New kakariki with watery eye

miniprof · Nov 16, 2016

Hi all! I just brought home my first kakariki. She's young -- they told me that she's probably just about to start her first moult. When I first introduced her to her new cage I noticed that the feathers around one eye look damp and messy, and that eye looks weepy. This is the first time I've noticed this -- I don't think I saw it before she came home.

I'll try to attach the best pictures I could get, to try and show the problem. Should I be worried about this, or is she just a messy baby? (I notice that she also has a dirty butt, and they told me that she's not great at keeping herself clean yet). She otherwise seems energetic and curious, and is exploring her new home thoroughly.

Kentuckienne · Nov 16, 2016

I would worry. We had a sick Amazon whose sinuses would plug up, and then fluid would come out of his eyes. Liquid isn't supposed to come out od a bird's eye. Are you sure she didn't put her face in the water bowl or splash it? Can you dry her off and see if the damp feathers return?

miniprof · Nov 16, 2016

Thanks for the response! I noticed this right when she came out of the carrier, before I put her water in, so it's not that she splashed her face. I could try to dry off her face; she's still hand-shy with me, since she just came home, but if you think it would help, I'll catch her and give her a little wipe-down.

Kentuckienne · Nov 16, 2016

The feathers will dry on their own if no new fluid is getting on them, so don't stress her out just now. But keep an eye on her. Do you have the name of a good avian vet in your area? There is a thread in the Health forum with a long list, multiple posts of vets people trust. Sometimes a bird can get a runny nose, so look closely to see if you can see any moisture coming from the nose holes. I can't tell from the pictures - does she look puffy around one eye? Does one eye look at all different from the other?

Birds know instinctively to hide their illnesses. If the other birds in the flock sense one is sick, they might kick it out, and a solitary bird sometimes does not survive on its own. So a bird can be very, very sick and not show it much, if at all. You will find some good advice in the Health forum about what sick birds look like, how they behave, and what to do if you suspect your bird is sick. If you have time to look through there while you are watching the feathers, you might find something that applies to you and your kakariki.

miniprof · Nov 16, 2016

Thanks again! The eyes generally look the same, other than one being watery. She's also starting to fluff up some, though, which has me worried. I'll have a look around for some more advice on what to do to get her checked out.

Kentuckienne · Nov 16, 2016

Good luck. Don't hesitate to ask questions, we all want to help, and there are some very experienced and knowledgable folks here. I know they help me!

GaleriaGila · Nov 16, 2016

Nicky and others have kakarikis... hopefully, they'll be along soon.
Good, good advice, Ms. Kentuckienne. I'm glad you were here to help.
Got an Avian Vet nearby, miniprof? Maybe the breeder/store can give you a name?
Good luck! I hope this is something minor...

miniprof · Nov 16, 2016

Thanks, I hope it's minor too! I'm getting in touch with the breeder to see if she has any advice.

miniprof · Nov 16, 2016

As an update, I have made an appointment for tomorrow with a local vet. I haven't gone to them with a bird before but I hope that they will be able to help me out.

GaleriaGila · Nov 16, 2016

Avian Vets are a special bunch... or at least an "Exotics" Vet... maybe your regular vet can recommend one if they aren't bird-savvy...

miniprof · Nov 16, 2016

Yeah, this vet lists exotics/parrots in what they'll treat, but I'll be asking for a recommendation if it's beyond their expertise! Pickings are slim in the UK, which is a real bummer.

The breeder responded and says it's normal for kakis before their first moult -- something about the feathers causing irritation? That's reassuring, but I'll keep the vet appointment anyway, because I would really rather have a second opinion than just assume everything is okay.

Nicky76 · Nov 16, 2016

Sorry I missed this thread. Whereabouts in the U.K are you?

We've had Kakarikis for a couple of years now.

Kakarikis are great little birds, so busy and entertaining

We've had young birds before and never noticed a problem with their eyes and moulting. Kakarikis are prone to mites but this tends to result in feather loss. I would definitely go ahead with the vet visit

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miniprof · Nov 16, 2016

Hi Nicky! I'm in Gateshead. Thanks for the advice -- it definitely sounds like the vet visit is a good idea. In the meantime I'll keep an eye on the new girl just in case.

I keep worrying that it was a bad decision on my part to bring this bird home (she has looked alert and healthy when I've met her previously, but I am still relatively new to bird ownership), but I guess what's important now is what to do next.

Nicky76 · Nov 16, 2016

Getting a good avian vet is a great thing to do. We have to drive an hour to ours but without him our old Patagonian conure wouldn't be here today.

Kakarikis love scrabbling around on the floor for their food so a foraging tray in the bottom of their cage is great fun for them.

What sort of food is she eating? Our came on a seed diet and we converted them to Harrison's pellets and lots of fresh fruit and veg, a much healthier diet. They love fried chillies too

Hope your little girl gets on ok at the vets

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miniprof · Nov 16, 2016

The food she came home with is a standard parakeet seed mix with some parrot mix added in (dried fruits and nuts, it looks like), but I'm definitely going to transition her onto a new diet once she's settled in and all. I'll look up Harrison's pellets, thanks for the tip!

Fried chillies, wow!!

I'll keep you all posted after the vet trip tomorrow. My breeder has offered to refund me and take her back if it looks like there's something seriously wrong, but I hope it doesn't come to that, because she seems like a really sweet little bird.

Nicky76 · Nov 16, 2016

I sure the vet will be able to sort it out. She could just have a seed that's irritated her eye.

In the U.K I can highly recommend Scarletts parrots (online) for food and toys etc. They are really reasonably priced and quick delivery. They have rescued lots of birds and you can read their stories on their website. The profits from the site go towards caring for the birds so you're helping towards their care by buying from them

Northern parrots is good but more expensive.

If you need any help everyone here is great and really friendly

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Nicky76 · Nov 16, 2016

That should be dried chillies not fried haha

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Kentuckienne · Nov 16, 2016

Yes...our vet is a renowned avian specialist, even though he sees plenty of cats and dogs. Avian vets see a lot more birds, and have additional training and certification, yet don't cost more than a "regular" vet. They have the experience to pick up on subtle cues that might not be obvious to say, an elephant vet.

Quakerella · Nov 16, 2016

I agree with Kentuckienne. No fluid should be leaking from your bird's eyes. Could she have banged it inside the carrier on the way home. It could possible be a vitamin deficiency if her diet was strictly seed. Good Luck tomorrow, hope your little one is okay.

miniprof · Nov 17, 2016

Hello again everybody! Just got back from the vet, who took a good look at my new friend's eye. He thinks that the eye has just been irritated, maybe by the feathers growing in around it, which I think fits with what the breeder said. Maybe it's a funny quirk of this breeder's birds, that the feathers around the eye are a bit funny before the first moult?

In any case, I've got eye droplets and a followup appointment next week to make sure it's not anything more serious.

New kakariki with watery eye

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