Suggestions on how to feed an anemic Amazon

[Ladyhawk58]

Hi everyone... I have a 40 year old Yellow Nape Amazon. Within the past year she had developed polyuria and my avian vet said it was diabetes. That is the first issue I have been dealing with but my newest and most critical issue now is that she had an injury to her lower beak that resulted in her losing the entire center of her beak to the point where it will not grow back. It was already a challenge feeding her for her diabetes but now she has to eat everything blended to the consistency of apple sauce. She was always an excellent eater but she is very picky right now since the texture has changed. She spent 5 days in the hospital where they tube fed her and she was starting to eat sweet potatoes on her own along with other soft food I made and brought in for her. They let me take her home and for the first 2 days she was doing ok besides not knowing what to do with her tongue, so sad to watch her struggle. She started to not eat any of the "good for her food" like bird chop (which I had to blend) so I had to make her egg whites and even chicken that was diced up to the consistency of sprinkles since this is all she would eat. She even stopped eating the baby food I bought in hopes to get some veggies in her. She has since become more and more lethargic so I took her to the best Avian Vet in Miami. He told me that she is borderline critically anemic. His advice believe it or not was to feed her ground sirloin, short term of course (which she ate like a champ) He gave me Metronidazole to be taken once a day for 30 days and she is taking an herbal supplement for anemia. I am truly at a loss on what else I can do to help her. She has now been to 3 Avian vets who all tell me that her diabetes diagnosis is questionable since it is rare in parrots but I understand why the first doctor thinks it's diabetes since her sugar is so high that it doesn't even register on the lab results. They all seem to be very confused about her bloodwork, one doctor says its her kidneys/liver while the vet in Miami says that those numbers are fine. I know this is a lot of information so I am hoping that someone here on this forum has any experience or advice on any part of this problem. I am 58 years old and have had this bird since I am 17, you can imagine the bond and relationship that we have. She is family and I need to help her... TY

 

[wrench13]

My Dear welcome to ParrotFOrums, I wish it was under happier circumstances. Unfortunately none of us here are avian vets, so any medical advice might just be first hand observations. I personally have no experience with any of these conditions, but Salty and I wish you both the best!

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Hi everyone... I have a 40 year old Yellow Nape Amazon. Within the past year she had developed polyuria and my avian vet said it was diabetes. That is the first issue I have been dealing with but my newest and most critical issue now is that she had an injury to her lower beak that resulted in her losing the entire center of her beak to the point where it will not grow back. It was already a challenge feeding her for her diabetes but now she has to eat everything blended to the consistency of apple sauce. She was always an excellent eater but she is very picky right now since the texture has changed. She spent 5 days in the hospital where they tube fed her and she was starting to eat sweet potatoes on her own along with other soft food I made and brought in for her. They let me take her home and for the first 2 days she was doing ok besides not knowing what to do with her tongue, so sad to watch her struggle. She started to not eat any of the "good for her food" like bird chop (which I had to blend) so I had to make her egg whites and even chicken that was diced up to the consistency of sprinkles since this is all she would eat. She even stopped eating the baby food I bought in hopes to get some veggies in her. She has since become more and more lethargic so I took her to the best Avian Vet in Miami. He told me that she is borderline critically anemic. His advice believe it or not was to feed her ground sirloin, short term of course (which she ate like a champ) He gave me Metronidazole to be taken once a day for 30 days and she is taking an herbal supplement for anemia. I am truly at a loss on what else I can do to help her. She has now been to 3 Avian vets who all tell me that her diabetes diagnosis is questionable since it is rare in parrots but I understand why the first doctor thinks it's diabetes since her sugar is so high that it doesn't even register on the lab results. They all seem to be very confused about her bloodwork, one doctor says its her kidneys/liver while the vet in Miami says that those numbers are fine. I know this is a lot of information so I am hoping that someone here on this forum has any experience or advice on any part of this problem. I am 58 years old and have had this bird since I am 17, you can imagine the bond and relationship that we have. She is family and I need to help her... TY

I think a 40 year old Yellow Naped Amazon is a fairly old bird and I guess with old age parrots can develop medical problems, too. It's great that you are so devoted to her health and well being and have access to qualified avian vets and she's lucky to have you. It sounds like she's been through a lot recently, especially with losing part of her beak. All you can do is follow her vet's (vets' ?) advice and try to get her to eat enough iron rich nutrient dense food, even if that means feeding her ground steak, eggs, and other unconventional things as recommended. With all her medical issues you need to prepare yourself for the inevitable but I hope both of you enjoy the best quality of life she can have. Post pictures of her (what's her name?) so we too can enjoy your Amazon beauty!

 

[SailBoat]

The recommendation of providing Beef is a method of getting much needed protein into her quickly!! Strongly agree with that Vet and recommend use this Avian Vet!

Sugar is far to commonly in many Parrots today, since Fruit is to commonly provided to them! Fruit is filled with Sugar!

You likely received a diet recommendation from this Avian Vet. Follow it!!

40 is middle age for a Yellow Nape Amazon!!

What is her most recent weight?
Can She fly?

Please use paragraphs as it helps greatly in reading your Thread!

Love you girl as she needs your reassurance!!

 

[texsize]

I understand liver is good for building red blood cells.
maybe some Braunschweig.
the stuff is very soft, like a past.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

I understand liver is good for building red blood cells.
maybe some Braunschweig.
the stuff is very soft, like a past.

I love braunschweiger and liverwurst (I know ), but both are very salty, so I'd feed plain cooked calves liver or chicken liver instead. Liver do rich in many important micronutrients (B12, riboflavin, iron, vitamin A) that some people call it a "superfood". Predators often go straight for their prey's liver before any competitors can get it.

 

[Ladyhawk58]

Thank you so much all for the responses! Yesterday we had a bad day, she wouldn't eat a thing..

I'm wondering if the Metronidazole she is taking is upsetting her or if its the nutritional supplement. I am handfeeding her EmerAid IC Omnivore liquid diet as per my Vet. The dosing goes by how much food she does or does not eat in a day.

Yesterday she threw up some of it (very little). Today she ate sweet potato with minced up sirloin and then a little apple sauce. Not much but better then yesterday. Her weight is all over the place and I am wondering if it is my scale. First thing in the morning she was 405 grams then after she ate she was 430? Hmmm... It is very challenging to get up every day and not know what to make for her, what she will eat one day she won't eat again so the food waste is getting crazy!

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Thank you so much all for the responses! Yesterday we had a bad day, she wouldn't eat a thing..

I'm wondering if the Metronidazole she is taking is upsetting her or if its the nutritional supplement. I am handfeeding her EmerAid IC Omnivore liquid diet as per my Vet. The dosing goes by how much food she does or does not eat in a day.

Yesterday she threw up some of it (very little). Today she ate sweet potato with minced up sirloin and then a little apple sauce. Not much but better then yesterday. Her weight is all over the place and I am wondering if it is my scale. First thing in the morning she was 405 grams then after she ate she was 430? Hmmm... It is very challenging to get up every day and not know what to make for her, what she will eat one day she won't eat again so the food waste is getting crazy!

Give her tiny portions and freeze the rest in little baggies to feed her later. Less waste.

 

[SailBoat]

I have found that I work only with the weight of my Amazon that I take first after our Amazon gets up, after his first moment and before any food or water to taken. That weight more commonly defines an empty Amazon and as a result represents a stable weight to work with and compare day to day!

Weight taken at any other point, will be inconsistent day to day!

Since you are providing sweet potato and beef! Feed it to her and you can eat the rest1

 

[Ladyhawk58]

I have found that I work only with the weight of my Amazon that I take first after our Amazon gets up, after his first moment and before any food or water to taken. That weight more commonly defines an empty Amazon and as a result represents a stable weight to work with and compare day to day!

Weight taken at any other point, will be inconsistent day to day!

Since you are providing sweet potato and beef! Feed it to her and you can eat the rest1

Hi! I think weighing her once a day makes the most sense so ty for that suggestion. I have frozen most of the meat and kept small portions in the refrigerator ,enough for a few days. I am just so unsure if she's getting enough food since she has such a hard time eating with no bottom beak. She has to work so hard to eat just half a portion. I gave her 2 doses of the EmerAid supplement to ensure she is getting nutritional support. Here are some pics of her after the accident in the hospital...

 

[SailBoat]

She clearly loves you!!

Keep-up the great effort!

The lower section should show signs of growing in very soon!

Note: The amazing products in the dentist industry have found their way into Avian Care. Talk to your CAV and see if they can make a lower bill for her? As the new section grows in the other will wear away.

Our DYHA has a hole in the side of his upper and our CAV filled it and with time, the new upper grew out.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Hi! I think weighing her once a day makes the most sense so ty for that suggestion. I have frozen most of the meat and kept small portions in the refrigerator ,enough for a few days. I am just so unsure if she's getting enough food since she has such a hard time eating with no bottom beak. She has to work so hard to eat just half a portion. I gave her 2 doses of the EmerAid supplement to ensure she is getting nutritional support. Here are some pics of her after the accident in the hospital...

Poor thing! She looks so sad and stressed.
If you needs to get food into her the avian vet can tube feed her. Maybe you could bring her in every couple days and have her crop filled.

 

[Ladyhawk58]

She clearly loves you!!

Keep-up the great effort!

The lower section should show signs of growing in very soon!

Note: The amazing products in the dentist industry have found their way into Avian Care. Talk to your CAV and see if they can make a lower bill for her? As the new section grows in the other will wear away.

Our DYHA has a hole in the side of his upper and our CAV filled it and with time, the new upper grew out.

Hi, TY for the words of encouragement! I have been considering looking into a prosthetic of some sort for her. I just need to get her past this trauma and more stabilized. Her lethargy is pretty concerning but I feel in the past 48 hours she seems to be doing slightly better. A bit more alert and eating more of her food. Baby steps... It just kills me to see her spirit broken.

 

[SailBoat]

Hi, TY for the words of encouragement! I have been considering looking into a prosthetic of some sort for her. I just need to get her past this trauma and more stabilized. Her lethargy is pretty concerning but I feel in the past 48 hours she seems to be doing slightly better. A bit more alert and eating more of her food. Baby steps... It just kills me to see her spirit broken.

With that type of injury, there is the trauma, but it tends to pass quickly for Parrots. Commonly this specific injury involves nerve endings and they can be exposed. That can take a week or two for them to withdraw back into the lower jaw.

Begin talking about the dental work now to understand what can be done and timing from your CAV's vantage point.

Very happy that she is showing signs of recovering.

 

[wrench13]

Yeah, Ive seen whole beak halves replaced with a prothesis, maybe he is a candidate for that?

 

[ShirleyJean1966]

Hi everyone... I have a 40 year old Yellow Nape Amazon. Within the past year she had developed polyuria and my avian vet said it was diabetes. That is the first issue I have been dealing with but my newest and most critical issue now is that she had an injury to her lower beak that resulted in her losing the entire center of her beak to the point where it will not grow back. It was already a challenge feeding her for her diabetes but now she has to eat everything blended to the consistency of apple sauce. She was always an excellent eater but she is very picky right now since the texture has changed. She spent 5 days in the hospital where they tube fed her and she was starting to eat sweet potatoes on her own along with other soft food I made and brought in for her. They let me take her home and for the first 2 days she was doing ok besides not knowing what to do with her tongue, so sad to watch her struggle. She started to not eat any of the "good for her food" like bird chop (which I had to blend) so I had to make her egg whites and even chicken that was diced up to the consistency of sprinkles since this is all she would eat. She even stopped eating the baby food I bought in hopes to get some veggies in her. She has since become more and more lethargic so I took her to the best Avian Vet in Miami. He told me that she is borderline critically anemic. His advice believe it or not was to feed her ground sirloin, short term of course (which she ate like a champ) He gave me Metronidazole to be taken once a day for 30 days and she is taking an herbal supplement for anemia. I am truly at a loss on what else I can do to help her. She has now been to 3 Avian vets who all tell me that her diabetes diagnosis is questionable since it is rare in parrots but I understand why the first doctor thinks it's diabetes since her sugar is so high that it doesn't even register on the lab results. They all seem to be very confused about her bloodwork, one doctor says its her kidneys/liver while the vet in Miami says that those numbers are fine. I know this is a lot of information so I am hoping that someone here on this forum has any experience or advice on any part of this problem. I am 58 years old and have had this bird since I am 17, you can imagine the bond and relationship that we have. She is family and I need to help her... TY

Hi there! My Blue Gold Macaw just passed in July at age of 30 suddenly. I used to give Scooter crushed up antacid tablets one a day with calcium in them. My avian vet told me this is good to sprinkle on her food. She didn't mind it and would say Mmmmm. This would help your bird with anemia. God bless you and your fine feathered friend

 

[keikoasmom]

Hi everyone... I have a 40 year old Yellow Nape Amazon. Within the past year she had developed polyuria and my avian vet said it was diabetes. That is the first issue I have been dealing with but my newest and most critical issue now is that she had an injury to her lower beak that resulted in her losing the entire center of her beak to the point where it will not grow back. It was already a challenge feeding her for her diabetes but now she has to eat everything blended to the consistency of apple sauce. She was always an excellent eater but she is very picky right now since the texture has changed. She spent 5 days in the hospital where they tube fed her and she was starting to eat sweet potatoes on her own along with other soft food I made and brought in for her. They let me take her home and for the first 2 days she was doing ok besides not knowing what to do with her tongue, so sad to watch her struggle. She started to not eat any of the "good for her food" like bird chop (which I had to blend) so I had to make her egg whites and even chicken that was diced up to the consistency of sprinkles since this is all she would eat. She even stopped eating the baby food I bought in hopes to get some veggies in her. She has since become more and more lethargic so I took her to the best Avian Vet in Miami. He told me that she is borderline critically anemic. His advice believe it or not was to feed her ground sirloin, short term of course (which she ate like a champ) He gave me Metronidazole to be taken once a day for 30 days and she is taking an herbal supplement for anemia. I am truly at a loss on what else I can do to help her. She has now been to 3 Avian vets who all tell me that her diabetes diagnosis is questionable since it is rare in parrots but I understand why the first doctor thinks it's diabetes since her sugar is so high that it doesn't even register on the lab results. They all seem to be very confused about her bloodwork, one doctor says its her kidneys/liver while the vet in Miami says that those numbers are fine. I know this is a lot of information so I am hoping that someone here on this forum has any experience or advice on any part of this problem. I am 58 years old and have had this bird since I am 17, you can imagine the bond and relationship that we have. She is family and I need to help her... TY

I'm sorry that you're going through this. It sounds like you did find a really good vet in Miami and I'm thinking that because he's the one that diagnosed the anemia that he is the one I would follow while keeping the other tips from the other vets in mind. I think the reason why he said that she should eat ground sirloin is for the iron not the protein. And I would probably focus on the foods that she likes but not egg whites, give her a egg yolks or the whole egg! Our birds love eggs and I will cook an egg and a little microwavable device and yes I have been guilty of adding in a little butter but I cut up the egg into chunks that they can pick up with their foot and they always go for the chunks with the yolk. Also our birds love chicken too and since our bird has had a tongue injury the vet said that she could have foods that she likes including cheese while we were encouraging her to eat well her tongue was healing. She hasn't been as interested in fruits and vegetables except they always like broccoli, fresh, and bananas and I give them baby food mixtures with fruit and sweet potatoes served next to their muesli in the morning. All of that is pretty soft. I'm trying to think of what else is high in iron, and of course sweet potatoes are always good for parrots, but I would have to search online to see what else is high in iron. Best of luck!