Is this regurgitation abnormal?

happycat

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Mar 9, 2012
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Virginia, U.S.
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Kakariki (Kirby) Cockatiel (Shiro) Jenday Conure (Jojo)
Okay, first of all, I'm really sorry for all the questions lately. I've just coincidentally had a lot of questions lately.

Kirby just regurgitated twice, what looked very different from his normal regurgitation. Normally his regurgitation is yellow mash. Just then it was chunky, white, and had hard pieces of food and some seeds. I never see food this undigested.

I'm hoping its just because he's excited, because of the day he's had. Let me provide some backstory of my rather gross day.

In the morning we changed the room (my mothers bedroom) around. We moved the bed and some other things. After that I began to clean Kirby's cage. On another post I mentioned that there was a toy that I rarely move, and it was connected to the bars under his hut. When I moved it I found a pretty gross pile of crusty, probably week old, poop. But that toy also has been what jammed Kirby's cage. Kirby's cage is one of those kinds of cages with the removable bottom, and bars over the removable bedding area. I don't use the bars because he drops a lot of food and likes to eat it off the ground. For some reason I've never been able to remove the removable bottom however. I tried everything and couldn't get it out. Well, after I removed the toy, which I assumed has been jamming it, I COULD get it out, and you won't believe what was under it.
It was absolutely disgusting. So disgusting that I yelled it fear. It was piles of dead bugs. Small, brown bugs so small they looked like seeds. But tons and tons of them. I mean TONS of them. And there were about 10 white things mixed in, little wiggling baby bugs.
Honestly, I feel like a really terrible bird owner for somehow not knowing this was going on. I always just cleaned the top part of the bottom of the cage thinking I couldn't remove it. I can't believe he was living on top of that.

So we took the entire cage to the carwash and washed it with the strong spraying water. We then took it home and cleaned it to death in the shower. (no soap though, but I think the carwash water was strong enough)

He stayed in his little carrier for a really long time through this. About an hour and a half. A lot of junk went on, the noises from people outside, I was still freaking out about the bugs etc. Probably a whole lot of excitement for one day. I just put him in his now sparkling clean cage, and he regurgitated like I told you above.


Sorry for the huge, weird backstory, I just had a lot to tell. He has had a very exciting and rough day. Could that be why he is regurgitating weird, or does regurgitation always have hard chunks, and a couple seeds? I'm also thinking those bugs could be flesh fly babies, as we had a flesh fly problem earlier. Or maybe it could be what has been making him so itchy? Either way they are gone now and they are going to stay gone. I hope he stops regurgitating like that.
 

RavensGryf

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Jan 19, 2014
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190
College Station, Texas
Parrots
Red Bellied Parrot /
Ruppell's Parrot /
Bronze Winged Pionus /
English Budgie
Am I remembering correctly that Kirby has had vomiting before? Are you certain that he doesn't have some sort of infection? Should get it checked out. They shouldn't be regurgitating too often. Very occasionally while he's on you if he should feel stimulated, but doing it randomly sounds more like vomiting to me.
 
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happycat

happycat

New member
Mar 9, 2012
488
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Virginia, U.S.
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Kakariki (Kirby) Cockatiel (Shiro) Jenday Conure (Jojo)
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Am I remembering correctly that Kirby has had vomiting before? Are you certain that he doesn't have some sort of infection? Should get it checked out. They shouldn't be regurgitating too often. Very occasionally while he's on you if he should feel stimulated, but doing it randomly sounds more like vomiting to me.

Vomiting is when it stains the feathers right? When he does it he doesn't splatter it all over the place, he pecks it down. Also, no staining.

I've been needing to take him to the vet for that very reason for a while now but we've been a bit broke, and every time we have enough to take him my mom says its not necessary because he's acting fine. Well, she finally agreed to take him on Sunday because she gets paid then.
(itchiness, and regurgitating, and now the fact that he could possibly have an infection from the bugs is enough for her)


At least I don't think its deadly or anything. He's been doing it for quite a while, and it hasn't worsened, and nothing else has changed.
 
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happycat

happycat

New member
Mar 9, 2012
488
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Virginia, U.S.
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Kakariki (Kirby) Cockatiel (Shiro) Jenday Conure (Jojo)
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Is regurgitation like that normal though? He just did it again with undigested chunks. (its a little pile of chunks from his food) I have been feeding him a different type of food recently, mixed with his other food.

I read that regurgitation is always undigested looking like this, and then I read that its a sign of PDD.
 
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RavensGryf

Supporting Member
Jan 19, 2014
14,233
190
College Station, Texas
Parrots
Red Bellied Parrot /
Ruppell's Parrot /
Bronze Winged Pionus /
English Budgie
Vomiting doesn't necessarily have to splatter. If the food was eaten recently enough without drinking water, the consistency would be thick and dry enough that he just sits there and chokes it up. Which could explain the seeds in it too.

PDD has different strains and can present in many different ways. BUT there are other reasons for birds vomiting too. At any rate, even if it's something less serious than PDD, it's still definitely not normal for a bird to vomit. From what you say, especially since this has been happening for a while, there is some underlying issue that absolutely needs to be looked at by a qualified vet. I'm so glad your mom has agreed to take Kirby in finally! Keep us posted!
 
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happycat

happycat

New member
Mar 9, 2012
488
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Virginia, U.S.
Parrots
Kakariki (Kirby) Cockatiel (Shiro) Jenday Conure (Jojo)
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I forgot to mention its NEXT Sunday, so in a week. I can try getting her to take him earlier but I doubt we could take him any earlier than the 17th.

RavensGryf, I thought vomiting and regurgitation where very different looking. He bobs his head and pecks a little ball out.
 
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RavensGryf

Supporting Member
Jan 19, 2014
14,233
190
College Station, Texas
Parrots
Red Bellied Parrot /
Ruppell's Parrot /
Bronze Winged Pionus /
English Budgie
Vomiting where it had been in the crop for a while mixed with water and whatever other moisture in there (for example in the case of pellets) will get like a thin paste. Liquid enough to "splatter" and maybe get on the feathers.

Unless there is a mirror or 'something' in the cage to make Kirby extra 'stimulated' on a regular basis, trust me... Food should not be going "out" from that end that regularly.

Since he's been doing it for a while, my feeling is he'll be okay to wait until the 17th, and I hope so, because it doesn't seem like your mom will be willing to take him to emergency sooner.
 

RavensGryf

Supporting Member
Jan 19, 2014
14,233
190
College Station, Texas
Parrots
Red Bellied Parrot /
Ruppell's Parrot /
Bronze Winged Pionus /
English Budgie
Weren't you one of the people who were expressing interest in getting another bird? If so, best to wait til we know what's going on with Kirby. Also, it's never ideal when the bird owner is a minor, and vet bills are in the hands of the adults who often times unfortunately aren't bird people. Make sure it's discussed with your mom about her willingness to pay unexpected vet bills for all your potential birds (as long as you live at home) :) Or else wait til you can be financially responsible before getting another bird.
 

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