Food to help budgie gain weight

[CGrillo]

Luke lost some weight by not eating his food on his second round of antibiotics (which It was put in the food and is a bitter tasting medication).

He was pretending to eat so I didn’t realize he wasn’t eating until I could physically feel his keel bone when I went to pick him up.

He is no longer on antibiotics as of Monday. I think he lost weight from both not eating and that he also just started molting. Is there something safe that I can give him to help him gain the weight back?

I tried oats but he doesn’t always eat them. I also tried millet only to realize that it isn’t as fattening as I thought it was.

thanks everyone

 

[cheekypie]

Sunflower seeds are pretty fatty. Maybe you could try a budgie seed mix?

 

[Shezbug]

It is safest to put the weight on at a slower steady pace than it is to dump a heap of bad fatty foods for your bird to gorge on.
My concern here is that you said he wasn’t eating his medicated food? This means he didn’t have his proper course of antibiotics which is a concern.

I personally feel you need to call your vet to get their advice in this particular situation. Your bird has lost weight through not eating and has also not taken the meds it should have had- things could be worse than just a bit of weight loss.... your bird could potentially still be quite ill.

 

[Mizzely]

What's his favorite foods?

 

[CGrillo]

What's his favorite foods?

He loves spinach more than anything!!

 

[CGrillo]

It is safest to put the weight on at a slower steady pace than it is to dump a heap of bad fatty foods for your bird to gorge on.
My concern here is that you said he wasn’t eating his medicated food? This means he didn’t have his proper course of antibiotics which is a concern.

I personally feel you need to call your vet to get their advice in this particular situation. Your bird has lost weight through not eating and has also not taken the meds it should have had- things could be worse than just a bit of weight loss.... your bird could potentially still be quite ill.

I figured. I’m making sure hes getting his seeds and he seems to be eating them. I’m noticing there are empty shells in his food dish and that it doesn’t look untouched anymore.

I spoke to my vet about this since I was concerned he never took his meds and this vet was just so awful that I no longer go there. I spoke about it in another thread and I truly think he just didn’t care when I told him this. But this recent round of antibiotics was just to make sure his infection was for sure out of his system. He already had a full round of antibiotics in his water before this.

 

[Lori D Pert]

OK so just to be sure...he's happy and not showing signs of illness?

 

[CGrillo]

OK so just to be sure...he's happy and not showing signs of illness?

He’s been playing, chirping and singing. He takes a couple of watery poops but they return to normal after a few and the majority seem to be looking good.

 

[Lori D Pert]

Our babies tend to make us worry while all the while just being birds. We tend to obsess over things that are just normal for birds. Now if your bird is sitting tucked away with feathers plumped all day then I would say..worry. Keep an eye on the poops, yes but if the watery poops are after eating veggie or after a bath or even after an interaction with you..I would not worry.

 

[Ripshod]

Probiotics should be first as the antibiotics would have killed off most of his natural gut flora - that'll help him digest the food.
If he's flying a lot then I'd boost protein rather than fats. A weekly plate of smashed boiled egg, quinoa in his chop, etc etc....

 

[CGrillo]

Probiotics should be first as the antibiotics would have killed off most of his natural gut flora - that'll help him digest the food.
If he's flying a lot then I'd boost protein rather than fats. A weekly plate of smashed boiled egg, quinoa in his chop, etc etc....

Thank you so much! He’s honestly not the biggest flyer he likes when I go to pick him up instead

I gave him probiotics along with his antibiotics and am still continuing to give him those probiotics in his water! I use Alive and well probiotics by Oasis.

 

[CGrillo]

Our babies tend to make us worry while all the while just being birds. We tend to obsess over things that are just normal for birds. Now if your bird is sitting tucked away with feathers plumped all day then I would say..worry. Keep an eye on the poops, yes but if the watery poops are after eating veggie or after a bath or even after an interaction with you..I would not worry.

Thank you so much! I know sometimes I feel like I’m overdoing it and get nervous over everything with him. He’s definitely not acting sick that’s for sure. It seems to be after he had some water especially during the daytime. His morning poops seem to be more watery than his day poops but not bad like before and they still hold their shape unlike before.

 

[CGrillo]

Luke’s first time eating hard boiled eggs

He Is still skeptical of eating the yolk but he had a few bites. He wouldn’t touch the white part.