Regurgitating on everything!

[JJjojo15]

Hi, so my 4 year old green cheek is gotten into the habit of regurgitation on just about everything. About a year ago he started doing this so we switched him to a pellet based diet, but now (after eating seeds for about a month because we ran out of pellets) he has stated doing it again. Its been going on for about 2 weeks and we have tried switching him back to mostly pellets, but he hasn't stopped.

And I know that regurgitation is a way for him to show his affection, but I find it hard to believe that he wants to show affection when he's barfing on the couch or my sheets or even his cage cover. He mostly just does it on blankets or towels or clothes... Basically anything fabric that ha can crawl into. He loves hiding in sheets and exploring but we can't let him do it anymore without watching his every move to make sure he's not just sitting there regurgitating.

So my question is, How do I get him to stop this behavior (or at least stop the frequency, because he's at the point where he does it any chance he gets, in or out of the cage) without taking away all his favorite things (blankets, towels, rope toys, his bed)?

(oh and another thing I've noticed is that when he regurgitates he tends to eat as much as he can of it before going at it again)

ps.

 

[Lady Jane]

after eating seeds for about a month because we ran out of pellets)

This is a good way to make a seed-a-holic out of your bird. I would certainly take him to an avian vet to have some test on his crop and droppings done because he may have yeast. Do you know the difference between vomiting and regurgitation?

 

[webchirp]

Yes, please take him to the vet to make sure it isn't bacteria or yeast.

 

[Chantilly Lace]

Definitely take him to vet just to be safe, but my Picaso regurgitates all the time too, at least 3 times a day. Particularly on toes, fingers and hands. Fun times lol. I'm his favorite person, so I get the brunt of it. There is nothing like a warm pellet and sweet potato ball in between your toes to start your day! Lol. You learn to wear socks around the house even though its Florida and 90 degrees most days. Consider it a sign he loves you!

 

[Pentameter]

I agree with the others. It's important to make sure he's actually regurgitating and not vomiting, and that the cause is indeed behavioral.

 

[Monica]

Do you only pet him on the head?

How many hours of sleep does he get? Have you tried increasing or decreasing the amount?

Have you tried changing his diet??? (besides switching back to pellets?)

Does he eat anything other than seeds and pellets?

Can you provide us with an image of his cage setup and location?



(all assuming he's not doing this behavior due to a medical reason.... doesn't hurt to rule it out with an a-vet! )

 

[rockybird]

I would take him to the vet. I fostered a sun conure that did this. It turned out she had a yeast infection. It was easily treated with antifungals. Please take him to the vet.

 

[maimaie]

Jojo, did you find a resolution? I'm having a similar issue with my GCC.

 

[Lady Jane]

I also lost a bird with same symptoms to avian gastric yeast. The bird who has this suffers greatly.

 

[maimaie]

Lady Jane, thank you for the concern. We got in contact with out avian vet (she's a two hour drive away, but takes calls!). We sent her a video of the behavior. She said that he is regurgitating, but wasn't concern about the frequency. She said that its breeding season and he's a "confused single bird looking to couple". Either way, he's due for a checkup so he'll be seeing her in a few weeks.

 

[DancingFeathers]

Triton had a similar issue. The vet was convinced he was just regurgitating, but low and behold, the swab turned up with bacteria.