ktemkin
Strolling the yard
Last week, I found a single piece of seemingly unhulled, undigested millet seed in my 'tiel Ada's stool. Given the fact that he had been wet earlier and walking around on a tray covered in millet seeds, I guessed that it was probably stuck to his feathers, and not actually from the stool. As subsequent droppings were normal, I warily disregarded the instance.
Today, however, he passed another single piece of unhulled millet- and this time it was unquestionably found in the dropping. He's been otherwise healthy.
Here's the worst part: I called the Cornell animal hospital- the only local vet with a real lab- and they can't get him in until the 21st. I called my local avian vet's office (and the only avian vet I've been able to find in the area) only to find out that she is 'no longer practicing.'
When I spoke to Cornell's emergency department, they indicated that they were a stopgap measure to get birds stable until an actual vet's appointment can be made, and thus wouldn't be of much help unless his condition worsened.
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I really need help and advice on what I should do.
I'm absolutely beside myself worrying that this could be something very serious, like PDD. I've tried researching the symptom and generically it's been attributed to either PDD or AGY, though in other cases everything from poor state of intestinal flora to hormonal imbalance.
If someone knowledgeable on this subject could comment on the following, it'd be very helpful:
Millet seeds are surrounded by a thin, (generally indigestible?) husk which is removed by most hookbills before the 'meat' of the seed can be digested. Millet was being used as positive reinforcement during clicker training: after a few seconds of eating, it was removed until Ada was to be rewarded again.
Is it likely that in his frenzy to get as much millet as possible in the limited timespan, he swallowed the occasional seed without hulling? If so, would it be a possible (likely?) explanation for the appearance of very slight quantities of undigested, unhulled millet in his stool?
Today, however, he passed another single piece of unhulled millet- and this time it was unquestionably found in the dropping. He's been otherwise healthy.
Here's the worst part: I called the Cornell animal hospital- the only local vet with a real lab- and they can't get him in until the 21st. I called my local avian vet's office (and the only avian vet I've been able to find in the area) only to find out that she is 'no longer practicing.'
When I spoke to Cornell's emergency department, they indicated that they were a stopgap measure to get birds stable until an actual vet's appointment can be made, and thus wouldn't be of much help unless his condition worsened.
---
I really need help and advice on what I should do.
I'm absolutely beside myself worrying that this could be something very serious, like PDD. I've tried researching the symptom and generically it's been attributed to either PDD or AGY, though in other cases everything from poor state of intestinal flora to hormonal imbalance.
If someone knowledgeable on this subject could comment on the following, it'd be very helpful:
Millet seeds are surrounded by a thin, (generally indigestible?) husk which is removed by most hookbills before the 'meat' of the seed can be digested. Millet was being used as positive reinforcement during clicker training: after a few seconds of eating, it was removed until Ada was to be rewarded again.
Is it likely that in his frenzy to get as much millet as possible in the limited timespan, he swallowed the occasional seed without hulling? If so, would it be a possible (likely?) explanation for the appearance of very slight quantities of undigested, unhulled millet in his stool?