Wing Flipping Advice

[EkkieLuv]

No, nothing there sounds problematic. Is she getting any other foods or treats at all? If it IS food-related, it can take a while to see improvement. I would give it a little more time... you just moved a few days ago so stress could be a factor. Hang in there!

 

[Shinobi]

I would find a good avian vet, one that has Eclectus experience and take her for a blood test. There are a lot of reasons for wing flipping and toe tapping. Rather then guessing what could be the reason or reasons, I would be a bit more methodical in this issue and a blood test would high-light any chemical imbalances and what needs to be done to correct it.

 

[EkkieLuv]

Have you seen any improvement with the wing flipping now that you've been settled in a couple weeks??

 

[mars]

Hi! Thanks for checking in! And unfortunately not, no. It's not as intense, but pretty constant. She has an appt tomorrow to get a blood panel and thorough checkup, but I have this weird feeling her numbers will be pretty normal. We will see! I'll update when I hear back!

 

[EkkieLuv]

Good luck at the vet! Hopefully they have experience with wing flipping and Eclectus parrots.... will be interested to hear what they say!

 

[mars]

Well - I've got the blood results back. Nothing too unexpected - I'll just post them here:

Avian/Reptile CBC - plasma: clear, golden
PCV: 53 %
Total Solids: 5.6 g/dl
WBC Estimate: 7,800 cells/uL

Heterophil %: 54 %
Lymphocyte %: 43 %
Monocyte %: 3 %
Thrombocytes: Present
Morphology: Within normal limits. No hemoparasites observed.

AST 350 130-350U/L
BA <35* 33-154 umo\L
CK 157 45-265 U/L
UA 3.5 2.0-10.0 mg/dL
GLU 281 220-350 mg/dL
CA++ 8.9 8.0-13.0 mg/dL
PHOS 2.3* 3.1-5.5 mg/dL
TP 4.2 3.0-5.0 g/dL
ALB 3.0 1.9-3.5 g/dL
GLOB 1.2 g/dL
K+ 4.7* 3.0-4.5 mmo\L
NA+ 147 136-152 mmo\L

QCOK
HEM 0 , LIP 0 , ICT 1+


So, fairly good. I probably need to stop giving her bananas every day, and feed something with more phosphorus. The vet recommended TOPs, and I have ordered some... Really just not sure what to do, you know?

 

[EkkieLuv]

Nothing is way out of range so that's good! Did the vet have any insight into the wing flipping? Glad to hear they recommended a good pellet.

 

[mars]

Really no. I'm following up with her over email. But she was pretty "we don't know why this happens". She said food allergies are definitely a possibility. I'm glad her levels are decent, though.

 

[CaliEckies]

I have taken in a few rescue Eclectus Parrots over the years and found them homes and many had been on pellet diets prior. They have the wing flapping and toe tapping some had one or the other.
I remove ALL pellets. IMO Eckies dont need pellets at all... no reason to give it to them. I provide fresh fruit and veggies along with nuts and sprouts and birdy mash. No pellets are needed in their diets.
It may take a few months but you will also see a brightness to her coloring and the blue on her shoulders and chest will get very glossy.

 

[mars]

I'll take that under advisement, thanks.

She still mostly eats fruits and veggies, and I had her completely off of pellets for well over a month with no results. I'm pretty happy with the ingredients in the ones she's started on now. If it doesn't improve in another month, I'll try something else. I will say her feathers are very glossy! So she's got that going for her lol

 

[CaliEckies]

You wont see results in a month. It will take a few months to see results and sometimes up to a year. Their body has to naturally remove the build up then once the levels are lower you will see the decrease and hopefully she will stop the flapping.

 

[Debra Wynn]

I have a 5 mth ekkie that just started wing flipping a couple days ago . No toe tapping . He was on Harrison mix and very few pellets... i started giving him fresh veggies and fruits . What do I do

 

[CaliEckies]

I prefer 0 pellets. Sprouts, nuts, veggies, fruit, mash and a small amount of a quality seed mix with little to no sunflowers.
Are you sure it's the true wing flapping though he's very young to have it. When do you notice it and is he in a full up right position or bent over?

 

[CaliEckies]

Something else to note almost all vets will recommend pellets. Just like almost all dog vets recommend kibble.
It has to do with their training and also liability. Most owners of both exotic and non-exotic pets are not equipt to provide a balanced organic 0 processed diet so the easiest thing is to recommend a man made commercial product instead.

 

[Nikomania]

Do you give her nuts? Too much protein can contribute to toe tapping and wing flapping. If you do give her protein foods such as nuts, try cutting those out to see if there's any difference.