HEy everyone

[Beemow]

I was sort of wondering what kind of symptoms

of sickness are there?

My lovie is not so energetic anymore, his poop is light green,

seems often sleepy.

Should i go take him to see a vet?

I took him when i got him and the vet said he was ok.

Help me out.

[Angelwing]

If you notice any behaviour such as that, definitely take him to the vet right away. Some normal symptoms are:

- Puffed up and/or sleepy
- sitting on the buttom of the cage
- Sleepy/constantly sleeping
- unresponsive
- colour change in excretion

Certainly if your lovie isn't acting normally, please take him to a vet as soon as possibly. Please don't wait it out, as birds hold off showing signs of sickness for as long as they can. When you notice that they are sick, you need to provide help very quickly, before it's too late.

[Janie]

I had no pet bird experience when I adopted my first lovie, Oliver, and that poor little birdie made 7 trips to his avian vet the first year because......I just wasn't sure if something was wrong and I've read many times that by the time a lovebird shows symptoms, he's already sick. Most of the trips we made were unnecessary but gave me great peace of mind, knowing that he wasn't sick. When in doubt, I always take my lovies to their vet. With the symptoms you are seeing and because this is not typical behavior for him, I would definitely take him to your avian vet asap. Even when my birds are well, I take them in once a year for their annual physical. I hope all is well with him and do keep us posted. :)

[butterfly1061]

Ditto to what Janie said. I did the samething with Molly about the many vet visits. Everyone in the vet's office now knows me by name and understands my concern about my baby. When Janie & I see our vet at the birdfairs, she & her assistant talk to us like old friends. I still take Molly or my others in if ANYTHING concerns me.

[mangotiki]

when you said he is sleepy...the first thing I wondered is if he has been eating? Has his food changed recently? How long have you had him? Other than that, yes, vet visit is deginitely recommended. Lovies behavior does not change until they are really sick as birds hide their illness as a defence mechanism. Let us know how it goes.

[Beemow]

I did change his diet from seeds to pellets.

He is starting to get some green spots.

I dont know how much the vet bills will cost.

[mjm8321]

How long have you had this bird? I recall you posting maybe a week or so ago about just getting the bird. You state that you have changed it's diet from seeds to pellets? Did you take away all the seed at once? If your lovie is not eating the pellets, please put the seed back for your bird. You cannot simply change the diet in a manner of days without ill effects on your bird.

Green spots? Do you have a picture of your bird?

As for not knowing the cost of the vet bills, this might sound harsh, but you took on the responsibility of this bird and if the bird is ill, it needs to go to the vet, no matter the cost.

[mangotiki]

I did change his diet from seeds to pellets.

He is starting to get some green spots.

I dont know how much the vet bills will cost.

Put the seed back NOW. Give him millet, too, if you have some. I hope it is not too late for your bird...he is starving and that is why he is sleepy. It can be very hard to switch a bird to pellets. Some never do. They would starve themselves before switching. This can even happen when you switch from one type of pellet to another.

He should perk up soon if you get some food into him. Let me know how he is doing later today.

What do you mean by green spots? How old is your bird? What color/mutation etc. is he?

[Janie]

You mentioned that you "took him when you got him and he said he was OK" so how long ago was that? What did the vet charge for that visit? In my area a typical office visit is around $58. Having a pet bird is no different than the care you'd give a dog or cat. They all need vet care, well visits yearly and anytime there is an illness or concern.

I would not ever change a new birds diet w/o continuing to offer the food he was used while trying to introduce the new food. Even when I switched seed brands, from a cheap seed to a good one, I did it gradually. Most birds who have not eaten pellets early on, won't! My adopted bird would have starved to death (I mean that) if I'd removed his seed and offered pellets. While many vets (mine included) recommend them, in my case, none of the three of mine are fans of pellets. You can include them in birdie cornbread and other things (plus, they are usually in most seed mixes) but an all pellet diet isn't good even if the bird will eat it. You need to give that lovie his seed back and get him to a vet.

[Beemow]

I have seeds in his cage still. Not as much tho. I have a half bowl of

seeds he still eats, and 2 bowls of pellets. I have had him for 3 1/2

weeks. I am taking him to the vet tommorow. hopefully he is okay.

I will keep you guys informed! :(

[Janie]

Good deal! :) I hope all goes well tomorrow and look forward to an update. It is very good to read that you did continue to give him seeds. What he's used to eating should be offered until he shows you that he prefers what you're introducing. Again, even if he'll eat the pellets, no more than a 40% diet of pellets should be given. In the wild, lovebirds would never be eating pellets. Please do let us know how he's doing and hang in there. :)

[mangotiki]

Please make sure he has as much seed as he wants. It could be that you have limited the seed to the point where it is barely enough to sustain him (hence the sleepiness) and he is refusing to eat the pellets. Hopefully this was the only problem and he will be feeling better soon.

[butterfly1061]

Do you know how old the lovebird is? Are you feeding him the same seed mix he recieved from the previous owner? If these are things you don't know, it would be a good idea to ask about them.

As far as the the amount of seed mix being offered, Traci is right. Do not limit him to a small amount. Birds will search through the mix to find what they like to eat. If you only give a small amount of seed, he won't have much to choose from. For one bird, I usually give mine about 3 heaping tablespoons of seed per day (among other things). I throw out the old everyday and give them fresh. :2cents:

[Beemow]

I took him to my moms friends vet and he said he was alright.

I got to bring him back on monday to do more testing. But he is okay :D

[butterfly1061]

Was he an AVIAN vet? If not, you really need to find a vet who specializes in birds. Just because the word "vet" is on the building doesn't mean they know anything about birds. :(

[Janie]

OK????? Exactly what does that mean? As Jackie mentioned, was this an avian vet? A regular dog/cat vet would not know what to do with a parrot.

[mangotiki]

I am wondering if he has improved at all since giving him free reign on the seed? Has he perked up? Let us know.
thanks.
Traci

[Beemow]

Lol. Yea. he has been singing all day and jumping around more often.

Still bites tho. I heard i should remove his mirrors, is that true?

[Janie]

Yes, you should remove the mirrors. Also, reading the Lovebird Resource Library would be helpful. :) Here is that link:

http://www.lovebirdsplus.com/resource.html

[mangotiki]

Lol. Yea. he has been singing all day and jumping around more often.

Still bites tho. I heard i should remove his mirrors, is that true?

Is he a baby? if so, that could be why he is biting. Handfed lovebirds can nibble quite a bit until they get a little older. It is not a mean thing, just a stage. Is this possibly what is happening? Or is he an older bird that goes after you when you put your hand in the cage or try to pick him up?

[Beemow]

Well he will allow me up use my finger to pick him up but other wise he will

go out of his way to bite. He is 3 months old

[mangotiki]

I am going to make the guess that he is going to outgrow this in a few months. I had one bird that really nibbled ALOt and it hurt...when I got him I had to give him formula becasue he stopped eating seed and pellets due to the move. I finally got him eating seed but not pellets. So I would give him pellets by hand to nibble on...this got him into eating pellets and gave him something else to nibble on besides my fingers. Of course, he then would nibble my fingers looking for the pellets...

I feed my birds pellets, seed and fresh veggies and fruits, egg, brown rice, beans, pasta, birdy bread etc. I make up extra rice when cooking for my family and freeze it in icecube trays then store it in the freezer in ziplock bags. I managed to introduce veggies to birds who had never even seen them by clipping kale and broccoli to the bars, and by getting "brocolli slaw" in the prepared salad section. They could not resist the long stringy shape of the shredded broccoli. And when all else fails, birdy bread is irresistible and can include pellets, veggies and fruits...

I am glad to hear that your bird is better.

[Paulette]

Beemow:
Glad your baby is feeling better. Experiment with the different foods. Some birds will eat things clipped inside the cage and some will only eat things that are shredded or chopped into birdie sized bites. Shredded carrots and sweet potatoes are good (but no potato peel). The only thing my birds eat really well is brown rice/pasta/cooked beans/frozen peas/frozen corn all cooked ahead of time and mixed together. I scramble some egg to add in along with some dry oats. I have been mixing the birdie bread in with this also. And I have to run things like the rice/bean mix in the food processor so they don't drop the big beans under the grate in the cage. Good Luck.

[mangotiki]

I also thought I would link you to this page:

http://www.lovebirdsplus.com/resource.html

There is a lot of great information here that every new lovebird owner should read through before an issue arises. There are many hazards in the home that are not good for birds and it is wise to familiarize yourself with them.

Happy reading!!!

Traci

[Beemow]

Thanks guys. I was just wondering can igive my bird boiled eggs?

[lovebirdlover]

Hi Beemow. U definently can give your bird boiled eggs. It's a very good source of calcium for them. You should give it with the shell too. I know this because when my lovie was sick and needed calcium because her calcium was low, the vet said that they were good for them:)

[Angelwing]

If you feed egg shells (that are still hard), you have to be extremely careful that you've crushed them well enough. Personally, I don't feed the shells, as I'm afraid that I'll miss crushing a piece, which can be very harmful for your birdie. Better calcium alternatives are cuttlebones (you can also scrape a bit over regular food), broccoli and kale. I haven't tried boiled eggs yet, but my flock sure likes scrambled.

[Beemow]

Thanks everyone for all the help :D