Stool Color Changes

Hey everyone! I havent been on here in quite awhile. I came to ask a question about my Lovebird, Kiwi. About a week ago I noticed her stools were brown/rust colored(the urates were still white however). A day later they went back to the normal green, then slowly became rust colored again. I recently went on a trip and left her with my family to watch and play with; they said she seemes perfectly fine. I returned home and she seems ok, but more sleepy than usual. I also weighed her and shes gained about 6 grams...her poops seem to be normal except they seem to be much smaller than before.

I recently spent about $450.00 at the vet a month ago who told me she was fine...Its sad to say but I cant afford bills like that on a regular basis! Is there anything I should really watch for or be concerned about?

Have there been any diet changes lately? Depending on what my bird eats, her stool color and consistency changes. The urates are always white though.

Also, how long has this been going on for? Both the change in color and the size change.

Hi, @Wingnut. Just the other day I noticed my Timneh African Grey's stool had some redish, not-quite-rust colored feces (the solid tubular part). His name is Grady. I am new to parrots. I found this article that helped me understand fecal analysis better.


Is your bird suffering from poopology - All about bird droppings


I do give him pureed plum (with skins), so I suspected that; but, I am paying closer attention to try to figure it out. He was just at my avian vet (board-certified, long-practicing--disclaimers to ward of the "take him to an avian vet" maniacs), so I have blood work showing nothing abnormal.


I have been taking pictures of Grady's stool, for comparison, to show the owner of the parrot rescue where I adopted him, and to show a board-certified, long-practicing avian vet. :] Oh, I switched his droppings-catching "liners" to white butcher paper, too, to make it easier to see the components of the stool.


, Lee

Thank you for the replies!
Her stools seem to have less volume than before and her urine (the water) seems to stain a piece of white paper green. I have been giving her some homeopathic drops my avian vet gave me for liver inflammation; in her water. She just seems to be having a hard time going (straining) and the poops in general are much smaller than I'm used to seeing.

I also just weighed her tonight and she is a whopping 66 grams!! A month ago she was 54g!

I am wondering if this is her hormones (egg laying?). Tomorrow I am going to call the vet and make an appointment as something doesn't seem "right."

All worth while reasons to be seeing your Avian Professional.
Vet costs can be high and it is wise to budget them into your monthly expenditures. What is not used is placed in a savings account. Parrots are expensive and having a reserve medical fund is a reality.

In the Amazon Forum is a Sticky Thread: I Love Amazons - ... Within that huge Thread is a segment that discuses what to look for in your Parrot's stool.

I'm not aware of the weight target for your Parrot. But, the proper way for determining your Parrots Weight is first thing in the morning after the morning movement and prior to breakfast. Weights during the day can vary greatly and as a result do not provide true indications as to the status of your Parrot. A parrot that is full at both ends will display a much higher weight.

Anytime you have your Parrot staying at another place for a day or a few days and their sleeping more than normal when home is normal! One of those 'own' bed things.

Yesterday I took Kiwi to the vet....Her blood tests came back normal and her gram stain shows no infectious pathogens. However, because of her severe weight gain, he decided to give her an X-Ray which showed her liver is bigger or "enlarged" than what it normally should be. Theres a good deal of fat surrounding it most likely, and its even putting pressure on the surrounding organs. (He said her ovaries were misplaced a bit...I dont remember exactly)
Because of this, he gave me Vitamin B herbal drops to give orally twice a day. Herbal "Liver Inflammation" drops to put in her water, and .05ml of Baytril/Diflucan to give twice daily.

She has not been eating much from what I have seen and is even getting very nippy with me. Im kind of worried about her )': My family thinks Im insane spending this much on a tiny Lovebird, but they dont understand this is like my child in a way...

I once spent a $1,000 to try and save my lineolated parakeet that was egg bound. Our feather friends are part of our family so don’t let your family’s opinion bother you. I hope Kiwi gets better soon.

Just wanted to update everyone. She is doing OK. Stool color is a darker green but still not as much as usual. Her weight is still 66 grams as well, so no weight loss sadly.
I wanted to note she has been very VERY nippy and attacking. Even If I pull her out to play she will just flip and chase my hand until she gets a good bite in. (Usually breaking skin..). I am still really concerned about her...I do believe she needs a bigger cage as shes a really big lovebird. Im not exactly sure what particular breed she is, but compared to others she is giant.

Kiwi is so fortunate to have a supremely caring and proactive parront! Did the vet provide a specific diagnosis?

You might ask your vet about milk-thistle if she is having liver issues. Birds also don't drink that much water, so I am always very skeptical if someone tells me to put something in their water because it's too hard to tell how much they are actually getting.