Mika put on some holiday grams

[jenseits]

I'm definitely going to take Mika to the vet to have her checked out. So, now that that disclaimer is out of the way...

Have any of you had your pionus gain a lot of weight really rapidly?

Mika (white capped pionus) has been a little heavy for a long time, but it seem manageable and not super alarming. Just something to pay attention to. Every once in a while, her weight goes up past where I'm comfortable and I then pay more attention to limiting her food (otherwise she free feeds).

Last time I took her for a checkup and the vet said "did you know she lost some weight?" and I thought "good, the plan is working". Well, somehow in a very short amount of time, she's gotten legit fat. I was trying to get and keep her under 140 grams and I put her on the scale tonight and she weighed 159! wtf?! Prior to noticing that she was getting chunky, she was in the mid-140s which is already too heavy, but where did that extra 15 grams come from?

Unless my scale is broken, her weight also swings wildly over a few days.

Other notes: She doesn't seem ill or lethargic. She's still flying, easily and enthusiastically.

Any of you have a similar experience? Ideas about what might be causing this?

 

[Mizzely]

Perhaps a full crop?

 

[Begone]

A full crop and just drank a lot of water?
Their weigh is not the only way to tell if they are healthy or not.
If you know that she is eating right and are allowed to fly and exercise accept her weigh.

I will say that 140 gr is way to little for a WC. Who told you that was a good weigh for her?
Read this thread: Pionus weigh in!!! | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum

 

[Fuzzy]

I agree with you, Eloy, that 140gms seems rather little for a WCP. Can you feel her breast bone? Pionus are meant to be chunky (lots of breast muscle) birds hence the name Pionus which means fat parrot.

 

[jenseits]

Augh, sorry TYPOS! 240 not 140! (yeah, that's makes a big difference. No way would I want her anywhere near 140. lol)

Her vets all thought 240 was a bit high but fine because she was otherwise healthy. When I first got her she was under 200g!! She slowly got heavier and heavier and settled around the mid-240s and was there for years.

I can no longer feel her keel bone. She's got that "two pack" with the line down the middle which indicates too much fat (at least that's what I've heard about overweight amazons). He belly is definitely very squishy (more so than before).

 

[Fuzzy]

Ah ha! Yes 240gms is big for a WCP! I wonder if she is getting ready for eggs? I know about that two pack.... one of my Amazons has that! She is overweight too. I have a friend with a WCP who also has a weight problem. She always puts on weight quickly before eggs. Probably best to weigh her in the morning before food.

 

[jenseits]

I wonder if she is getting ready for eggs? [...] I have a friend with a WCP who also has a weight problem. She always puts on weight quickly before eggs.

On the one hand, it would be nice if there was a reason to explain the very rapid gain other than "she's really sick!" and on the other hand ... MIKA NOOOOOOOOOO! I really don't want her laying eggs. That's been one of my nightmares. She's always behaved a bit "nesty" (or that's my interpretation at least). She wants to crawl under and into things, which I always discourage. She's a shameless masturbator (sorry, but you Pi owners know how they can be). Now that I'm thinking about it, maybe those behaviors have ramped up a bit recently too. I guess it's a real possibility. I'll talk to the vet about it.

lol, yeah, a 140g WCP would be tiny! I was so confused when everyone was saying that was little until I re-read what I wrote. 240 grams (and closer to 160grams on Friday). She's a big girl!