Hello! I'm coming here today to ask for some help. Lenny's poop has always been solid, but today he made a really watery poop. It was basically a puddle of water with a tiny piece of poop in it. He mostly eats pellets and vegetables, with a little bit of fruit here and there. He also gets seeds here and there as treats. Is he okay and should I be worried? There is nothing else wrong with him as I know because he is acting normal.
Worried about Lenny.
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charmedbyekkie
New member
Was there a new fruit/veggie you offered him, or perhaps something he ate more of than usual? I've had near heart attacks after watermelon (watery and pink!) and pomegranate (black like a internal bleed). Alternatively, if the three parts only consisted of very little faeces, did he eat less than normal or reject some food? Or did he bathe recently?
If he's consistently giving watery poops after a few hours (despite changing back his foods to something he consistently/reliably eats), then you might want to consider bringing him to the vet.
Hopefully it's nothing, but do keep an eye in case it's something more serious. I wouldn't let a change of droppings go for more than 12-18 hours; if it doesn't improve within 12-18 hours after going back to reliable food, I'm always paranoid - I'd bring him to the vet.
If he's consistently giving watery poops after a few hours (despite changing back his foods to something he consistently/reliably eats), then you might want to consider bringing him to the vet.
Hopefully it's nothing, but do keep an eye in case it's something more serious. I wouldn't let a change of droppings go for more than 12-18 hours; if it doesn't improve within 12-18 hours after going back to reliable food, I'm always paranoid - I'd bring him to the vet.
noodles123
Well-known member
- Jul 11, 2018
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- Umbrella Cockatoo- 15? years old..I think?
How close are you to a CAV?
How close are you to an "exotics" vet?
Exotics vets are not even comparable, but they should be able to perform basic services, such as gram-stains and even blood-work (if trustworthy).
I would get it looked into, but don't panic quite yet. Just deal with it ASAP, as birds can and DO hide illness. You will feel better knowing and a CAV will be best able to reassure you (or initiate treatment, in the event that treatment is needed).
How close are you to an "exotics" vet?
Exotics vets are not even comparable, but they should be able to perform basic services, such as gram-stains and even blood-work (if trustworthy).
I would get it looked into, but don't panic quite yet. Just deal with it ASAP, as birds can and DO hide illness. You will feel better knowing and a CAV will be best able to reassure you (or initiate treatment, in the event that treatment is needed).
noodles123
Well-known member
- Jul 11, 2018
- 8,145
- 478
- Parrots
- Umbrella Cockatoo- 15? years old..I think?
If it is normal now, and there are no other symptoms/concerns (assuming he has already had vet visits involving testing) then no, I wouldn't worry.
That having been said, even a healthy bird should have blood-work done etc as a means of establishing a baseline for health.
That having been said, even a healthy bird should have blood-work done etc as a means of establishing a baseline for health.
You can keep on eye on the poops see if happens again. If you don't weigh your bird then start, you can get a gram kitchen scale at Walmart and such. I have my GCC sit on a square dish that has her favorite safflower seeds abd it's easy to weigh her. As Noodles said, 9 times out of ten, birds act seem normal even if they are very sick. Not saying your is, just that they evolved to hide illnesses, so not to attract predators, and not to be kicked out if the flock, or even killed by the flock. That's why so often people find out their burd is sick when it is found dead...one watery dropping doesn't make your bird sick, but keep watching. We are all poop watchers here 
start keeping a weight diary. You can also look into probiotics, Noodles and ElkenD recommend them to me, and I am happy with the results. But never add them to water, just sprinkle on food.
start keeping a weight diary. You can also look into probiotics, Noodles and ElkenD recommend them to me, and I am happy with the results. But never add them to water, just sprinkle on food.
EllenD
New member
- Aug 20, 2016
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- Senegal Parrot named "Kane"; Yellow-Sided Green Cheek Conure named "Bowie"; Blue Quaker Parrot named "Lita Ford"; Cockatiel named "Duff"; 8 American/English Budgie Hybrids; Ringneck Dove named "Dylan"
If he "took a bath" the day that his poop was runny/watery, it's possible that he might have had too much water to drink from the bath, that can cause it, or if he ate more fresh fruit or veggies than he normally does, that can cause it too...
***Honestly, it would be a really good idea for you to take him to either a Certified Avian Vet or an Avian Specialist Vet for a Wellness-Exam anyway, if he hasn't had one recently, and since we're at the end of the year it's a good time to do it anyway...All yearly Wellness-Exams need to include sending a Fecal Culture out to a lab for testing and then also having the CAV do microscopy/gram-staining on it immediately in the office during your visit. You should have this done at the very least once a year, along with a complete visual and physical exam, and then also complete Baseline Blood-Work. All parrots should have this done at least once a year by a CAV, due to how well they hide all outward signs of illness and pain...Usually when we as their owners first notice that our birds are or may be sick, they have actually been sick for weeks to months at that point already...
So if I were you, I'd call your CAV and make an appointment for at least a Fecal Culture to be sent out for testing and then also to be Gram-Stained in the office to rule-out that your bird has any Bacterial, Fungal, or Protozoan GI infections, and if he hasn't had his full Wellness Exam then I'd suggest that too...Gastrointestinal infections can linger for months and months, even years without detection or treatment, especially in our pets, and particularly in birds. We don't always look at their droppings, and GI infections tend to ebb and flow depending on what they are eating...So if your bird has a GI Fungal/Yeast infection and his droppings finally become watery to the point that you noticed it, if your bird then goes a day without eating many fresh veggies or fruit and only eats a lot of solid, dry food like pellets, seeds, etc., then this can cause his droppings to normalize or at least "appear normal" the next day, and then you think he's fine, etc. So my point is that he's probably fine, it was probably just related to what he was eating, but with birds you shouldn't chance it, and if he hasn't had a complete Wellness-Exam that included Fecal and Blood testing this year or if it's due again, then this is the time to do it...
***Honestly, it would be a really good idea for you to take him to either a Certified Avian Vet or an Avian Specialist Vet for a Wellness-Exam anyway, if he hasn't had one recently, and since we're at the end of the year it's a good time to do it anyway...All yearly Wellness-Exams need to include sending a Fecal Culture out to a lab for testing and then also having the CAV do microscopy/gram-staining on it immediately in the office during your visit. You should have this done at the very least once a year, along with a complete visual and physical exam, and then also complete Baseline Blood-Work. All parrots should have this done at least once a year by a CAV, due to how well they hide all outward signs of illness and pain...Usually when we as their owners first notice that our birds are or may be sick, they have actually been sick for weeks to months at that point already...
So if I were you, I'd call your CAV and make an appointment for at least a Fecal Culture to be sent out for testing and then also to be Gram-Stained in the office to rule-out that your bird has any Bacterial, Fungal, or Protozoan GI infections, and if he hasn't had his full Wellness Exam then I'd suggest that too...Gastrointestinal infections can linger for months and months, even years without detection or treatment, especially in our pets, and particularly in birds. We don't always look at their droppings, and GI infections tend to ebb and flow depending on what they are eating...So if your bird has a GI Fungal/Yeast infection and his droppings finally become watery to the point that you noticed it, if your bird then goes a day without eating many fresh veggies or fruit and only eats a lot of solid, dry food like pellets, seeds, etc., then this can cause his droppings to normalize or at least "appear normal" the next day, and then you think he's fine, etc. So my point is that he's probably fine, it was probably just related to what he was eating, but with birds you shouldn't chance it, and if he hasn't had a complete Wellness-Exam that included Fecal and Blood testing this year or if it's due again, then this is the time to do it...
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