Urgent Baby with Nutritional Deficiency

[IttyBittyBirds]

As some of you know I brought home a baby Black Capped Conure under 2 months ago. His feather condition was not great, but I was told he would molt out of it and that was just stress from being at a store. When I was going to being him home, they decided to keep him longer as he wasn’t weaning as well as the others his age.

Since I brought him home he had been ok, and in a serious molt, but just hasn’t been thriving like I thought he should. On Thursday I brought him to a vet as he had been starting to act lethargic. The vet said nothing was outwardly wrong on exam, but I opted to run blood panels to be sure.

Today I got the results and while I am received he is disease free, good liver values and no infection, he is lacking in a few nutritional areas. I am not surprised based on his activity level and feather condition, plus I have been having the HARDEST time getting him to eat anything but the mix he was weaned onto. So, the vet recommended I start formula again, which I got him to take some already, but any tips on converting a baby to a healthy diet who is literally willing to deprive himself of food and loose weight rather than eat it?

He always has access to:
Harrison’s HP - doesn’t touch
Roudybush - doesn’t touch
Caitec oven fresh bites -will pick at
A small amount of the seed/nut/dried fruit mix he was weaned onto - pretty much only eats this.
Fresh Veggies & fruit (won’t even try)

He also gets offered as treats:
Caitec cookies - loves
Harrison’s bird bread - will pick at
Cookable foods - will pick out some grains but leave all veggies

Please help me figure out how to get my poor guy healthy. He is so young and I am scared he will starve himself before eating healthy

Pic of him at the vet on Thurs and in his cage this afternoon.

 

[finchly]

Laura, please consider joining Dr. Jason Crean’s group on FB “Avian Raw Nutrition” or something close to that. If not on FB you can get some information from the website beaksbirdhouse.com.

Dr. Crean and some others have a site C4AW.org, their whole purpose is to address nutrition in birds. You could probably write to him or one of the others about the situation and they’ll guide you.

I have not transitioned to “all” raw but we’re pretty close. I can tell my birds are healthier. Also if you can’t get your baby to try the pellets, you might want to either buy one size smaller, or use warm water to make them into a mash.

 

[IttyBittyBirds]

Laura, please consider joining Dr. Jason Crean’s group on FB “Avian Raw Nutrition” or something close to that. If not on FB you can get some information from the website beaksbirdhouse.com.

Dr. Crean and some others have a site C4AW.org, their whole purpose is to address nutrition in birds. You could probably write to him or one of the others about the situation and they’ll guide you.

I have not transitioned to “all” raw but we’re pretty close. I can tell my birds are healthier. Also if you can’t get your baby to try the pellets, you might want to either buy one size smaller, or use warm water to make them into a mash.

Laura, please consider joining Dr. Jason Crean’s group on FB “Avian Raw Nutrition” or something close to that. If not on FB you can get some information from the website beaksbirdhouse.com.

Dr. Crean and some others have a site C4AW.org, their whole purpose is to address nutrition in birds. You could probably write to him or one of the others about the situation and they’ll guide you.

I have not transitioned to “all” raw but we’re pretty close. I can tell my birds are healthier. Also if you can’t get your baby to try the pellets, you might want to either buy one size smaller, or use warm water to make them into a mash.

Thanks so much for the advice! I will deff look into the group and I will try a separate bowl with some moist pellets in the am! I guess I have been spoiled. My birds growing up we’re all good eaters and Waldo was a breeze to transition, and will try anything. He lives for chop and any raw/cooked vegetable! He will even go to town on greens just clipped in his cage. This little guy is just soooooo picky. Anyway thanks again so much!!

 

[finchly]

You are most welcome! I know what you mean. I have some that eat with gusto and some who turn up their beakies.

 

[JLcribber]

There's an important aspect of feeding that you're missing. Eating is a social activity. Birds learn what to eat (or bathe or whatever) by example. That example is set by the ones they trust. So if you have a relationship with this bird you need to literally "share" the eating experience and eat together face to face. This helps with bonding, trust as well as learning. Teach him what to eat (or at least pretend to).

 

[IttyBittyBirds]

There's an important aspect of feeding that you're missing. Eating is a social activity. Birds learn what to eat (or bathe or whatever) by example. That example is set by the ones they trust. So if you have a relationship with this bird you need to literally "share" the eating experience and eat together face to face. This helps with bonding, trust as well as learning. Teach him what to eat.

I have tried that many times (pretty much daily since he has been here). He will touch his tongue to things and taste, but not actually eat any pellets or veggies

 

[IttyBittyBirds]

I am seriously about to drive a state over to the big bird store and buy every high quality pellet on the market for him to try. I haven’t tried TOPs yet or Zupreem Naturals. Maybe he will try those??

 

[finchly]

TOPS is aa really great pellet. It’d be great if he’d eat that one!

 

[IttyBittyBirds]

TOPS is aa really great pellet. It’d be great if he’d eat that one!

I am willing to try anything!!

 

[finchly]

In my experience, just sit down with a bowl of cereal and say no you can’t have it. They go after it like mad.
Organic cereal with almond milk.

 

[IttyBittyBirds]

I forgot to mention, sprouts are a daily thing with veggies and fruit and shocking they are a no try too. Really thought he would like them since he eats seeds. Ugh.

 

[IttyBittyBirds]

Well he did pretty well with the formula this am so at least least he took something healthy in. I bought some zupreem pellets to try. I know the colored ones aren’t the best, but I am desperate. I tried “eating” them, handfeeding them, dipping them in formula (he ate the formula off then spat them out) and feeding them wet...nothing actually got consumed. Just thrown about. Ugh. He has access to all of them in his cage anyways. So stressful. Trying to decide if I should drive and hour and a half to get TOPs or just order some to try. Pic of all of the shunned pellets so far

 

[Hankmacaw]

IMO - Tops are not all that great. They have no supplemental vitamins nor minerals and it is almost impossible to supply complete nutritional needs with out a fully nutritional pellet. Tops also does not have any vitamin D3, which is critical for your bird's health (calcium utilization). Your Harrison's and Roudybush are the very best you could have given him - but if he won't eat them they aren't any good.

Could you put him on formula like your vet said and start the process all over? All necessary nutrients are available in the baby bird formulas. Just start over from the beginning - hand feed him until he looks and acts better, then start adding vegetables and fruits for him to play with or eat. You know the drill.

 

[finchly]

IMO - Tops are not all that great. They have no supplemental vitamins nor minerals and it is almost impossible to supply complete nutritional needs with out a fully nutritional pellet. Tops also does not have any vitamin D3, which is critical for your bird's health (calcium utilization). Your Harrison's and Roudybush are the very best you could have given him - but if he won't eat them they aren't any good.

Sorry but this is a myth that keeps being perpetuated on this board. I disagree.

TOPS doesn't "supplement" because they have food, real food, with the ingredients. For example there's someone here who always says it doesn't have vitamin D, well that's in the alfalfa. (also A, B, C and some minerals). And since all the other pellets are heat treated, they may not have any viable nutrients left but they can advertise it and say they put it in there, and you will buy into their story and purchase the product.

TOPS is cold pressed, not extruded. They are certified organic. And personally, just like my own diet, I'd prefer that my birbs get their nutrition from real food, not synthetic stuff that they may or may not be able to absorb.

 

[iamwhoiam]

Also check into Mazuri Small Bird Maintenance. My conure used to eat the Zupreem and then I tried to switch him. Roudybush and Caitec were failures but he seems to eat the Mazuri. Sometimes it takes a while to get them to start eating pellets. How long did you try each brand?
Small Bird Maintenance Diet | Mazuri® Exotic Animal Nutrition

 

[IttyBittyBirds]

IMO - Tops are not all that great. They have no supplemental vitamins nor minerals and it is almost impossible to supply complete nutritional needs with out a fully nutritional pellet. Tops also does not have any vitamin D3, which is critical for your bird's health (calcium utilization). Your Harrison's and Roudybush are the very best you could have given him - but if he won't eat them they aren't any good.

Could you put him on formula like your vet said and start the process all over? All necessary nutrients are available in the baby bird formulas. Just start over from the beginning - hand feed him until he looks and acts better, then start adding vegetables and fruits for him to play with or eat. You know the drill.

Thank you!! That is pretty much where we are at right now trying to bump up his weight with formula and then try to re-wean. It just makes me so sad that a less than 6 month old bird can be doing so poorly. I feel like such a failure.

 

[IttyBittyBirds]

Also check into Mazuri Small Bird Maintenance. My conure used to eat the Zupreem and then I tried to switch him. Roudybush and Caitec were failures but he seems to eat the Mazuri. Sometimes it takes a while to get them to start eating pellets. How long did you try each brand?
Small Bird Maintenance Diet | Mazuri® Exotic Animal Nutrition

Thanks! I will try that. The Harrison’s and Roudybush he has has since I got him 6 weeks ago. I added the Caitec shortly after Bc he wasn’t touching them. The zupreem I just got today so right now he has access to all of them in his cage.

 

[Birdbabe]

What John said @JLcribber , you need to teach, pretend to eat, whatever,,Show him its yummy stuff! You'll get there...let us know how going..

 

[Hankmacaw]

@finchly - as with so many times, I will take my veterinarians word for the quality of Tops and the word of many other "experts" and not laymen. You aren't a bird so why should you get the same as your bird? Cold pressed, smould pressed - just about as valuable as organic. Read some of the follow up studies (About 150 of them) that have said that after 15 years of people on an organic diet, as opposed to no-organic, there was no difference in the participants' health. Organic is just a way to get into your pocket.

What in the heck do you call real food - I assure all of the ingredients in Harrison's, Roudybush etc., etc are real food. The same foods that people eat.

You have really and truly drank the Kool-Aid and listened to every snake oil salesman who comes by.

 

[saroj12]

Sorry but this is a myth that keeps being perpetuated on this board. I disagree.

TOPS doesn't "supplement" because they have food, real food, with the ingredients. For example there's someone here who always says it doesn't have vitamin D, well that's in the alfalfa. (also A, B, C and some minerals). And since all the other pellets are heat treated, they may not have any viable nutrients left but they can advertise it and say they put it in there, and you will buy into their story and purchase the product.

TOPS is cold pressed, not extruded. They are certified organic. And personally, just like my own diet, I'd prefer that my birbs get their nutrition from real food, not synthetic stuff that they may or may not be able to absorb.

No D3