Another excellent article by Pamela Clark.
I wonder how many birds that are found dead on the bottom of their cage or just drop dead, have atherosclerosis? Most I would guess.
"Sadly, the most common sign of atherosclerosis is sudden death. In the late stages, there may be symptoms such as weakness, lethargy, neurological signs (including seizure-like activity), trouble breathing and exercise intolerance. However, these may be less observable due to parrots spending long hours in cages. It is easier to identify exercise intolerance, for example, in parrots who fly."
I have too much experience with atherosclerosis. My Jasper had cardiomyopathy (congestive heart failure) when she was given to me at 6 1/2 years of age. Although she was well oved at her home previous to mine, her diet was a terrible as could be imagined. She got everything she liked (cheese, bacon, peanuts by the bag full, ice cream, donuts, hamburger, cookies - name it she got it). Within a month of me having her she was well into heart failure. When Dr. Drigger's diagnosed , her with CHF he said that if she were human she would be at the top of a heart replacement list. He doubted that she would live over five more years.
The CHF slowed down her blood circulation and within a very few years she was exhibiting atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis cannot be cured, it cannot be reversed. I can only be slowed down.
Jasper was put on a very lean (no fats nor carbohydrates) diet and was on it for years. She needed more fats so her diet was supplemented with olive oil - no saturated, only unsaturated fats. He atherosclerosis was so extensive that not enough blood was getting to her digestive tract to digest her food and her chest muscles were shrinking. She got to the point I was told by Dr. Driggers to give her more exercise, preferably flying. So I rigged up a harness and SCUBA reel and flew her on a line (she was not recall trained) five days a week for about 75 feet 6-10 times per day. I think, no way to know, that she lived for an extra two years.
She lived 15 years longer than the Dr. thought she would. I wouldn't wish this disease on anyone - Jasper almost died several times and Dr. pulled her back from the brink.
Please, everyone pay attention to diet and exercise - they aren't living in the jungle where it is a fight/flight to survive every day.
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