Cockatoo constipation

[Wfegley1]

Hi my 2 year old cockatoo is normally healthy and looks healthy. She is very talkative and loving but misses my daughter who left for college. Recently, she was wet around the vent 2 separate days. I attributed it to the fruits I gave her. It made me nervous so i did give her a snack of cheese which she loves. Not realizing that I probably gave her 1 or 2 small cracker barrel slices a day for a week because she was so excited about the treat, today she appears constipated. She is pooping but seems to be straining, she is also pulling some out with her beak whichI neversaw her do before. She still looks happy and doesn't appear to be in pain. Can I give her anything to help her. She likes warm water but you can only give so much of that. Thanks

 

[Love My Zons]

Does she like peas, green beans or sweet potato? I would certainly feed moist foods with fiber. Now is a good time to find baking pumpkins. That can help both constipation and loose poops.

Cheese isn't good, maybe a taste here and there, but not something to offer daily.

 

[Love My Zons]

Now another thing could be an impacted crop where your bird cannot digest any food.

That's why cheese can be bad. If this persists, like today, you really need to get to an Avian Vet. Birds can fail quickly even if they seem fine until it's too late. Dehydration would be a first sign, lack of any droppings.

 

[Tanya]

Baby birds don't drink milk like mammals so adult birds they have no way to break down lactose, the sugar in milk. Some of the proteins and fats are also difficult for them to digest. It's kinda the equivalent of a human eating sawdust mixed with motor oil, if sawdust mixed with motor oil tasted absolutely delicious... But left us with impacted digestive systems from not being able to digest it.

 

[melissasparrots]

It sounds to me like you just need to go to the vet. The problem may have nothing to do with the cheese. I'm thinking whatever caused the wet vent was the problem and it likely wasn't the fruit. I've never or rarely had a bird get a went vent from wet poops. That is something that tends to happen to sick birds with a larger issue that a little diet problem. I'd have her at the vet tomorrow.