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Post by sundevil on Aug 15, 2021 18:23:25 GMT -5
Hi, all. I'm new to the forum and a relatively new Quaker parrot owner.
2 weeks ago, our 1 year old Quaker parrot started stumbling while walking. Now, he is having a hard time balancing.
We found that he was eating the fabric off of a "happy hut" in his cage, and we removed that toy (which made him really angry and upset). It's only been 2 days since we removed the toy, but could that be the culprit?
He was on a seed diet in his food cups, and we supplemented that with fresh fruits and veggies. I have now switched him to pellets and am giving him avian vitamins in case of a nutritional issue.
Any advice? We're monitoring him, and if his condition does not improve, we're taking him to the vet (but there are limited avian vets in our area).
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Post by cnyguy on Aug 15, 2021 19:55:40 GMT -5
Welcome! Sorry that your QP is having balance issues. A vet visit is the best idea. A veterinarian, if not avian certified, at least experienced in treating birds, would be best able to determine the cause of your parrot's problem and know what steps to take to correct it. There are so many things that might make a parrot lose its balance and stumble, such as injury to a foot or leg, or it could be the result of some treatable illnesses. Do try to take your QP to a vet.
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Post by Caseysmom on Aug 15, 2021 21:30:19 GMT -5
Hi and welcome, I agree he should see a vet. He could have ingested some of the fabric have an impacted crop or blockage somewhere. Years ago Casey was acting off and not eating properly, then on Father’s Day he projectile vomited some strings from his rope perch. We pulled that out fast and now he only has wood perches. It could be anything, that’s why a vet would be the best help
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Post by sundevil on Aug 17, 2021 19:01:55 GMT -5
Well, I took our baby quaker to the vet yesterday. We did a fecal exam and x-rays. Everything is normal for the fecal results. The x-rays were to look for bone abnormalities and the possible presence of metals (check for ingestion and lead poisoning). X-rays were normal too.
So, unfortunately, we still don't know what's wrong.
The vet suggested a blood draw, but he really doesn't know what to test for...
Any of your thoughts or ideas 💡 🤔 would be helpful.
Also, is it possible that he has an inner ear infection? How do I test for this or treat it?
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Post by ricospet2020 on Aug 17, 2021 19:56:47 GMT -5
Well, I took our baby quaker to the vet yesterday. We did a fecal exam and x-rays. Everything is normal for the fecal results. The x-rays were to look for bone abnormalities and the possible presence of metals (check for ingestion and lead poisoning). X-rays were normal too. So, unfortunately, we still don't know what's wrong. The vet suggested a blood draw, but he really doesn't know what to test for... Any of your thoughts or ideas 💡 🤔 would be helpful. Also, is it possible that he has an inner ear infection? How do I test for this or treat it? I don't think ear infection is a thing with birds. You may need to find a vet that knows how to do blood tests. Just in case there's something wrong. Usually by the time you can visibly tell something is wrong with your bird, it's too late. My Quaker stumbles from time to time too, but I think for him, it's about him getting ahead of himself. He is determined to get from point A to point B as quick as possible. Also when we took him to the vet, we got his nails trimmed and that threw him off for a bit. I know people all have different experiences with huts but I've been told for a while that huts in general are a bad idea. Mostly because they can ingest the materials and can kill them. Also huts make them territorial and will get them to start nesting if they are female. Those are just some things I've heard about them. My Quaker wants to chew and eat everything possible (I think he was a dog in his previous life lol) and a lot of things that other people can have around their birds, sadly I cannot... Rico will destroy everything he can get ahold of. lol |
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Post by sundevil on Aug 19, 2021 13:17:44 GMT -5
Thank you very much for the response. Our vet is now recommending a blood draw to get a chemistry panel and CBC.
We are monitoring Wangja, our Quaker, right now and are worried about a blood draw on him. We don't want him hurt or too stressed now.
Any other suggestions or experience with bird blood draws?
Thank you.
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Post by heatherg on Sept 2, 2022 21:05:40 GMT -5
When my Lucy had a blood draw four years ago, the vet gave anaesthetic to facilitate the blood draw. Previously they could not get blood from her.
I hope you have found out what is going on with your Quaker. So many things could be going on but a blood draw and cbc would be a good first step.
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