web about it, but I couldn't find anything that really talked about the mechanics of it and 'why'. I guess when you have a crop, it's just something you have to do...

How about calling your avian vet to see if they can give you more info and insight into maybe why it happens so often? If it keeps going on, I'd take him in to see if it's not something altogether different. Good luck with Jasper.

katie_fleming · Oct 22, 2014

Update: I bought a shallow dish, and every time I give him his snack I spray it with some water. I also make sure he has a water dish right beside it. Hasn't happened since!

RavensGryf · Oct 22, 2014

Oh wow, great! I've never heard of that happening from dry food, but if it works then stay with it I guess!

I was just thinking, next time you're at the vet for a check up or something, might be worth mentioning to the vet. Honestly that is a very odd thing to be happening, and that really shouldn't have been an issue in the first place, no matter what position of the head, and parrots regularly eat dry things anyway, and foraging from different positions (even Ekkies as mainly fresh food eaters, shouldn't choke on their occasional dry goodies).

I'm thinking more along the lines of WHY it was happening, rather than focusing on how to fix it (although I'm glad it is working out). I sincerely hope Jasper is completely okay

katie_fleming · Oct 24, 2014

Agree completely, and will do. Many thanks

Choking on Seeds?

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