8 year old eclectus suddenly flicking

[Tikisong305]

Joey, our 8 year old has suddenly started flicking his wings. It's almost constant but more at night and it goes on almost all night long. He's also less curious, less social and he seeks out darkness. He had a stressful summer but life has been back to normal for almost a month before the flicking and other behavior changes . His diet has been pretty much the same his whole life.

He's not losing feathers, his grip is strong, his appetite is consistent...he's just not himself.

I appreciate any thoughts or ideas. Thanks!

 

[Hankmacaw]

I'm not an Ekkie expert, but I do know that the majority of toe tapping and wing flipping in Ekkies is caused by diet. Pellets seem to be the biggest offenders. Some Ekkie people will be along to help you.

@EkkieLuv @Milo

 

[Milo]

Definitely take him in for a vet check. The exact cause of toe tapping and wing flipping isn't known, but one thought is nerve pain. I'm not a huge believer in true allergies in eclectus parrots due to the fact that allergies have not been well described in parrots. It's not even fully known how their white blood cells function in comparison to those of mammals (for instance birds, even those who seem "allergic" to something, don't have an increase in the cell type that is generally associated with allergies). However, I do think that they could be less tolerant of different sources of vitamins and minerals, specifically vitamin A, and that can cause overstimulation and some nerve pain.

I would recommend an exam and a complete blood count and chemistry to help rule out illness and go from there.

Has anything changed in his environment?

I wanted to add that Rosco's diet is primarily Harrison's coarse pellets, whole almonds in the shell, and a salad of fresh stuff I make every day. I tried Zupreem pellets but he wasn't able to tolerate them, they use a different source of vitamin A. He has also had success with Goldn Obles in the past but I had a lot of difficulty finding them consistently.

 

[Tikisong305]

As I said we had a disruptive summer. He's moved around a lot in the last six months but he's always been with me. I hand raised him from a baby. His diet hasn't changed at all... rowdy bush, a weekly hard boiled egg, corn and a variety of what he steals off my dinner plate. Except now he never comes near me, even when I'm eating his favorite foods.

He became less active about 2 months ago after a vet trimmed his beak and toes. A few weeks later, he started flipping during a hurricane evacuation. Then last week he broke a blood feather. The vet stopped the bleeding but didn't pull the feather. So, this is a series of events but he's been increasingly uncomfortable.

Nerve pain seems possible because he doesn't like to be held anymore. He was a very cuddly bird before.

I'm going find a new aviary vet this week.

Thanks for the advice and feel free to add any additional thoughts or suggestions.

 

[EkkieLuv]

Wow - definitely sounds like there's been lots of stress for him - and you as well!! Where do you live, out of curiosity? You mentioned hurricane... I'm in Houston. I can recommend my Avian vet but if you're not near here maybe someone else can give some suggestions.

Stress could certainly be a factor here. And they are so intuitive in my experience that if nothing has changed diet-wise, no injuries, etc. then I'd probably lean toward the stress and emotional unrest that has been going on, especially if the onset was during the hurricane. I'm sure that was scary for him. I've only had limited experience with toe tapping and wing flipping. Twice was immediately after minor toe injuries and resolved within a couple weeks and some metacam. Once was after having some seed mix a few times that they usually don't get. Only 1 of them had some toe tapping and it resolved when I stopped letting him have the mix (and kept him from raiding the little conure's food bowl! LOL)

A blood workup certainly wouldn't hurt, just to cover your bases. Getting life back to normal, some TLC and hopefully it will stop. Keep us posted, please!

 

[Milo]

Does his beak overgrow?

It sounds like all of the stress could have a huge impact on why he's started to withdraw. If you think that he's painful or uncomfortable something like celebrex or gabapentin might help. I'd still recommend that a vet look him over and that you have some bloodwork done, with that much going on in his life something could happen or he may be a little immunocompromised because of all the stressors.

 

[Tikisong305]

Hi there,
We took Joey to the only bird vet in our area... not certified avian but has treated birds for 30+ years. I tried to find an avian vet but that's another story.

They examined him, kept him overnight for X-rays, blood work and exam. He diagnosed Joey with anxiety. I'm still not convinced. Does anyone have insight on blood results?

I've also taken away the roudy bush and have been giving him fruits and vegetables as suggested. He's not too happy about that but he's eating.

Thanks everyone for your advice and suggestions.

 

[Milo]

I would advise against anyone interpreting bloodwork except for a veterinarian. What did the vet think about the chems? The process to become boarded in avian medicine is long and pretty costly, if I vet regularly sees birds and practices good medicine that would be good enough for me.

Did they recommend taking away the pellets?

 

[EkkieLuv]

It doesn't sound like the vet was concerned about the blood work. And by looking at it, everything is within or very close to normal ranges. Did he give you any guidance or information about the numbers?

Has the wing flipping changed any?

 

[Danita]

Hi there,
We took Joey to the only bird vet in our area... not certified avian but has treated birds for 30+ years. I tried to find an avian vet but that's another story.

They examined him, kept him overnight for X-rays, blood work and exam. He diagnosed Joey with anxiety. I'm still not convinced. Does anyone have insight on blood results?

I've also taken away the roudy bush and have been giving him fruits and vegetables as suggested. He's not too happy about that but he's eating.

Thanks everyone for your advice and suggestions.

Are you on Facebook?
I know a woman personally who has a private group just for Ekkies. They have helped so many. It is a serious group and if they try and help you, you need to be committed to it lol
It is private, so if you want to join it, let me know and I will ask her to let you in.
They just helped this girl with her Ekkie, it was a mess. They coached her through everything and now her Ekkie is WAY better!
She is an extremely kind and knowledgable woman and surrounds herself with the same.
Let me know.

 

[Tikisong305]

Yes, Danita I would really appreciate being added. My name is very common, Tom wilson. I've requested to join a few, hopefully with your referral I'll be accepted by the one you're speaking about. Thanks so much.

He's still flipping and toe tapping. The vet prescribed a very small dose of haloperidol ( .01ml twice a day)and wants to see him in a week. I'm trying to introduce more fruits and veggies but joeys but Joey seems to hate all of it. I'm willing to commit to a plan.

Thanks !

 

[EkkieLuv]

Keep us posted. And keep trying to offer fresh foods. They will often try something if you're eating it! Have a bite, make a big deal about it - big eyes, ooohs and ahhhs, etc. I do that with my Tigger so often that he'll now say "wanna bite?" or "is it good?" when he wants something I have. LOL Also try different presentations - chunks on a skewer, different sized pieces cut up, shredded, raw, cooked... you get the point. Some even have luck with pureed veg on something familiar they like, like a bit of cracker. If he's been eating pellets, as long as there isn't a vet-directed medical reason to stop them, I would keep giving them, maybe in a smaller amount or try putting some with the fresh foods to entice him. He might more readily accept the new along with the familiar.

Some other ideas:
A healthy, veggie-packed birdie bread.
Cooked sweet potato with chopped veg mixed in. Make little balls and roll them in some unsweetened coconut shreds.
Roll up some veggie shreds in a piece of kale or lettuce, put on a skewer.

And, an almost fail-proof trick in my house - let them hang out in the kitchen with me ( I have a portable perch in there) while I cook and offer bites of whatever is safe for them as I go. They always at least TRY a bite. Definitely more than if I put it in their bowl, where they tend to make it fly across the room. LOL Oh, and they looooove to peel things so anything they can peel the skin off of seems to go over well, like peas, cooked beans (only bird-safe ones, of course), fruit with skin on it (kiwi, cucumber)...

Hope that helps

 

[janicedyh]

Please take Danita's advice. I have gotten tons of advice concerning diet there. Dobey only eats at most 3 pellets per day. I know there are people who feed pellets as the bulk of their Ekkies diet and I don't want this to end up as a debate, however, if Dobey has more than 3 he wing flips and toe taps. They are considered a treat not a vital part of his diet.

 

[Tikisong305]

Hi everyone,
Thanks for your advice and kind words. I’ve taken him off pellets completely and am only giving him fresh fruit, veggies, quinoa, brown rice and limited legumes and beans. He hates most of it but I think hes getting enough to eat.

He’s starting to lose feathers and I’ve noticed his feathers are not as full.

I really don’t think he’s stressed, other than he’s wondering why his food has changed.

Danita, Facebook sent me a message that I need to answer questions but I don’t see the questions.

Thanks for your help.

 

[janicedyh]

I give Dobey a little milk thistle every day. The best way I use it is to sprinkle it on things he is finicky about and he gobbles it up. Also, every three days he has a small amount of sustainable organic red palm oil mixed into his food. HE LOVES it!

 

[clawnz]

Joey, our 8 year old has suddenly started flicking his wings. It's almost constant but more at night and it goes on almost all night long. He's also less curious, less social and he seeks out darkness. He had a stressful summer but life has been back to normal for almost a month before the flicking and other behavior changes . His diet has been pretty much the same his whole life.

He's not losing feathers, his grip is strong, his appetite is consistent...he's just not himself.

I appreciate any thoughts or ideas. Thanks!

8yrs of build up from over supplementaion pellets! Possibly. If you were only feeding a few at a time.
Correction may take many months.
I see you stopped the pellets. Are you feeding any other fabricated foods, and any supplements?
Laurella Desborough and Stefanja are the two people I trust, for Eccy's. But I also trust myself.
And have confirmed how their whole persona can change for the better once moved on to real foods, and all fabricated thrown out.
The last time I did this was in just 5weeks, but he was young, so the build up was not bad. Just enough to make him lethargic.
Marshall story makes a very good point of how diet not only effects them health wise, but also in personality. Activity.
Marshall now is active and vocal.

Do you sprout? system cleanser, like Chilli, Dandelion, Milk or Sow thistle, will help.
Molting you can raise the protein levels while this is going on. Bee pollen is a simple way to do this. I would not be feeding any eggs like will do for protein.