Anemic cockatiel weight control

[ConureTrickster]

We recently, within the past few months, rescued a female cockatiel. We didn't know any of her history at all. So, we brought her to the vet, had her sexed, poop tested, and a full blood workup.

We had noticed upon first taking her that her weight fluctuated GREATLY and that all she'll eat is seed. We've tried three different brands of pellet and tried mixing in a small amount of pellet into her seed. When we do that though, she refuses to eat the seeds. Frustrating.

When we got back the blood test, it showed that she's slightly anemic and protein deficient.
Sooo, we started trying to get her to eat foods with protein and iron (greens, beans, quinoa, seeds with protien)... to no avail. She outright refuses to try it

I tried calling the vet to get some suggestions but they refuse to give those suggestions over the phone and want to schedule an appt and get another blood test. (Which you all know how expensive all that can be)

I weigh her every other day and keep on eye on her poop to make sure it looks healthy. She fluctuates between 88 grams to 93 grams but always feels thin (her keel always feels sharp, not rounded).

Otherwise, she's skittish but happy to sit near you, pretty active and doesn't seem weak.
I'm just worried about her feeling thin, and her anemia.

Do you all have any suggestions for what I can do for her diet? Is there a powder I haven't thought of maybe?

 

[expressmailtome]

Bump.

 

[Milo]

First off you need to determine the source of the anemia. Fecal testing might need to be repeated, if only a wet mount and a gram stain. Is she eating well? Does she act hungry all the time? Macrorhabdus (avian gastric yeast) is something that's common in small birds and can cause GI bleeding. You won't necessarily have hematochezia (blood in the feces), much of the time it's very small amounts that won't be visible to the naked eye.

Anemia can have several causes, and determining that cause is super important. It's never a normal change for birds. Did they say if it was regenerative or non-regenerative?

 

[sunnysmom]

It can be tough to get a tiel to try other foods that has only been given seeds. Millet spray can help her put on some weight. I would give my tiel about a third of a piece of millet spray a day because he too was on the smallish side. You might also want to try Nutriberries or Pellet Berries. They're nutritionally equivalent to pellets but a lot of tiels will eat them more readily than pellets. As for the other foods, just keep trying. It took my tiel months before he would start eating vegetables. You can try cutting up broccoli tops into tiny pieces as they resemble seeds that way. And try foods cut in big pieces, small pieces, etc to try to figure out what she likes. Birdie bread is another good way to sneak veggies and pellets in. And also eating foods you want your tiel to eat in front of her may also catch her interest in it.

 

[ConureTrickster]

Is she eating well? Does she act hungry all the time?
Did they say if it was regenerative or non-regenerative?

She eats well, not ravenous. Just eats when she's hungry and seeds and pellets are always available to her.

They only told us that she was slightly anemic, not anything else.

 

[ConureTrickster]

It can be tough to get a tiel to try other foods that has only been given seeds. Millet spray can help her put on some weight. I would give my tiel about a third of a piece of millet spray a day because he too was on the smallish side. You might also want to try Nutriberries or Pellet Berries. They're nutritionally equivalent to pellets but a lot of tiels will eat them more readily than pellets. As for the other foods, just keep trying. It took my tiel months before he would start eating vegetables. You can try cutting up broccoli tops into tiny pieces as they resemble seeds that way. And try foods cut in big pieces, small pieces, etc to try to figure out what she likes. Birdie bread is another good way to sneak veggies and pellets in. And also eating foods you want your tiel to eat in front of her may also catch her interest in it.

We've tried a lot of these methods of adding veggies that look like seeds into her food but she's just too smart for her own good. I'll try the brocolli. (Maybe I can food safe dye some millet green and mix the two! Lol)
I have a few other birds, so I try the "mmm... soo good *fake nibble* want some?" with them but she runs from it.
I'll try giving her more millet, even just to get some weight to her.

A bird-owning friend suggested trying to get Sophie to exercise more and build up the muscles in her chest. Sophie is active in that she plays with her toys and moves around the cage, but she also likes patching where she can survey the land and will stay there for a long while.