Cataracts and Green Cheeks.

[AlovebirdMom]

Happy New Year Linda and all.

My question concerns Petey our 21 yr old green cheek. We noticed a tiny opaque spot on one eye and think it could be a cataract. Do Green cheeks get cataracts. I saw that sometime diet can reverse it. Do you know anything about that? He doesnt itch it or anything. His main problem are his feet which are arthritic. Id hate his sight to be affected too.

Thx in advance.

Ellen

[linda040899]

Hi Ellen,
As birds age, there are health problems that develop. Arthritis and cataracts are just 2. Is the tiny white spot in the pupil of the eye? If it's very tiny, Petey may be just seeing around it. Does it affect his flying, if he flies? I have lovebirds that develop cataracts as they age and I most commonly see this after age 12-14. If this affects mobility, I make sure that everything in the cage is always in the same place so the bird knows where everything is rather than having to go feeling around.

To the best of my own knowledge, I'm not aware of any diet or product that will reverse cataracts. For prevention, when I use full spectrum lighting, I know it's only effective if placed within 18" of the cage and at that distance, the lighting can cause cataracts so I don't leave those lights on for more than 4 hours during the day. If the bird has a safe outdoor enclosure, angle of the light plays a big part. Recommended exposure times are late afternoon when the sun's rays are not as strong. If I have cages in front of windows where the sun shines in, glass does not allow UVB rays to penetrate so all you basically have is light and I try to limit that to 4 hrs/day, as well.

Hope this helps.

[AlovebirdMom]

Thank you Linda.

Yes it is on his pupil but doesnt seem to affect him. Bernie ran his hand in front of the eye and he saw it coming. He doesnt fly at all. We've always clipped his wings and lately they come in very slowly.

Thanks for tip about the light. Skyler is a sun baby so I'll have to move her from window after 4 hours. Course in winter in Wisconsin not a lot of sun. LOL

Ellen

[linda040899]

Not a problem, Ellen!
Since he sees around it, his vision is fine and it may never affect him. All you can do is keep an eye on the area so you can see if it's getting bigger. Cataracts are part of the ageing process and the only parrots that don't seem to get them are Macaws, Greys and Amazons. Monty (DYH) is much older and I thought he was developing cataracts but my avian vet checked and said nope. His eyes are beginning to change color so I know he's in his 30s, probably closer to 40. He gets an annual check up and I'm trying to catch any problems earlier rather than later. So far, so good.