uh oh

Lincoln is starting to get a little more brave! (which is good... and bad... in their own rights) I left him on top the cage while I went to the bathroom for a moment. When I had come back he was no where on, in, or around his cage which he usually stays. He rarely comes down from his cage unless I take him down. This time though, this time he was climbing on top of my hedgehog's cage!



In other news;; as you can see in the picture his feathers aren't looking too good so I will be taking him to the vet the first chance I get to get a complete blood work done and a scan for fatty liver.

He's doing alright socially and I actively see him eating and drinking so I think he's generally healthy so I'm not too worried about something beyond a fatty liver showing up.

If he does come back with a fatty liver though, how is that generally treated? Do they just give him a shot or give me some liquid medicine to give to him occasionally ? If its the later that'd be super helpful to know now so I could syringe train him. (which I should do anyways but yknow)

Yes, you're definitely going to have to watch Lincoln a lot more closely now that he's feeling a bit more adventurous. Remember that you have to remain vigilant against him coming into contact with any saliva or other secretions from your hedgehog, as parrots lack the necessary defenses against the gram negative bacteria carried by mammals.

As for his upcoming checkup, what makes you suspect he has fatty liver disease? What is his diet? As for how it's treated, it depends on the severity of his condition. A very strict diet will certainly be called for. As well as lots of exercise, medication when symptoms flare up, and aloe detox treatments should others fail.

I suspect its a fatty liver because when I first got him he had a very overgrown beak which is a sign of a fatty liver, but when I first took him to the vet his droppings looked fine but now they look a bit more oily and yellowish. I feed him ZuPreem fruitblend along with fresh fruits and vegetables.

Since he was just climbing on the bars I wasn't worried about him coming in contact with any saliva or secretions because hedgehogs can't really climb and aren't chewers so there'd be no reason for saliva or secretions to be on the bars.

Please note that this IS my first bird. I did plenty of research prior but I'm still learning hands on.

A comprehensive check by an avian vet including lab tests should give you great guidance. Eclectus diet requirements are very specialized and are typically more vegetable/fruit intensive than other parrots. I've given a few Zupreem fruit pellets to mine, but mostly as a treat.

Owlet said:

...Please note that this IS my first bird. I did plenty of research prior but I'm still learning hands on.

Click to expand...

I do realize that. I hope you didn't take my post in a critical light, as I truly didn't mean it that way. You're asking questions, seeking guidance and taking him in to see the vet soon. Sounds to me like you're working hard to do right by Lincoln.

Scott is spot on about ekkie diet requirements. I feed my ekkies a completely fresh diet of Vegetables, sprouts, legumes and fruit. I'm really hoping Lincoln doesn't have fatty liver, but your best bet is to start optimizing his dietary intake from now.

I'll probably learn how to grow sprouts because that seems like a good idea. I just... do not have a green thumb, far from it >>

Owlet said:

I'll probably learn how to grow sprouts because that seems like a good idea. I just... do not have a green thumb, far from it >>

Click to expand...

I don't either but have a go or if all else fails am able to purchase. http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-food-recipes-diet/57416-sprouting-made-easy.html

Re Lincoln having FLD, you say his beak grows quickly, how about his nails? Plum's nails were needing trimming every six weeks at one point.
Pleased you are going to visit AV to find out more and hoping he is OK. Closer look at Zupreem Fruit Blend provides Vit B12 among others, Plum has FLD and Vit B is always one of the first injections to be given by AV. Not sure I would want to feed these 100% of the time though? As Stephen has already said the more fresh foods the better IMO.
Is his poop always like this, sometimes like this? Do you weigh him regularly and keep a note? It's worth doing.

FYI http://www.birdvet.com.au/exotics care/birdcare/Bird Facts 28 Long beak.htm

Ingredients

Ground corn, Soybean meal, Ground wheat, Wheat germ meal, Sugar, Vegetable oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Oranges, Apples, Calcium carbonate, Dicalcium phosphate, Grapes, Bananas, Iodized salt, Natural flavors, DL-Methionine, Choline chloride, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, Vitamins (Vitamin E supplement, Niacin supplement, Biotin, d-Calcium pantothenate, Riboflavin supplement, Pyridoxine hydrochloride, Thiamine mononitrate, Vitamin A acetate, Vitamin D3 supplement, Menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), Vitamin B12 supplement, Folic acid), Citric acid (preservative), Mixed tocopherols (preservative), Yellow 5, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate, Red 40, Yellow 6, Minerals (Manganous oxide, Zinc oxide, Copper sulfate, Sodium selenite, Calcium iodate), Color added, Blue 1, Red 3

Owlet, if you can, please ditch the fruity pebble pellets. The artificial colors that color those pellets are often not processed well by ekkies and can lead to a few issues including feather picking and toe tapping. If you want to feed pellets, I strongly recommend non-colored pellets. I've fed TOPS and I'm currently feeding Goldenfeast Goldenobles I (looks like burned cheerios) when I do need to give him pellets.

I thought the same thing as Chris-md but on checking Zupreem say they are Natural Flavours? Is there such a thing?

ZuPreem

I also feed TOPs and get on well with it.

Just to add to your original post re Lincoln having FLD which is a big deal. Have found some info on an Ekkie having FLD and symptoms that go alongside it. These are:-
becoming anxious, introverted, may start to bite,
beak, feather and moult abnormalities.
Resulting from secondary pancreas infections and proventriculus inflammation bird may stop talking, yawn frequently, toe tap and wing flip.

A bird accepting a syringe is always useful in case it is needed.

It is suspected that there is correlation between vitamin deficiency and the development of FLD and nutritional support is essential. Choline, Biotin and Methionine (B Vitamins). Choline is essential for fat metabolism, it helps prevent deposits of fat in the liver and guards against damage. Foods high in this are egg yolk, legumes, whole grain cereals. Biotin is found in nuts, fruits and brown rice.

Methionine is an amino acid essential for transporting fat from cells, also found in eggs.

Milk thistle is a good support but use in conjunction with your AV.