Dances and gacking

[Christian]

Ok, so Estrella's clickey dances continue to become more progressed (its just a matter of time before he masturbates :omg: not looking forward to that!!)

And this last time he started gacking, but instead of actually feeding anything, he kind of chewed on it and then swallowed it :x
Besides being gross is that normal?

Also, it kind of looked like mushy bread..and he has not ate anything but seed in the last few days..is this normal, or an indication of anything?

I know that whole seeds can indicate a bacterial problem (and this was what he was vomiting when he had E.coli) I just want to make sure this sounds normal to those with experience!

Thanks!

[michael]

Christian. Estrella's usual eating and defecating habits would "in part" help to determine whether there's a problem. With exception to the "dances and gacking" which do sound quite normal, any changes that appear different than his usual activities like food intake, fecal appearance/amount and general behavior would be cause for concern. Weight loss would be one issue, and the other the fact that he has a history of E coli. E coli is not exactly a recurring illness like some but the 'source of it may be' like in tap water or on fresh vegetables. You know, even if everything seems normal but your gut feelings are such that you think there's a problem then I would at least call the vet. Certainly if there's any obvious changes you should take him in to be poked at. How is Estrella doing since you last posted? What types of foods does he generally eat? Hopefully he's back to eating and carrying on as usual........Let us know...........Michael and Goofy

[Christian]

He acts completely normal, aside from the gacking and dancing...I was just concerned, because I have never seen birdie vomit other than the time he vomited up his medicines. I was wondering if you could tell me whether what I was seeing was normal...he has ate seeds, nutriberries, cereal, pellets, in the last few days. Anyways, the vomit from what I could tell looked like mushy bread.

[michael]

Christian. It is normal for regurgitation to often look like mushy bread. The important thing to watch out for is partially digested food or acts of true vomiting. Usually birds will try to clear themselves of vomit by flinging their head back and forth. This would not be a good sign. On the other hand, when regurgitating they will generally do the head bobb thing we're so very fond of :x. I also felt the E coli was kind of important to mention. This bacteria is already present in the digestive system and has many different strains. Reinfection could cause vomiting and/or watery stools which is something else to watch out for. Poor water conditions or recent water line/main repairs by city/townships etc. can cause lots of problems for birds as well as certain foodstuffs. It sounds as though Estrella is doing fairly good, especially if you think he's back to his usual habits. It sure pays to get to know your bird well. That way we know when something just isn't right. If you ever feel concerned about him don't hesitate to ask a few questions, even if you have to repost them :). Take care.............Michael and Goofy

[Christian]

Thanks for the quick reply and description...the only time he vomited was during the clickey dance, and it wasn't true vomiting as he kind of chewed on it and swallowed it :x

I am sure he is fine, oh and I always use bottled water for his water dish and I am desperately trying to locate some GSE to clean the veggies off with.

Thanks for your help!

[michael]

Christian. I use GSE when cleaning anything questionable. I called around and found it at a health food store nearby. For some reason it doesn't seem to be available in too many pet stores. There are two kinds of GSE available on the market. Nutribiotic and Citricidal. Citricidal is three times the strength of Nutibiotic GSE so the difference in mixing a solution should be taken into consideration. Grapefruit seed extract has been used for years by many pet owners and makes a great anticeptic/cleaner. A small bottle lasts a long time compared to other type cleaners......I would like to add about bottled water (as if I don't add enough junk already) some bottled water lack minerals and can do more harm than good as they tend to deplete nutrients from your birds body/system. A good quality natural spring water is generally the best as it contains dissolved minerals and won't otherwise deplete them from your bird.......:) .........Michael and Goofy