From poo to gravel.

[Lil-princess]

Not to long ago I posted a thread that said Kiwi eats his poo, well he has moved on. Now constantly he will be eating gravel. The lady at the pet store said that birds don't eat gravel very much but it seems that Kiwi loves it. Is this healthy for him:confused: :confused: :confused:

[michael]

Gravel is not something your bird should ingest and I would remove it as this can be very harmful. The initial response regarding poops and possible dietary deficiencies is one area I would continue to look into. Some parrots do naturally eat dirt/clay for the minerals which is called geophagia. In your birds case it is not natural to eat gravel even with the proper dietary intake.............Michael and Goofy

[kimsbirds]

NOOOO!! No gravel for hookbills at all!
Remove any and all sources of gravel immediately:omg:
Gravel IS required by birds such as finches and canaries and doves who do NOT remove the shells from their seeds.
K

[Lil-princess]

Really?:omg: Wow I didn't know that, I will remove it right away! The person at the pet store told me that lovebirds NEED gravel:mad: . Is this going to harm Kiwi at all if I remove it right now?

[michael]

Thats a tough one to answer not really knowing if its been ingested. Completely removing all the gravel is a necessity. Hopefully in an hour or so you'll know as they poop every 5-15 minutes after eating something. How long has Kiwi had access to this gravel and exactly what type is it? How long ago do you think she may have eaten it?.............Michael and Goofy

[Lil-princess]

Well Kiwi has had it in his cage since I got him (3 months ago) but he didn't start eating it until 2 days ago. The gravel is called "Cockatiel Gravel, with oyster shells and flaked charcoal *provides grit essentials to digestion for medium birds." It has been over 3 hours since he's eaten it. He seems to be pooping normal though.

[Lil-princess]

Well Kiwi probably ate it over 3 hours ago. He has only really started eating it 2 days ago but he has had it in his cage since I got him (3 months ago.) The gravel is called Cockatiel gravel, with oyster shells and flaked charcoal *provides grit essential to digestion for medium birds. Kiwi seems to be pooping normal and he is still acting like himself:) .

[kimsbirds]

You won't see problems right away with Kiwi ingesting the gravel. What I CAN tell you is that over time, since he doesn't pass the gravel through his stomach to poop it out, each piece he eats will stay in his crop and slowly occupy more and more space, leaving less and less space for his food. Gradually, it will starve and kill him.
Please be careful !

[Finnysmommie]

When I see posts like this it makes me so sad! People who own/manage pet store should have to KNOW what to tell people about the birds or any animals that they sell! For them it may be a business but to the person who purchases a pet it is a family member that they are putting in harms way by listening to unqualified people (through no fault of the purchaser).

I am soooooo thankful I found this site so quickly after purchasing Finny. I am also glad that Lil Princess found this site so quickly as well!

Just think how many little lovies lives are saved by all the great people on this site! You guys are great!!!!

Also, a little advance warning.. You will probably see my whining post on Tuesday or Wednesday. After being full flighted for about 6 months Finny and Reilly are getting their wings clipped at their yearly check up. Which means I am on the S*** List for at least 2 or 3 days. They really are good at guilt trips these little buggers!

[Minna]

The person at the pet store told me that lovebirds NEED gravel.

Yeah, I was told the same thing by an AVIAN VET. Needless to say, I'm seeing a different vet now...one that has actually paid attention to the field in the last ten years!! :|

[Janie]

Unfortunately, 99% of the sales people in the chain pet stores in my area know NOTHING about birds and especially the smaller (cheaper) species. They sell them but they sure don't know about the right diet, cage, care, etc.

Here are a few links that discuss the use of gravel/grit. I pulled this up using the "search" feature at the top of the forum.

http://www.lovebirdsplus.com/community/search.php?searchid=84450

[Flapjack]

I totally agree that it's a scary thought that so many stores sell the gravel along with the bird. Even more amazing is that the packages of gravel often show a picture of a lovebird or a cockatiel right on the label! We all trust companies to know what is healthy for the animal they are marketing to.
Thank goodness for forums like this, where we can all share information and hopefully prevent some horrible tragedies.

[Lil-princess]

Thanks you guys so much for your help!!! I will keep an eye on Kiwi and hopefully I caught it fast enough. Does anyone know if there is a way of telling if it has harmed him?

[Jessica]

We were advised to get gravel when we got Celestino too. Luckily I read this site and other sources quickly enough that I never gave it to him. I really hope that Kiwi is fine and didn't eat enough to hurt him.

[kimsbirds]

There's no way of telling at this point, all you can do is prevent further issues by not offering gravel. It takes quite a while for any problems to develop and it doesnt sound as though your baby had gravel for very long. Fresh foods, seed, maybe pellets and lots of love will suffice :)

[Lil-princess]

O.k thank you!!!