Changed behavior from older lovebird-advice needed.

[Laurel]

I’ve had my 15 year old peach faced lovebird Olive since she was six weeks old. She had a sister with whom she was bonded but unfortunately the sister died after eight years. In 2013 I got Olive another peach faced lovebird “friend” , a male, Desi, a little older than Olive, and a really sweet bird, but she didn’t get along with him at all. Poor Desi had misshapen feet and she would try to bite them whenever she saw a chance. They lived in separate cages side by side and would carry on a lively conversation all day when they were in their cages. Well, Desi died three weeks ago and ever since she has been clinging to me, always wants to be out if I am home, screams a lot, and bites me a lot. I love my girl but am at my wits end. What can I do for her?

[linda040899]

While Olive and Desi were not side by side companions, they were, none the less, companions from a distance. Olive misses him and she's mourning his loss. This is very common for all birds and you just have to let her work through it. You have become her source of comfort and companionship. The screaming is calling for him, wanting a response from him because she can't see him (contact calling). She's biting you (displaced aggression) probably in the hope that you know where he is and will take her there.

Did you allow her to see his remains? That would have allowed her to see first hand that he had died. Have you removed his cage? About all you can do for Olive is be there for her as she deals with her sense of loss. Some birds take longer than others so there is no time frame for the process. If you are open to another lovebird, you might look around for an older one. Older birds are usually hard to rehome because they can have special needs that not everyone wants to deal with. I'm a retired breeder and most of my lovebird flock is 15+. When I got out of breeding 10 years ago, I kept all my birds because I wasn't going to rehome them to someone to do with them what I wasn't going to do. There are far too many homeless animals right now as it is!

[Laurel]

While Olive and Desi were not side by side companions, they were, none the less, companions from a distance. Olive misses him and she's mourning his loss. This is very common for all birds and you just have to let her work through it. You have become her source of comfort and companionship. The screaming is calling for him, wanting a response from him because she can't see him (contact calling). She's biting you (displaced aggression) probably in the hope that you know where he is and will take her there.

Did you allow her to see his remains? That would have allowed her to see first hand that he had died. Have you removed his cage? About all you can do for Olive is be there for her as she deals with her sense of loss. Some birds take longer than others so there is no time frame for the process. If you are open to another lovebird, you might look around for an older one. Older birds are usually hard to rehome because they can have special needs that not everyone wants to deal with. I'm a retired breeder and most of my lovebird flock is 15+. When I got out of breeding 10 years ago, I kept all my birds because I wasn't going to rehome them to someone to do with them what I wasn't going to do. There are far too many homeless animals right now as it is!

Linda Thanks for your answer. Yes I did let her see his body. She tried to bite it! I have dismantled his cage and put it away where she can't see it. I did go through this when her sister died-it was absolutely heartbreaking and lasted for a month, after which she clung to me like glue. Being that I don't know how much longer I have with Olive, I don't think I'll be getting her another companion, just cherish her while I have her.

[linda040899]

Hopefully, Olive will get through the grieving process and will find that you are a good companion! There really isn't more to do than you have already done except just be there for her. I've had lovebirds live up to 20 yrs so how much time you have left could be a while. :)

[Laurel]

20 years oh gosh I hope so-I adore her. She has really slowed down lately though, noticed it even before Desi died. She's on heart medication now.

[linda040899]

What is her diet like? I've got a couple of suggestions that have definitely helped improve the longevity of my flock, and that includes my larger parrots.

[Laurel]

What is her diet like? I've got a couple of suggestions that have definitely helped improve the longevity of my flock, and that includes my larger parrots.

I feed her Zupreem organic pellets, along with a pinch of their "sensible seeds mix". Some times I throw in Harrisons adult Lifetime Fine when I can find it, and in the afternoon I give her a little snack of Nutriberries for senior birds-not a whole nugget, just a sprinke. She has been eating less since Desi dies but when I took her to the vet in Oactober she weighed 48 grams-I think pretty normal. She was also diagnosed with fatty liver and they gave me some very expensive medication, but it caked up and I've given up on it. She loves any carb-pasta, rice, bread, but also most any green-parsley, broccoli, basil. If it's green and leafy she'll eat it - also apples, strawberries and figs.

[linda040899]

Is there a reason why you use pellets and almost no seed at all??? In their natural habitat, lovebirds are seed and veggie eaters. Being native to Africa, they have a need for higher fat content in their diet than parrots from other parts of the globe. Pellets, by design, are low fat, and.....they are made from seed. All of my lovebirds get sunflower seed (My 3 African Greys also get sunflower seed.) and I lose lovies to old age rather than illness. The base diet I use is seed. I make homemade cornbread (https://www.lovebirdsplus.com/community/showthread.php?190-Homemade-Cornbread ) and feed it to them with their seed. When I crumble the cornbread, I mix a small amount of Moringa powder (available through Morning Bird) and they love it! I have one pair of much older Lutino Lovebirds who are probably 19 yrs old now and they are doing very well. My avian vet does not push pellets because more that 20% pellets can cause death by kidney failure.

Hope this is helpful.

[Laurel]

Is there a reason why you use pellets and almost no seed at all??? In their natural habitat, lovebirds are seed and veggie eaters. Being native to Africa, they have a need for higher fat content in their diet than parrots from other parts of the globe. Pellets, by design, are low fat, and.....they are made from seed. All of my lovebirds get sunflower seed (My 3 African Greys also get sunflower seed.) and I lose lovies to old age rather than illness. The base diet I use is seed. I make homemade cornbread (https://www.lovebirdsplus.com/community/showthread.php?190-Homemade-Cornbread ) and feed it to them with their seed. When I crumble the cornbread, I mix a small amount of Moringa powder (available through Morning Bird) and they love it! I have one pair of much older Lutino Lovebirds who are probably 19 yrs old now and they are doing very well. My avian vet does not push pellets because more that 20% pellets can cause death by kidney failure.

Hope this is helpful.

Huh, thanks for the advice. I was told to feed them mostly pellets because seeds have too much fat and they could become overweight. It's really pretty much a balance of both I give her. She was diagnosed with fatty liver last October so i'm feeding her too much of some kind of fat, although can't figure out what.

[linda040899]

I have an African Grey who was diagnosed with the beginnings of liver disease years ago and I was told to use Lactobacillus, Prozyme and Lactulose (in liquid form). Lactobacillus and Prozyme are both powders. Lactulose is a liquid and I get it from my avian vet. I sprinkled a pinch of the Lactobacillus and just a tiny bit of the Prozyme over soft food and gave the Lactulose by mouth. It took about 6 months and Ginger (CAG) showed no signs of liver disease anymore.

I use https://www.morningbirdproducts.com/products/morning-bird-probiotics-avian-probiotic-formula?_pos=1&_sid=3deeb124b&_ss=r for the Lactobacillus. The Prozyme I use is the one pictured in this link. https://www.healthypets.com/prozyme1.html There are other brands but this one is the one I've always used. Yes, it's a supplement for dogs/cats, but it works for birds, as well. Just make sure you use just a tiny bit because too much will cause loose droppings. Lactulose is a vet item.

The way this works is this. The probiotic helps the food digest easier. The Prozyme pre-digests food and the Lactulose helps clean and heal the liver. You can also add Milk Thistle to help protect the liver. All of this is natural so it will not cause injury. Morning Bird also sells palm oil that I add to my cornbread. According to the Lafeber's website, Nutriberries are a complete diet as long as the entire berry is consumed. I have a Double Yellowheaded Amazon who is older and could easily develop liver disease if he eats too much regular parrot mix. Monty (DYH) loves sunflower seed so I give him maybe 1/4 c in his huge food dish and then fill it with Higgins Fruit and Nut mix, a lot of Nutriberries and unsalted, pistachio nuts still in the shell. He also adores walnuts!

Hopes this gives you a few ideas.

[Laurel]

I have an African Grey who was diagnosed with the beginnings of liver disease years ago and I was told to use Lactobacillus, Prozyme and Lactulose (in liquid form). Lactobacillus and Prozyme are both powders. Lactulose is a liquid and I get it from my avian vet. I sprinkled a pinch of the Lactobacillus and just a tiny bit of the Prozyme over soft food and gave the Lactulose by mouth. It took about 6 months and Ginger (CAG) showed no signs of liver disease anymore.

I use https://www.morningbirdproducts.com/products/morning-bird-probiotics-avian-probiotic-formula?_pos=1&_sid=3deeb124b&_ss=r for the Lactobacillus. The Prozyme I use is the one pictured in this link. https://www.healthypets.com/prozyme1.html There are other brands but this one is the one I've always used. Yes, it's a supplement for dogs/cats, but it works for birds, as well. Just make sure you use just a tiny bit because too much will cause loose droppings. Lactulose is a vet item.

The way this works is this. The probiotic helps the food digest easier. The Prozyme pre-digests food and the Lactulose helps clean and heal the liver. You can also add Milk Thistle to help protect the liver. All of this is natural so it will not cause injury. Morning Bird also sells palm oil that I add to my cornbread. According to the Lafeber's website, Nutriberries are a complete diet as long as the entire berry is consumed. I have a Double Yellowheaded Amazon who is older and could easily develop liver disease if he eats too much regular parrot mix. Monty (DYH) loves sunflower seed so I give him maybe 1/4 c in his huge food dish and then fill it with Higgins Fruit and Nut mix, a lot of Nutriberries and unsalted, pistachio nuts still in the shell. He also adores walnuts!

Hopes this gives you a few ideas.


Thanks. They gave me a silimarin suspension for her but the form they gave me caked up really quickly. I found some on line that I think will work better.

[linda040899]

Good deal!