Morgan losing weight

[donnakris]

My darling Morgan, U2, went to visit the vet a couple of weeks ago when my sweet Angel, M2, bit her toe. Morgan had lost a little weight since her last visit about 3 months ago. When I took Morgan in a week later for a checkup, her toe is healed and fine by the way, she had lost a little more weight.
Now Morgan had tons of blood work when I got her in January to see if we could figure out why she was plucking and everything came back normal.
She seems to be eating less than normal but acts normal, just hormonal as anything.
So, I wondered if birds eat less and maybe lose weight during hormonal times? How much weight loss is too much? She weighed 505 grams last visit. She is a small U2 to begin with. Should I have all the blood work re-done?
I have ordered a digital scale that should be here today or tomorrow so I can monitor her weight.
I think I'm a little more worried than the vet but she's my baby.
This is the weight she was when she came to me. She had gone up to about 540 grams since January.
Am I being paranoid?

[too&me]

I do think there is a seasonal variance and it may have more to do with activity levels. More calories burned. I often feed a little warm mashed sweet or white potaoe and egg or warm cereal mash at bedtime to add a little padding. Let us know if she is eating and drinking as usual or if her interests are keeping her from eating as much. Harry is very busy taking care of the Cockatiel egg he has borrowed and is definately not eating as much or as often.

[donnakris]

I do think there is a seasonal variance and it may have more to do with activity levels. More calories burned. I often feed a little warm mashed sweet or white potaoe and egg or warm cereal mash at bedtime to add a little padding. Let us know if she is eating and drinking as usual or if her interests are keeping her from eating as much. Harry is very busy taking care of the Cockatiel egg he has borrowed and is definately not eating as much or as often.

Thank you, I'll try the warm mashed potatoes. She's pretty picky about eating and I have a hard time with her. She usually loves her warm birdy bread but she doesn't even seem to be eating that as much.
Morgan is pretty non active for a Too. I'm sure much of that has to do with her life before. She doesn't really play with toys too much, she just sits on top of her cage or on me. She's laid a couple of eggs in my lap but never is interested in them after that. My little, darling, neurotic, loveable, drives me nuts Morgan. :smiles:

[birdie]

Stella is the pickiest eater of my whole flock. I struggle all the thime to keep her weight up. We have a night time ritual where I spoon feed her warm mushy stuff to keep her weight up. I think she is just too busy to eat most days. Somedays however she does well at eating on her own so we don't do the evening mush. I save PB sandwiches as one of the evening treats which gets her in the mood to eat.

[FoxersArtist]

Donna - do you know how to evaluate weight by feeling the keel? Weighing her on a scale will be helpful to know if she is gaining or losing but since all different birds are different sizes a good way to tell if they are too thin is by feeling the keel. It shouldn't be sharp and their should be some padding on either breast - not too much though as then you will soon have birdy cleevage. If she has some meat on her, I wouldn't be concerned. If she is super thin, I would worry a bit more. did the vet do any testing for infection this time around? The last time i took in a thin bird my vet did a crop swab to see if there was yeast growth. Good luck.
-Anna

[Dot]

I don't think they are supposed to lose 10% of their body weight per week. I would wait for one of the Dons or Bill to confirm that.

[Don]

If you are concerned about the weight loss, have your Vet do Crop and Vent cultures. And do it before.....................

[Don D.]

If one of my birds lost more than ten per cent of their body weight I would have them into the vet.

Don D.

[donnakris]

Anna--she feels a little thin when I run my hands over her keel. She's not super thin though. No, they vet wanted to go over her previous blood work. And my scale arrived today so I will be able to start weighing her. I'm going to make an appointment with the vet again to have the crop and vent cultures done.

Don D--thank you, she has been to the vet twice now since losing weight. I would never just ignore anything like that in my birds.

[Larry, Baby and Me]

Hi Donna,

540 grams at the high and 505 grams at the low might be a natural weight swing for your Umbie. That is a 35 gram loss - which is not too much.

Morgan might be a smaller Umbie as you have said. In that case - 540 would not be too thin. My Umbie is of the large variety with a top weight of 647 for a brief period and with a regular weight of 610.

A couple years ago she had heavy metal poisoning and went down to 540. She was a real sick girl at that time.

The gram scale you are getting will do the trick. You have to know what their weights are over a period of time to get an idea of what their "normal" weight is compared to a sick weight.

Like Anna said... the keel bone test should tell you if she is too much under weight.

When concerned... a vet check is always in order.

Lar

[bonnie]

I weigh here once a month. Weight tends to vary by 30 grams or so in my M2. Once you get the scale make sure you weigh on a regular basis so you know what is normal for your bird. I do agree, if you are worried, see the vet.

[donnakris]

Thanks everyone. I am going to take her back to the vet to have her crop and vent test done. I'm probably overly concerned but she's really my baby. Despite all the screaming and sometimes fit pitching, I adore that bird. She's only been with us not quite a year and I can't even imagine coming home from work and not hearing "Mama" at the top of her lungs.

[too&me]

Hugs and let us know how she does.

[FoxersArtist]

Fingers crossed that everything goes well!
-Anna

[birdscomefirst]

I read through the thread and i also would bring my bird to a vet pronto if there is an unexpalainable loss of 10% of body weight in a short period of time.

I have to respectfully disagree with the weight swing scenario unless that has been monitored over the course of a few years.

Weight loss can be the sign of something we can't readily see, like a crop impaction, for example.

I am glad the bird is going to be checked out.

Thanks,
Bill

[birdie]

any news on Morgan today? How is she doing?

[FoxersArtist]

Inquiring minds want to know...
-Anna

[donnakris]

Morgan hasn't lost anymore weight. She seems to be eating a little better. I am taking her back to the vet next week to check her weight again.

Just for everyone's peace of mind, please know that I only posted asking questions because I wondered if it was a normal thing to lose some weight at different times of year or due to hormones. My birds, like my kids did, always get taken to the doctor if I even think there's a problem. In fact, I probaby take/took all of them too often...lol. Better safe than sorry.
I thank everyone for their concern and advice.

[too&me]

Opposite to me I avoid the Doc's as long as possible! With birds and babies of all kinds it is better to be safe. We know you are a wonderful birdy Mommy. Do keep us updated on Morgan she shares a name with my son.

[FoxersArtist]

I don't think anyone is too concerned yet, but Morgan and you are part of our family now so we get nosy from time to time and feel like we just have to be in the know. :haha: Please forgive our neediness, we know you are a fantastic bird momma!
-Anna

[birdie]

just a bunch of mother hens around here :haha: gotta check up with our flock.

[Don]

'I don't think anyone is too concerned yet,''

Really ? - then why would anyone suggest getting the bird to the Vet and having cultures done ?

What you are condoning is waiting till something tragic is obvious. Bad advice imnsho !! Inexperence and Complacency will kill more birds than a Vet check.

Don

[FoxersArtist]

I can certainly appreciate that different folks interpret things uniquely, but what I was trying to express was that we are not all sitting on the edges of our chairs, biting our nails, having massive amounts of anxiety over a situation that has so many variables and not yet a resolution if one is needed at all. The above statement was not advice regarding whether or not to take the bird to a vet or seek treatment. It was reassurance that we were not demanding a solution right this minute to appease our own, selfish sense of panic for a bird that is already very clearly being well cared for. If, in a post, I do not automatically shout "TAKE IT TO THE VET" it's because someone else has and I have a different angle to share from so that ALL of the options are out on the table. We each think differently and as a whole contribute to this board. If any person only takes the advice of one member on this board, it is their choice, and potential loss, to limit their options.


"What you are condoning is waiting till something tragic is obvious. Bad advice imnsho !! Inexperence and Complacency will kill more birds than a Vet check."

This is a very true statement though sadly there is one part that seems to stand out more than the other, more appropriate, points. NOT so humble. Humility could bring humanity a long way and people might be more willing to listen to the voice that is not always shouting at them. That is MHO.
-Anna


'I don't think anyone is too concerned yet,''

Really ? - then why would anyone suggest getting the bird to the Vet and having cultures done ?

What you are condoning is waiting till something tragic is obvious. Bad advice imnsho !! Inexperence and Complacency will kill more birds than a Vet check.

Don

[Don]

What I posted stands, putting your spin on it doesn't change a thing.

Don

[donnakris]

Don, Morgan has been to the vet 3 times now. I am neither inexperenced nor complacent about any of my birds. They have wonderful care and attention. I do appreciate your concern and do know that lots of birds die due to not being taken to the vet at the first sign of trouble.

I have gotten my scale and Morgan is putting on some weight. I've been giving her the birdy bread I bake that's full of veggies and fruits, some extra nuts and sunflower seeds and it seems to be working. She has been extremely hormonal lately and I can't help but beleive this is part of the cause of her weight loss. She is going back to the vet next week just for another check up.

I really appreciate everyone's concern and advice. Believe me, it helps and I am grateful.

[Don]

I neither said YOU were inexperienced nor complacent, YOU asked for opinions and I offered mine in good faith with nothing but good will for you and your birds.

I don't really care how many times a bird is Seen by a Vet - no one can see or smell bacteria in it's early stages - the bird is said to be losing weight - I've been raising parrots for ovwer 20 years and Never saw one lose 10% of its weight because it was 'hormonal' or 'breeding season'..

like I suggested - have the bird cultured. I would rather err on the side of caution, than assuption.

Best wishes, Don

[FoxersArtist]

It's ok Donna. don was not refering to you in any way when he made comments about being inexperienced and complacent. Those comments were aimed in my direction. I was very saddened to see that your thread ended up getting hyjacked with arguing and want to be the first to apologise for that added stress to you as this post is not about a petty arguement but rather about a very good bird mom and a very well loved Morgan.
-Anna
Don, Morgan has been to the vet 3 times now. I am neither inexperenced nor complacent about any of my birds. They have wonderful care and attention. I do appreciate your concern and do know that lots of birds die due to not being taken to the vet at the first sign of trouble.

I have gotten my scale and Morgan is putting on some weight. I've been giving her the birdy bread I bake that's full of veggies and fruits, some extra nuts and sunflower seeds and it seems to be working. She has been extremely hormonal lately and I can't help but beleive this is part of the cause of her weight loss. She is going back to the vet next week just for another check up.

I really appreciate everyone's concern and advice. Believe me, it helps and I am grateful.

[Don]

Anna, you can put any spin on the conversation you want - but the bird lost a lot of weight, I suggested she get it cultured and you said nobody was concerned - I again suggested getting cultures done, because hormones do not cause weight loss, and it IS one of the first signs of a medical problem, and those are better caught earlier than later - so spin it anyway you can to make yourself look better - Merry Christmas.

And Donna, my only concern is for Morgans well being - what have you to lose if she cultures clean ? a few $$ ??, and if there is a potential underlying cause for the weight loss ?

Don

[donnakris]

Anna, there is absolutely no need to apologize hon. I really do appreciate all the advice. Since Morgan has extensive blood work when she first came to me, less than a year ago, I just assumed there was no illness causing the weight loss.

Don, I will be taking Morgan in today for the cultures and I do appreicate your concern and advice. I apologize if it seemed I was a little touchy, just worry I guess. Trust me, where Morgan, or any of my birds are concerned losing $$$ is not an issue. When I first got Morgan we were at the vet every week, literally, for the first 3 months. The person that "gave" me Morgan told me she had "slight" feather issues from a bad clip. Well, she kept breaking feathers, pulling feathers, breaking blood feathers and falling. We spent enough money to actually buy a cockatoo trying to find out why. They did extensive blood work, everything negative and normal. But I don't believe cultures were done. My new vet will be doing them today.

And just to let everyone know, Morgan is eating better again and has actually put on some weight. Morgan is a bit neurotic at best. Any change, another bird, a new toy, anything, and she acts like a 3 year old child having a tantrum. She will stop eating, throw toys, throw all her food out of the bowl, bite the h**l out of my husband, and just stand and scream. She has done this on and off over the almost year she's been here. The weight loss scared me and rightly so. I adore this bird and if anything happened to her, I'm not sure what I'd do.

[bonnie]

Donna, I'm very glad Morgan is eating better. Let us know how the vet visit goes, I'll be thinking about you!

[donnakris]

Donna, I'm very glad Morgan is eating better. Let us know how the vet visit goes, I'll be thinking about you!

Thanks so much. I'll be sure to post the results.
Oh and I got the scale like I said but Morgan just wouldn't stand on it. Now the vet has this 3 sided perch thing that goes on her scale. It's acrylic, I guess for easier sanitizing between birds. But my incredible hubby, while I was at work yesterday, actually built an exact duplicate out of wood. He is just amazing with that stuff. When Morgan first came and she was having balance trouble, hubby thought the top of the cage frame, where they perch was just too small. So he made wood perches that slide on the top of the cage and completely covers the frame where Morgan perches. She loves it. Easier to balance and she gets to chew the wood up!!

[too&me]

Your hubby is the best! Great idea could you take a picture of his slide on creation to share with us all?

[Patty, Linus and Co.]

It took Theo almost 6 months to get on a scale. Don't give up!

[Uncle]

You might try taking Morgan to a nuetral room ( one that is not normally gone into), place the scale on a flat surface, turn it on, let it calibrate, plop Morgan on the scale, get the reading --- and you're done. That works for Baby.

Have fun.

Lar

[donnakris]

Your hubby is the best! Great idea could you take a picture of his slide on creation to share with us all?

I'd be glad to. It really is wonderful. He took dowels and measured the metal bars and then used a router (?) on the dowels so that they fit down onto the metal bars. I'll get pics in the morning when her highness wakes up.

[donnakris]

You might try taking Morgan to a nuetral room ( one that is not normally gone into), place the scale on a flat surface, turn it on, let it calibrate, plop Morgan on the scale, get the reading --- and you're done. That works for Baby.

Have fun.

Lar


That sounds like it might work. Thanks so much. I got her on it momentarily the other day but it wasn't fun.:sadeyes:

[birdie]

when I 1st tried to weigh Cassie she flew off the thing like a bullet! I talked sweet, told her we needed to see what a big girl she is and I had treats. It took me 1 week of trying everyday. Sydney also was not a willing participant and I used the same technique on her.

[bonnie]

I usually give Daisy a nut. Chicken gets a grape. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't lol.