older bird care (advice)

[mindee77]

I have a older cockatiel that is a rescue bird. When I got him never never been out of the cage. His cage was MINE.. STAY OUT.. Don't Touch Me!!! He was not fed daily. So with that said I was able to get him out and he found out he loved loved to fly. Month later we rescued another male. Punker and Gravity hhhhhhh instant bond. The owner to Punker told me he was a older bird when he got him. So now he can't fly no lift. He drops right to the ground. On the ladder on his playpen he looks at it and it trys a few times to go up it but most times he doesn't even try. What can I do to help???

 

[Chopper]

Try having him step up to a perch...then move the perch up and down (with him on it) and hopefully he will flap his wings.

I rescued a bird about 3 weeks ago and I started doing this. When I first started he would only flap his wings a little bit. I do it several times a day. Monday of this week he flew to the floor - surprised us both (and the feathers on his wings don't look like they would even carry him to the ground). Last night he flew to the floor again.

You will be able to tell from the weight on the perch when his wings start getting stronger.

 

[mindee77]

I will try that but it's like it hurts him to fly.. When birds get old do they usually stop flying? When his friend Gravity fly's he really tries but its straight down to the ground! I will work with him to try to make him stronger.. Thanks Chopper.

 

[Chopper]

I don't know if they stop flying...I hope not. But build up those wing muscles. Slowly. He's probably forgotten what his wings do.

 

[webchirp]

I am not sure I would help or promote flying/movements until checked by a vet. He probably has arthritis in his wing joints if it looks like it hurts him to fly. Hachi has arthritis in her hocks and legs as well as her wing joints (verified on xray). She hunches a lot when she sits too. When I first got her last year we put her on Celebrex, milk thistle/dandelion, vitamin b and omega heart oil. She started to move around and actually exercise her wings! She will fly if startled but it's like slow motion flying and not far. Dr. O said flying takes a ton of energy that is harder for the older guys. Hachi had a recent decline and Dr. O thought perhaps she had small fractures in her feet (xrays) since she did not want to move so now she is on tramadol as well. I also had her in a larger cage and have downsized back to the smaller finch flight. All perches, toys and bowls are on one level. She only has to move side to side, no climbing. She cannot climb out of her cage and waddles slowly when walking across the top. She will tell me to 'come ere' when she wants to sit with me or become agitated when she wants to go back for food/drinks/potty breaks. The celebrex and tramadol have worked wonders for her pain as well as cutting out unnecessary movements. Conserve the energy and wear and tear on joints and ligaments. She is also on glucosmaine to help her joints now. We did try ginseng but it made her tired and we stopped.

Med List - Doseage based on weight (60grams)
Celebrex - .03ml (x 2 per day) - joint pain/inflammation
MT/D - .06ml (x 2 per day) - liver
Vitamin b - .02ml (x 2 per day) - tiredness
Tramadol - .09ml (x 2 per day) - pain
Glucosamine - .02ml (x1 per day) -joint
Omega heart oil - .03ml (x1 per day)

 

[mindee77]

I thought maybe it was Arthritis because at first he could fly great than in time it's gone down hill. Its sad because he will want to go with his friend but its just too much. In his cage he still climbs up and down but like you said in slow slow motion. Maybe its time to see the vet. I already lost one don't want to lose another. With all the other things you have yours on do I need a prescription? I know for pain but the others?

 

[webchirp]

All were compounded by the vet. The doses are so small that a bottle should last a bit.

 

[Clueless]

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Poo may change color?