Advice needed-Amazon with bad breath and swollen feces

[anuska]

Good morning , I would like to get your advice on a current situation.Last night i noticed that my parrot breath smells rather strange , I searched google and found out that sour breath and breath similar to those of feces is caused by a bacteria in gastrointestinal tract , however my parrot breath does not smell like this ,its a strange smell i cannot describe .Also i should mention that he has been on a formula diet for the past year or more it is only since the beginning of last week I sought advice from the forum and started him on a diet of foods , makes me wonder if the breath could be because of something he ate as well as the sudden over night change in feces being swollen and more bulky.I will be contacting the vet this morning as soon as i can get a hold of him and speak to him about the issue . I read online that vinegar helps with the situation so i have added a few drops into his water as well as some multivitamins . They say the cause of the bacteria in the intestines is mainly cause from eating rancid foods, i cant possibly imagine how that could happen since i am at home all day long and change his dishes every few hrs or so .I am worried also since i came across an article where someone stated that their parrot died unknowingly from the same issue where the bacteria attacked the bird and by the time they found out it was too late , she stated that she warned all owners that they should be careful when kissing birds not to let the saliva and fluids from the nose slip into the birds mouth , i don't think that's the situation with my bird though however since he only sends kisses far away but never actually gives me any kisses so it cant possibly be that , if you have dealt with a situation like this before please feedback and let me know what advice you would give to me , i am very worried since this is an out of d ordinary in a bird's health , looking forward to your replies , thank you

 

[Kiwibird]

Parrots can sometimes have mildly "bad breath" (almost a light musty odor), but it shouldn't be a strong odor or foul smell. It's really hard to describe what normal "parrot breath" smells like, but if you've noticed a sudden change in your birds smell, it is best to have him looked at by the vet. Can I ask why your bird is still on a formula diet? Is that being done under the advisement of your vet for some reason? Unless there is a good reason the vet has said to, parrots should not still be on formula after weaning. They should be on a varied diet of healthy solid foods (seeds/pellets/grains, fruits/veggies, nuts and health table foods). That may very well be the cause of the problem right there. Formula is good for baby birds, but it does not typically meet the nutritional requirements of an juvenile or adult parrot. I would definitely discuss this with your vet when you call him, because the unusually bad breath may be caused by an improper diet.

 

[anuska]

Hi Kiwibird thanks for your reply yes it is a mild scent its just that he hasnt seemed to have it before so I am a bit worried to as why the change , I will be contacting the vet as soon as he opens but as for the time being I am just trying to get all the advice and suggestions i can get.He was on a formula diet until last week as I stated reason being is because when i first obtained him he was unweaned and since then i have had him eating the formula because honestly i didnt know any better , and when the vet told me during last year sometime that i should start introducing the foods to him i tried but he always seemed to pick at it and never really ate much or any so to speak just tasted it , its only until 2 wks ago i joined another forum where some of the members told me how to introduce the foods or wean him and its only since last week he has been eating food really , he's been eating constantly all the time I've never seen him eat so much but i am glad its just that this scent has me worried and i noticed last night his poop was slightly larger than it would usually be

 

[Grinder]

I'm glad you're getting in contact with the vet. I'm guessing the droppings are more 'swollen' looking because they are more solid now that you've stopped the formula feeding.

 

[Peeker]

I also believe the change in diet is the reason but it is still advisable to have him seen by the vet. How is he liking his new diet? Is he eating a fruits and veggies well? What all have you offered? Different foods will change the look of his feces. Lots of seed will make the feces green, natural colored pellet will make it more brown, beets or berries could make it scary red! I hope it's only the new foods and not a problem. Please let us know what the vet says.

 

[anuska]

Hi all thanks for your reply , I spoke to the vet and he said I shouldn't be worried since its just the stinky breath ,he said its probably because of the beans he's been eating since it contains a high amount of nitrogen in it an that i should lessen on it.He said to observe him and if i saw any changes in him to let him know but otherwise he said he's fine so i'm hoping he's okay , been observing him since morning he's jolly as ever so we'll see as the day passes will keep you folks updated

 

[MonicaMc]

I don't know what beans you are feeding, but I would recommend the ones I've listed in the following thread (aka legumes)

http://www.parrotforums.com/general...afe-fresh-foods-toxic-food-lists-sprouts.html

 

[anuska]

hi Monica thanks so much for the link ,i will take a read ,definitely cant say we have all those types of beans in trinidad but i will do my best to sought some