Another Moult?

[Z28Taxman]

Lol

And he's still at it. He took a break for 45 minutes, preened for 10, napped for about 20 and spent the next 15 giving himself headscratches with the piñata.

The first wave of dinner made the food dish 3 grams lighter and I just refreshed it and it was down a total of 5. Of course he again couldn't wait until it was done and tried to climb in the nutriberry bag. I wouldn't let him in there so he sat on the dish and tried to catch them. I had to get him off so I could fill it! Never try and get between a hungry Dittobird and the food dish. It's not easy to do. I'd rather try and herd cats.

He hopped on the scale and was almost 42 grams.

I guess if I want him to spend time with me tonight I'll be taking the food dish to the couch. When he gets like this he'll visit me for a few minutes of scritches, then go get a snack, eat that and get another, and then decide it's just easier to stay in the cage and eat there.

[michael]

[snip]......I guess if I want him to spend time with me tonight I'll be taking the food dish to the couch. When he gets like this he'll visit me for a few minutes of scritches, then go get a snack, eat that and get another, and then decide it's just easier to stay in the cage and eat there.

For awhile we did fine moving some of Beeber's food or treats to the coffee table. Problem was, we soon had a colony of little blacks ants thanks to his habit of dropping food all over everything. ... Ah well, I don't imagine it will be too long before i'm out purchasing another vacuum cleaner. Yes. He is that messy. .........

[Z28Taxman]

For awhile we did fine moving some of Beeber's food or treats to the coffee table. Problem was, we soon had a colony of little blacks ants thanks to his habit of dropping food all over everything. ... Ah well, I don't imagine it will be too long before i'm out purchasing another vacuum cleaner. Yes. He is that messy. .........

Well he's going to eat on the couch anyway. He just flies to the cage, grabs a snack and flies back to eat it from my hand. I just figured I'd save him the energy and bring it over. I started that monday night after I brought one avi-cake and one nutriberry and he devoured those in minutes.

I cover the couch with a sheet so that catches most of the stuff. Although having a lovie eat nutriberries right next to your face means you get pelted with shrapnel with every bite.

He ate another 3 grams between 8:30 and 10:30 last night and was up to almost 43 grams. His total food intake yesterday was in the neighborhood of 12 grams and his poops looked good. He did do some toy/perch "feeding" but not as much as earlier in the week and he stayed clean.

This morning I came down and he came out of the hut as soon as my foot hit the kitchen floor. He went straight to the food dish to eat.

He snuck out while I was filling it and hopped on the scale and was back to 40 grams but as soon as I put the food in he started eating again.

I'm not crazy about the 40 grams though but he is energetic (he only took a 15 minute nap last night around 7pm then woke up to preen and eat.

[linda040899]

How does the flesh/muscle feel on either side of the keel bone? The scale may say 40 grams bit that's first thing in the morning and how his chest feels might be a better indicator.

[Z28Taxman]

How does the flesh/muscle feel on either side of the keel bone? The scale may say 40 grams bit that's first thing in the morning and how his chest feels might be a better indicator.

The keel bone is more prominent than normal. He won't hold still long enough to get a good feel. I tried yesterday and he zoomed off and got mad he probably thought I was going to try and clean his head again. Fortunately that wasn't necessary.

The scale was 40 grams yesterday at 5:30 also. after he ate around 6 or 7 grams between 5:30 and 8:40 he was up to 41, almost 42 (scale bounced between the two but settled on 41). At 10 he was 43 (scale actually initially was fluctuating between 43 and 44 but settled on 43). Now before you tell me to put the scale away I don't normally weigh him more than once a day, if that often, but when he's lost weight like this more datapoints can't hurt. Besides, he jumps on the food dish as soon as he sees food in it so why not.

He's got plenty of energy in the evening, poops are good and his appetite as good as it's ever been other than eating less on monday during the day. Last night all he did was eat except for about 20 minutes of scritches. But the 8 gram weight loss is worrisome, that's almost 17 percent.

[linda040899]

The keel bone being more prominent is worrisome for me. Echo is a little eating machine but he's not eating all the time. He's also an older bird so I watch him very carefully, especially with his partially crossed beak. Echo is 13 and still active, although he's slowed down a bit.

He's the thought going through my mind. He's eating a LOT but how much of it is being digested and actually used by his body? If you have a good probiotic, try giving it to him on his soft food. Perhaps a boost in good bacteria might help. Has your vet done a CBC to check all his blood values?

[Z28Taxman]

The keel bone being more prominent is worrisome for me. Echo is a little eating machine but he's not eating all the time. He's also an older bird so I watch him very carefully, especially with his partially crossed beak. Echo is 13 and still active, although he's slowed down a bit.

He's the thought going through my mind. He's eating a LOT but how much of it is being digested and actually used by his body? If you have a good probiotic, try giving it to him on his soft food. Perhaps a boost in good bacteria might help. Has your vet done a blood panel to check all his blood values?

I don't currently have any probiotics. The higgens seed mix had them in it but he doesn't want those so I gave him the zupreem pellet/veggie mix back. He is digesting it because he's pooping like normal. Whether or not it's being absorbed.....

Vet didn't do a blood panel but if I take him in (which is looking likely) We'll be doing one unless he finds something obvious. It's just going to be fun getting him there since it's cold, cold, cold out there.

Ditto will be 12 on the 24th. He's slowed down a little bit from his younger days. His afternoon naps are longer but he's active as ever in the mornings and evenings.

[linda040899]

I think a CBC is in order if one hasn't been done. You need to see what the blood values are. I'd also order the Avi-Tech Probiotic, since it's made specifically for birds. Granted, Ditto is eating but the question is what's his body doing with it?

My own lovebirds will not eat fortified seed of any kind so I have to buy a basic Cockatiel mix and create my own mixture. I've also just about eliminated the pellets and have been using Nutrigreens that I tried from Avi-Tech. It's basically dried Moringa leaf and Moringa is an excellent food. Birds can eat it in the wild so I've been adding it to their soft food every other day.

[Z28Taxman]

I think a CBC is in order if one hasn't been done. You need to see what the blood values are. I'd also order the Avi-Tech Probiotic, since it's made specifically for birds. Granted, Ditto is eating but the question is what's his body doing with it?

My own lovebirds will not eat fortified seed of any kind so I have to buy a basic Cockatiel mix and create my own mixture. I've also just about eliminated the pellets and have been using Nutrigreens that I tried from Avi-Tech. It's basically dried Moringa leaf and Moringa is an excellent food. Birds can eat it in the wild so I've been adding it to their soft food every other day.

I called the vet's office and he's going in at 6:10pm tomorrow evening. His normal Dr. (Dr. Rubey) isn't in the office until next tuesday but Dr. Nicastro will see him. She's not the normal bird doc (that would be Rubey) but she's the one who diagnosed the yeast. If necessary Dr. Rubey is in the office in Colonial park which is 30 miles and almost an hour drive from home. Too bad he's not here with me because it's only about 15 minutes away from my office.

While this is almost a mirror of what happened back in November, and right about now is when he started to regain his weight, I'd rather be safe and take him in. the only difference is he's lost more weight this time. Back in november his weight bottomed out at 41 and at no time did it say 39 (even if the 39 did change to 40 after he settled down).

[linda040899]

Glad you made the appointment. Another gram stain might show something, as well, but I think you need to see what he's doing with the food. If he were using everything he's consuming, he would be back to probably 49-50 grams.