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Urgent Cockatiel lost a lot of weight after being sick!

TurboTiel

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Hello.
I found myself in that unfortunate situation, I had to rush my cockatiel Turbo to a vet this weekend.
The vet told me he might not make it through the weekend.
He lost a lot of weight and he was weak. The vet tube fed him and gave him antibiotics for a infection in his guts.
after all of this the vet gave me home a mixture very high on proteins I had to feed him.
He slowly recovered, he's fresh but now the only problem is..
He won't eat much again! nor gain weight!
He eats a little bit but I'm still very worried because I don't want him to pass away knowing I might've been able to do something!
So my question is, is there any foods I can give him that'll help him gain weight?
If he doesn’t eat more than he does right now, his body won't be able to hold up.

I'd like to add, the visit to the vet helped out alot and he's certainly feeling healthier and more awake than before.
And I'm positive he's only getting better.

What foods can I feed him and what can I do?
Comments about me not taking care of him well enough, won't be replied to, I'm doing my best!
 

Shezbug

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What foods do you normally feed him? What is his usual diet?
There will be some members who will give you very detailed diet help for a cockatiel once they have seen your post. I am glad your bird is doing better now the vet has seen him. @Mizzely is great with diet stuff and I am sure she will tag a few other members in who have cockatiels.

Welcome to the avenue :)
 

TurboTiel

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What foods do you normally feed him? What is his usual diet?
There will be some members who will give you very detailed diet help for a cockatiel once they have seen your post. I am glad your bird is doing better now the vet has seen him. @Mizzely is great with diet stuff and I am sure she will tag a few other members in who have cockatiels.

Welcome to the avenue :)
Thank you for replying.
he's a very picky eater and don't eat much, his diet consists of a variety of seeds, "snack sticks" consisting of dried fruit and other seeds etc.
Sometimes when I'm lucky I can get a few bites of apple and vegetables. But it's not something he really wants.
he eats dried fruits tho, dried bananas is a hit from time to time.
 

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So I have an underweight sick bird too; root cause is because he only ate seeds and snacks for 19 years. This puts them at severe risk for Vitamin A and calcium deficiences.

What I'm doing with him is using baby parrot food (the powder you normally mix to handfeed) with his normal seeds. You could also use any parrot pellets that are fortified and grind them up in a powder. The baby food is just higher in protein and fat.

I then wet this with orange baby food (no added vitamins, made with squash, pumpkin, carrots, etc) for a vitamin A boost. You could also use water.

I call this mash. This makes him have to rig out his seeds from a paste that sticks to the seeds and he ends up eating some of it.

If he really doesn't want to eat try feeding him warmed up mash on a spoon. Not too hot but just warmer than room temp as it can encourage them to eat.

Cayenne can also sometimes get them interested in foods and can act as an appetite stimulant.
 

TurboTiel

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So I have an underweight sick bird too; root cause is because he only ate seeds and snacks for 19 years. This puts them at severe risk for Vitamin A and calcium deficiences.

What I'm doing with him is using baby parrot food (the powder you normally mix to handfeed) with his normal seeds. You could also use any parrot pellets that are fortified and grind them up in a powder. The baby food is just higher in protein and fat.

I then wet this with orange baby food (no added vitamins, made with squash, pumpkin, carrots, etc) for a vitamin A boost. You could also use water.

I call this mash. This makes him have to rig out his seeds from a paste that sticks to the seeds and he ends up eating some of it.

If he really doesn't want to eat try feeding him warmed up mash on a spoon. Not too hot but just warmer than room temp as it can encourage them to eat.

Cayenne can also sometimes get them interested in foods and can act as an appetite stimulant.
Thank you so much for your advice.
The thing is I'm not sure where to get that baby parrot mix.
I'm not sure it's something I can get in my county.

Can I make a mash myself or what can I do?
 

sunnysmom

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Sunflower seeds and millet spray may help your bird put on some weight. You can also try some mashed cooked sweet potatoes. Also, you may want to ask you vet about giving him probiotics too. I hope he will be okay.
 

TurboTiel

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Sunflower seeds and millet spray may help your bird put on some weight. You can also try some mashed cooked sweet potatoes. Also, you may want to ask you vet about giving him probiotics too. I hope he will be okay.
Thank you for your reply, I'm already feeding him that! But it's nice knowing I'm doing something right!

I'll try out the sweet potatoes, thank you!
 

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Thank you so much for your advice.
The thing is I'm not sure where to get that baby parrot mix.
I'm not sure it's something I can get in my county.

Can I make a mash myself or what can I do?

You can take any parrot pellet and grind it up to get a same effect. Over there you should have access to at least a few. I know one person in Denmark feeds Zupreem. Beaphar or Versele-Laga both offer pellets also in that area of the world. I've also heard Harrison's are at least in the UK and Netherlands so maybe those too.
 

TurboTiel

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You can take any parrot pellet and grind it up to get a same effect. Over there you should have access to at least a few. I know one person in Denmark feeds Zupreem. Beaphar or Versele-Laga both offer pellets also in that area of the world. I've also heard Harrison's are at least in the UK and Netherlands so maybe those too.
I'll look into that! Thank you!
 

Hankmacaw

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Here is a source of bird food for Denmark (I think). They have several foods specifically for cockatiels.
Large Parakeet & Cockatiel at zooplus

Here is a probiotic for pets. Several people on this forum have used this brand and give it good reviews.
Dr Mercola Pet Probiotics (pet Probiotika) 90g: Amazon.de: Lebensmittel & Getränke

I believe that Northern Parrots ships worldwide.
Harrison's Parrot Food | Healthy Treats And Food For Parrots

Perhaps you can find some good products from these companies. I don't think that too many of us who are members of this forum shop in shops, but order mostly over the internet.

 

enigma731

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Honestly I would let him eat whatever he wants to right now, even if it's junk. Calories are better than no calories and you can work on improving nutritional content later. Is he still on antibiotics or other medication?
 

TurboTiel

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Here is a source of bird food for Denmark (I think). They have several foods specifically for cockatiels.
Large Parakeet & Cockatiel at zooplus

Here is a probiotic for pets. Several people on this forum have used this brand and give it good reviews.
Dr Mercola Pet Probiotics (pet Probiotika) 90g: Amazon.de: Lebensmittel & Getränke

I believe that Northern Parrots ships worldwide.
Harrison's Parrot Food | Healthy Treats And Food For Parrots

Perhaps you can find some good products from these companies. I don't think that too many of us who are members of this forum shop in shops, but order mostly over the internet.

Thank you so much!!
 

TurboTiel

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Honestly I would let him eat whatever he wants to right now, even if it's junk. Calories are better than no calories and you can work on improving nutritional content later. Is he still on antibiotics or other medication?
I am letting him do that. The vet told me that as well. I just wanted to know if I could supply it up with other things, I want to make sure he's getting better.

He's not on antibiotics or other medication right now, he's doing completely fine after the antibiotics the vet gave him.
 

iamwhoiam

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When I had birds who were underweight during and after illnesses the vet has always told me to offer them a "Birdie Buffet". In addition to what has been suggested you can also offer Birdie Breads and mashes.
 

karen256

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As others have said, feed what he likes best (within reason) until he regains weight.
Antibiotics kill off beneficial bacteria which can make it temporarily harder for him to digest his food. That's part of why handfeeding formula is good to offer (most brands include some probiotics).
Spray millet is also very good as most birds love it, it's easy to digest, and it's actually a very healthy treat. It's much better than treat sticks.

Try to coax him into eating some soft foods if you can, as this is a good way to sneak in some veggies and healthier foods later on when he's feeling better. I would start with foods he's more likely to enjoy, like cooked oatmeal, or sweet corn. Eat a little in front of him to get his interest if needed. Soft foods will be easier for him to digest and good for him right now. But continue to offer all he wants of his familiar seeds until he is fully recovered. Once he's regained his weight and is feeling better, you can try to sneak in some more veggies and cut back on seeds a little bit.
 

Mizzely

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Yes my suggestion was not to mean that he shouldn't eat what he is - on the contrary. It was to get him to get more calories, fat, and protein everytime he DOES eat which is why mash is good for that.

Trust me, Ripley was not eating ANYTHING except seeds when he first got here, and not eating a large volume. He was not gaining weight simply being offered everything to his heart's (stomach's?) content. No sprouts, no bird bread, no veggies. He does eat the mash with seeds in it :)
 

TurboTiel

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As others have said, feed what he likes best (within reason) until he regains weight.
Antibiotics kill off beneficial bacteria which can make it temporarily harder for him to digest his food. That's part of why handfeeding formula is good to offer (most brands include some probiotics).
Spray millet is also very good as most birds love it, it's easy to digest, and it's actually a very healthy treat. It's much better than treat sticks.

Try to coax him into eating some soft foods if you can, as this is a good way to sneak in some veggies and healthier foods later on when he's feeling better. I would start with foods he's more likely to enjoy, like cooked oatmeal, or sweet corn. Eat a little in front of him to get his interest if needed. Soft foods will be easier for him to digest and good for him right now. But continue to offer all he wants of his familiar seeds until he is fully recovered. Once he's regained his weight and is feeling better, you can try to sneak in some more veggies and cut back on seeds a little bit.
Thank you for your advice!
 

SunUp

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Are Nutriberries and AviCakes available to you? Most birds really love these, and they are balanced like pellets with additional vitamins, minerals, amino acids, etc. There is also a version of AviCakes that is only available from vets that is formulated specifically for birds recovering from illness. My cockatiel especially likes AviCakes.
 
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