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Post by quinn83 on Dec 6, 2014 13:09:52 GMT -5
My quaker Romeo has recently had a change of diet from his previous owner. She had him only eating seeds nuts and dried fruit and I read somewhere that thats not good. So I bought a pellet blend food. He was not happy about that but he has eaten it fine. But his poop seems to be unhealthy now. First it turned red but now its all clear. Is this because of the food change or is it time to go to the vet? Any advice would be appreciated I'm so worried..
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Post by easttex on Dec 6, 2014 14:18:38 GMT -5
Excellent move, getting him on pellets. It's usually advisable to change them over gradually, but if they will take to pellets right away, it's hard to justify keeping them on an unhealthy diet. The diet change can cause changes in the poop. If the pellets are colored, like some of the veggie or fruit blends, he may have picked out a bunch of one color. If the color corresponds to what he's eating, no problem. (Hopefully the color is only there for visual appeal and doesn't indicate different nutrition.) As for the clear, if it happens occasionally, I wouldn't worry. You will see that sometimes shortly after a big drink of water or eating fruit. How long has it been since you've seen any solids or white urates? |
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Post by quinn83 on Dec 6, 2014 15:12:45 GMT -5
Excellent move, getting him on pellets. It's usually advisable to change them over gradually, but if they will take to pellets right away, it's hard to justify keeping them on an unhealthy diet. The diet change can cause changes in the poop. If the pellets are colored, like some of the veggie or fruit blends, he may have picked out a bunch of one color. If the color corresponds to what he's eating, no problem. (Hopefully the color is only there for visual appeal and doesn't indicate different nutrition.) As for the clear, if it happens occasionally, I wouldn't worry. You will see that sometimes shortly after a big drink of water or eating fruit. How long has it been since you've seen any solids or white urates? I just noticed the clear with very little solids and almost no white this morning. Am I just overreacting? |
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Post by easttex on Dec 6, 2014 16:35:41 GMT -5
You're wise to keep on eye on the poop. It's one of not too many visual clues you get when something is off with a bird. As long as you're getting some with a normal composition, I wouldn't worry about it. Chalk it up to good hydration. Stress can also cause it, but he doesn't sound like a stressed out bird.  If it continues today, I would make sure he is actually eating the new food and not just playing with it. If he isn't eating, you can go back and mix some of the old in with the new, and make the change gradually. If that doesn't seem to be it, then a vet visit is probably in order. |
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Post by Jan and Shah on Dec 7, 2014 15:49:24 GMT -5
Just keep an eye on it. If Shah drinks a lot of water, then it is clear. If he eats grapes (peeled of course), the same thing happens. But it will change consistency during the day depending on what he is munching on. If it remains clear, then a vet trip would be the wisest course. However, if it is just an occasional clear one and you know what he has been eating, then dont worry.
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Post by biteybird on Dec 8, 2014 1:31:30 GMT -5
If he eats grapes (peeled of course), the same thing happens. Whoops, should I be peeling the grapes I give Bonnie? I haven't so far... |
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Post by easttex on Dec 8, 2014 9:44:26 GMT -5
One of my favorite movie lines: Buelah, peel me a grape. One of Mae West's, and just seems so decadent.
I would try to give her organics if possible, and still wash them well. If you get a lot of imported fruit, it might be worth your while to watch the country of origin. Some countries more strictly regulate pesticide use than others do. The U.S. is pretty strict, and I would assume Australia is, also. I don't know how much difference it makes to peel the really thin skinned fruits, though it can't hurt.
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Post by Jan and Shah on Dec 8, 2014 15:43:12 GMT -5
I peel the grapes as I dont know if pesticides have been used. Everything is soaked in hot water and a preparation called KD powder (purchased from the vet) as I have had problems with Shah picking up bacterias from fruit and vegetables in the past. I dont buy anything from the supermarket.
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Post by biteybird on Dec 8, 2014 17:27:07 GMT -5
I dont buy anything from the supermarket. Whoa, it seems I need quite a bit of educating in these matters.  I'll look into it - thanks, Easttex and Jan. |
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Post by quinn83 on Dec 9, 2014 0:14:26 GMT -5
Just thought I'd let you all know Romeo is just fine, and poop is back to "normal". Also I did not know about the peeled grapes thing, great information! Thank you all for you advice in this! |
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Post by muffinsowner on Dec 16, 2014 8:55:29 GMT -5
I am also a bit concerned about my bird's poop. Im not sure if I should start a new thread, but anyway......My friends bought me a yellow quaker a couple of weeks ago. Im not sure about it's gender, so I chose to think of Muffin as male. Several days ago I stopped feeding him "baby food". Recently, I started to notice that his poop is actually kind of watery. It looks like a drop of water with some green mess inside. I also have a budgie (Ren) and her poop normally looks like a green snake "embracing" a white egg. (Sorry, I am a foreigner. I just don't know how to describe it properly) . So comparing to Ren's Muffin's poop does seem abnormal to me. I usually feed him seed mix which is basically a mix of food for chicks and food for adult birds. I also give him Chinese cabbage and carrot every day, although he just chews it and doesn't seem to swallow anything. Should I be worried?
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Post by easttex on Dec 16, 2014 13:55:37 GMT -5
I think your description is excellent - it really conjured up a picture for me.
You should be seeing three components in his droppings. Green solid, clear urine, and white urates. You won't necessarily see all three every time, but over the course of time, you should. As long as there is some form to the green part, it wouldn't be considered diarrhea. Shortly after he drinks lots of water or eats fruit, you would expect to see the clear stuff, otherwise you don't notice it much.
It's a good idea to take a new bird for an avian vet check when you first adopt. Along with establishing a health baseline, you get some very good advice on what to expect and what to look for, and recommendations for the best diet. That's my recommendation. |
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Post by muffinsowner on Dec 18, 2014 2:36:17 GMT -5
Thank you for the advice.
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If it continues today, I would make sure he is actually eating the new food and not just playing with it. If he isn't eating, you can go back and mix some of the old in with the new, and make the change gradually. If that doesn't seem to be it, then a vet visit is probably in order.
I'll look into it - thanks, Easttex and Jan.