My parrot has dropping problems

[DavidOstrihon]

I got my red shouldered macaw 5 months ago, and now she has poop issues. it has watery dropping mixed with usual droppings. Her behavior is as usual.She gets seeds and fruits as usual.The problems started today.The photos are attached.

 

[itzjbean]

It could be a deficiency with her diet. Seeds and fruit should be limited (seeds can pack a lot of fat and fruit has a lot of sugar) and most of the diet should consist of vegetables, a healthy pellet of some sort with nuts and seeds on occasion.

If the problem persists she should be taken to a certified avian vet to ensure she is not sick.

 

[DavidOstrihon]

It could be a deficiency with her diet. Seeds and fruit should be limited (seeds can pack a lot of fat and fruit has a lot of sugar) and most of the diet should consist of vegetables, a healthy pellet of some sort with nuts and seeds on occasion.

If the problem persists she should be taken to a certified avian vet to ensure she is not sick.

Thanks for your response . She gets a seed mixture of sunflower seeds, nuts and other seeds - 3 spoons. She gets small amount of fruits for example 1 slice of a banana each day. The problem is she cant stand vegetables... this problem occurred some times in the past, but it stopped 1-2 day afterwards. I just wanted to know is it a digestive problem.

 

[itzjbean]

Get her off the seed mix and start changing her diet. Sunflower seeds are really high in fat and can lead to health problems later in life. Also, what veggies have you tried? There are SO many, and most parrots will like at least ONE. The banana is fine but she should be getting more nutrients in her food to keep her healthier.

There are so many kinds of veggies they can have. Consider making a batch of birdie bread and incorporating veggies into it. They can enjoy peppers, leafy greens, corn, peas, green beans, zucchini, squash, carrots, really any type of veggie EXCLUDING avocado, onion, garlic.

 

[Frozengirl]

Pellets, veges, No sunflower seeds, no peanuts,too high in fat. If your bird won't eat any vegetables try sprouting

 

[Flboy]

Thanks for your response . She gets a seed mixture of sunflower seeds, nuts and other seeds - 3 spoons. She gets small amount of fruits for example 1 slice of a banana each day. The problem is she cant stand vegetables... this problem occurred some times in the past, but it stopped 1-2 day afterwards. I just wanted to know is it a digestive problem.

Not to beat you up, but you really need to change her diet around if you would like her to have a healthy long life!
I also noticed her nails are very long. Consider replacing most of those dowels with branches for her feet.
Welcome to you!

 

[DavidOstrihon]

How much should I give her of vegetables and how much do I have to decrease the amount of seeds ?

 

[LordTriggs]

seeds should be almost none, seeds are the equivalent of crisps for birds

as for veg as much as she will eat. Make sure to check out what different bits of veg and fruit are toxic to parrots

I would get an appointment at your nearest Certified Avian Vet if possible. A change in poop is a big sign for concern, parrots will hide that they are ill up until they're near death

 

[DavidOstrihon]

Thanks for your response . She gets a seed mixture of sunflower seeds, nuts and other seeds - 3 spoons. She gets small amount of fruits for example 1 slice of a banana each day. The problem is she cant stand vegetables... this problem occurred some times in the past, but it stopped 1-2 day afterwards. I just wanted to know is it a digestive problem.

Not to beat you up, but you really need to change her diet around if you would like her to have a healthy long life!
I also noticed her nails are very long. Consider replacing most of those dowels with branches for her feet.
Welcome to you!

OK Thanks I am working on her new diet. What kind of branches are recommended ?

 

[DavidOstrihon]

Now she has out of the cage time and her poop is back to normal. Maybe it was just from stress. Thank God I have posted this and all of you helped me so I know that I was not feeding her the right way and i will definitely change her diet right now.

 

[Flboy]

Thanks for your response . She gets a seed mixture of sunflower seeds, nuts and other seeds - 3 spoons. She gets small amount of fruits for example 1 slice of a banana each day. The problem is she cant stand vegetables... this problem occurred some times in the past, but it stopped 1-2 day afterwards. I just wanted to know is it a digestive problem.

Not to beat you up, but you really need to change her diet around if you would like her to have a healthy long life!
I also noticed her nails are very long. Consider replacing most of those dowels with branches for her feet.
Welcome to you!

OK Thanks I am working on her new diet. What kind of branches are recommended ?

Depending on your part of the world/country, maple, sycamore, and bottlebrush are all safe. Know your source and bark left on is OK! Also, beleave it or not, Walmart has a few oddball perches, very good price! Food? Stay away!

Start out simple for pellets, nothing wrong with Zupreem! Even the fruity, not the best, but many birds take to it!
You may be surprised how easily your girl converts, my JoJo was on a Kaytee sunflower mix when I got him. Day one, took right off into pellets, I give Zupreem, Tops, Roudybush, and a sproutable mix of seeds. His favorite is Abba Soak Seed!
I do not mix any of his pellets, different areas have a different snack. As said avoid sunflower and peanuts, unless one at a time!

 

[DavidOstrihon]

Not to beat you up, but you really need to change her diet around if you would like her to have a healthy long life!
I also noticed her nails are very long. Consider replacing most of those dowels with branches for her feet.
Welcome to you!

OK Thanks I am working on her new diet. What kind of branches are recommended ?

Depending on your part of the world/country, maple, sycamore, and bottlebrush are all safe. Know your source and bark left on is OK! Also, beleave it or not, Walmart has a few oddball perches, very good price! Food? Stay away!

Start out simple for pellets, nothing wrong with Zupreem! Even the fruity, not the best, but many birds take to it!
You may be surprised how easily your girl converts, my JoJo was on a Kaytee sunflower mix when I got him. Day one, took right off into pellets, I give Zupreem, Tops, Roudybush, and a sproutable mix of seeds. His favorite is Abba Soak Seed!
I do not mix any of his pellets, different areas have a different snack. As said avoid sunflower and peanuts, unless one at a time!

Thanks for your help. Im from Slovakia and i cant get pellets in my town, so im going to order some from the Internet. Are these pellets suitable for my friend ?

I cannot get any of the mentioned ones in my country.

 

[Scott]

Welcome to the forums, David! Thanks for joining and seeking ways to improve your macaw's diet!

Do you have an avian certified vet in your town, or within a reasonable drive? They may have samples of various pellets to try before buying online. With access to the internet, a wide variety of pellets is available.

You can get very creative with vegetables, but it is trial and error. Often a bird will ignore a particular food for years, and one day decide to try and enjoy. Another alternative is to bake "birdie bread" loaded with finely shredded vegetables.

I'll post a few links of interest from the Parrot Food, Recipes, and Diet forum:
http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-...7-converting-parrots-healthier-diet-tips.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-...afe-fresh-foods-toxic-food-lists-sprouts.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-food-recipes-diet/65841-poppy-s-jolly-jungle-bread.html

 

[DavidOstrihon]

Welcome to the forums, David! Thanks for joining and seeking ways to improve your macaw's diet!

Do you have an avian certified vet in your town, or within a reasonable drive? They may have samples of various pellets to try before buying online. With access to the internet, a wide variety of pellets is available.

You can get very creative with vegetables, but it is trial and error. Often a bird will ignore a particular food for years, and one day decide to try and enjoy. Another alternative is to bake "birdie bread" loaded with finely shredded vegetables.

I'll post a few links of interest from the Parrot Food, Recipes, and Diet forum:
http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-...7-converting-parrots-healthier-diet-tips.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-...afe-fresh-foods-toxic-food-lists-sprouts.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-food-recipes-diet/65841-poppy-s-jolly-jungle-bread.html

Thank you for your help i have consulted an avian vet and he agreed with that im going to buy the mentioned pellets. The pellets have arrived today and my parrot looks to love them.

 

[Scott]

You are welcome! I am not familiar with the brand you posted. While some pellets are better than others, almost any pellet is better than an all-seed diet. Part of the challenge is finding a type your bird will eat. I've tried many over the years, but there is only one pellet all of my birds will eat. Zupreem Fruit Blend. Not the best, but part of an overall diet with vegetables, fruits, small amounts of seed, and various healthy treats.

 

[SailBoat]

For a general resource, please see the Amazon Forum and near the top of the page are two Sticky Threads (presented in Light Blue). The second one is: I Love Amazons - ... That huge Thread has over 30 Segments that cover a very wide cross-section of topics that you will find helpful in living with and Love Parrots. The vast majority of Segments, the term Amazon can be switched for Parrot.

Regarding diet. The goal is to greatly reduce 'fat' in Companion Parrot's diet! That said, each Specifics has variations as to what their needs are. The Diet provided in the Thread: I Love Amazons - ... is set for Amazons (bet that's a big surprise), but will work well for MAC's. MAC's can tolerate a bit more fat in their diet than Amazons.

Seed diets continue to be heavily bashed and for good reason! The cheaper seed diets contain far too many Sunflower seeds and not enough variety!

A high quality diet for Parrots of the America's would be made-up of a wide cross-section of Fresh, Natural Veggies, a smaller position of fruits, a wide cross-section of Seeds, grains, and nuts. As part of this dry food would be a well-balanced Pellet.

NOTE: It is not unusual for a Parrot to have preferences as to the way specific fresh foods are prepared. Some will like it chopped, others in chunks, others sliced, etc., etc., etc... That part is all experimental!

Enjoy!!!