Kita appears to be eating nut shells??????

[Annamacaw]

This may not belong in the 911 but I haven't heard of this before....and I am a little panicky....

I was cleaning up Kita's poop I noticed that there were little tan specs that are hard as a rock.......... I was freaking out thinking PDD.... but Kita was tested for it (ABV) last August and was negative, and has not been around any other birds except Anna, and Anna tested negative for abv in 2009 and she hasn't been around any other birds except for Kita......

Kita shows no changes in behavior, no weight change, no appetite or activity changes.... at all..... we had company all day yesterday so after they left last night I studied her poops and the flecks of tan are hard and look like the little nut shavings that are all over the bottom of her cage.... so then I thought that the nuts shavings are falling on the poop...... but nope, I waited for a fresh sample and studied it..... it has these little specs all in the poop.....and it really looks like the nutshell pieces in the bottom of her cage.....Otherwise.... her poops are perfect....

So... I am sitting with her and watching her..... she is taking almonds and cracking them and spitting out the nut meat and chewing up the shell... most of it seems to be falling to the ground....

Then I pick her up and she grabs my finger and starts bobbing to regurg on it and I let her do it just so I could see what came out and there were little nut pieces......she was definitely regurging and not vomiting....she is also laying eggs again started last Sunday.....

I have removed all of the nuts from her reach.......

I will be calling the AV 1st thing tomorrow.... just wondering what the heck

 

[Danita]

I don't know Dianne, I will watch to see what others say.

 

[sthiele]

I'm not sure why she is eating the nut shells, but I remember reading a story from a lady who runs a rescue in New Mexico who had a 'too die from an impaction that was caused by, I believe, the consumption of walnut shells. After reading that story, my flock is only allowed shelled nuts.

 

[Saemma]

How distressing! Please keep us updated and hope it's nothing to worry about.

 

[lotus15]

I have no idea... I hope your AV has some wisdom to share!!!

 

[Annamacaw]

This is very distressing, but I am somewhat relieved that it explains the weird poops....

I just put some Slippery Elm Bark tea in her water to sooth any digestive irritation......

 

[magni]

I hope she is Ok, saying a pray for you both

 

[Birdiemarie]

I don't recall where I read it but do remember that injested nut shells can cause impaction and depending on the kind of nut (walnuts for one) the shell can absorb the needed liquid that is inside of the body. I don't mean to alarm you but I think it is a good idea you are taking Kita to the vet so they can check her out. I am trying to find sources for this information and will post if I do.

Edit: This is not what I was looking for but please read what it says under 'litter':
Parrot Precautions from Pat

See Walnut Shells:
http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww12eiii.htm

 

[Annamacaw]

Yep... I studied her poop closely... put it on a doggies pee pee pad and rinsed off all the poop and these are little pieces of nut shells.... no doubt about it!

I love AA.... there is no place else in the world that I could talk about this and people are not freaking out!!!!!!!! Thank you everybody!!!!!!!

 

[Greycloud]

Marie, that was Anna from Macaw and Cockatoo Rescue. Her one macaw was eating the walnut shells and had an impaction. She needed emergency surgery. Dianne my advice to you is no longer feed nuts in the shell if she eats them. It can be dangerous. I hope she is fine and you can stop this behavior but taking the nuts away. I know she probably enjoys breaking them open but maybe put shelled nuts in some foraging toys to get her attention and give her fun.

Here is the link:http://forums.avianavenue.com/safety-avenue/29490-death-nut-shells.html?highlight=walnut+shells It was a U2.

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

Sunshine often likes to eat shells, but just a little at a time. She only does this to peanut shells, eating the inner layer of the shell. Every now and then, I see her nibble and swallow some almond shell as well. I asked my vet about it and she said as long as it isn't excessive, let her eat what she wants. I limit her peanuts to human grade roasted and just one or two a week. The almonds I shell for her and I limit her shell intake to one a week; just bits and pieces. She is not interested in other shells.

 

[Annamacaw]

Guessing by the looks of the fragments that she is only doing this with the Almond shells.... wonder why????

 

[bubblelady]

Guessing by the looks of the fragments that she is only doing this with the Almond shells.... wonder why????

Because she thinks you would look nice with grey hair.

 

[Cydney]

Never had a problem personally with nut shells, but Kai ingests bits of those rubber type foragers (Hollee Rollers?). I kept seeing orange specks in his poop and finally put two and two together. I just don't give him anything rubbery that he'd be tempted to eat now. Hopefully the vet has good advice for you!

 

[WingedVictory]

Good Morning and Relax.

My thoughts, the shavings you are from a larger piece that is being ground up in her gizzard. This is how birds take in larger chunks of nuts, hard food, etc and process it into smaller pieces that will pass through the digestive tract. You might want to get some slippery elm powder at the health food store and mix it (1 part water/ 4 parts SE), and feed it to Kita to help anything larger pass. Nut shells can only be processed to smaller pieces and will not be digested like the nut meats. You vet may suggest and X-ray to see if there might be an obstruction. I have seen small pieces of wood in the poop of ours on a rare occasion, checked them under the microscope. Hard shells and wood are not food and will not be totally digested!

Have to say checking your birds poop is commendable and a great way to monitor their health.

Gary

 

[jmfleish]

That U2 who died of the impaction had to have had something more going on that caused the problem. My birds eat the shells of nuts all the time and have been doing it for nearly a decade. I was very concerned about that story when it was posted and sent it to my vet to see what he said about eating nut shells as well as what he thought about the story itself and he said it absolutely should not cause a problem and in the story about the bird who died of the impaction, while he didn't know all the details, he did agree that there was probably something else going on with the bird that caused the impaction. He said I shouldn't worry about my birds eating the shells of nuts, although mine seem to prefer the almonds to any other shell.

 

[Birdiemarie]

Thanks Jen, this is very good to know.

 

[jmfleish]

Thanks Jen, this is very good to know.

Well, to say that I was shocked and totally freaked out over that one post way back when was an understatement! I took that right to my vet ASAP! I do feel better after talking to him about it.

 

[Bokkapooh]

I know of several U2s, personally, who died of walnut shell impaction. When necropsies are done, there was a mass of walnut shells impacting the gizzard and stomach and small shards throughout the intestines. I wouldn't brush off eating nut shells. I'm not sure how long it took them to become impacted and die, it might have been years.

 

[jmfleish]

I know of several U2s, personally, who died of walnut shell impaction. When necropsies are done, there was a mass of walnut shells impacting the gizzard and stomach and small shards throughout the intestines. I wouldn't brush off eating nut shells. I'm not sure how long it took them to become impacted and die, it might have been years.

That may be so Mercedez, but what other underlying factors were there going on in the bird to cause these issues. As I said, all of my birds have been eating almond shells for almost a decade now...it's a very coveted treat in my house. I do have to admit that they don't seem to have the same issue with walnuts but I don't feed walnuts in their shell to anyone but Reggie and Clancy and I don't give them often.