Eating his cage covering

[Harold35]

Hello
I returned home tonight to see that Harold had bitten off his cage quite a bit of the coating.....he regurgitated/vomited and i got it before he swallowed it back and inside are pieces/splinters of cage covering !!! Im worried sick. Here is the photo attached. Here also is the cage itself. Hes been using it since the very start of August. On the description it says "zinc free powder coating". He's always had a bite at it but never as much as today !!!
Joanna.

https://www.scarlettsparrotessentials.co.uk/rainforest-nova-ii-large-parrot-cage

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[foxgloveparrot]

Hello
I returned home tonight to see that Harold had bitten off his cage quite a bit of the coating.....he regurgitated/vomited and i got it before he swallowed it back and inside are pieces/splinters of cage covering !!! Im worried sick. Here is the photo attached. Here also is the cage itself. Hes been using it since the very start of August. On the description it says "zinc free powder coating". He's always had a bite at it but never as much as today !!!
Joanna.

https://www.scarlettsparrotessentials.co.uk/rainforest-nova-ii-large-parrot-cage

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This is not safe, stop using that cover immediately! You can try others but if he behaves the same way with all of them, you might just have to not cover the cage at all for a little while, until the behavior is better.

 

[Harold35]

This is not safe, stop using that cover immediately! You can try others but if he behaves the same way with all of them, you might just have to not cover the cage at all for a little while, until the behavior is better.

Hi, i don't cover his cage. Its the covering on the metal.

 

[foxgloveparrot]

Hi, i don't cover his cage. Its the covering on the metal.

Oh, I’m sorry…I don’t know how I could have misunderstood so much…
I recommend removing him from the cage entirely and invest in a new one.

 

[Laurasea]

Macaws like to chomp..
A wide variety of textures and different durability of chew stuff should be offered. Coconut takes a while for them to strip and destroy.
Teaching foraging can occupy them.

 

[Harold35]

Oh, I’m sorry…I don’t know how I could have misunderstood so much…
I recommend removing him from the cage entirely and invest in a new one.

I absolutely agree with you on this. This one IS a risk

 

[Laurasea]

If you are worried about metal ingested, check in with an avian veterinarian.

Feeding some cooked sweet potatoes or pumpkin can help pass stuff out if their system

 

[wrench13]

Mate, you want a stainless steel cage for this boy. Expensive, but 100% safe and will last the lifetime of the macaw. Really!

 

[Shez]

Macaws like to chomp..
A wide variety of textures and different durability of chew stuff should be offered. Coconut takes a while for them to strip and destroy.
Teaching foraging can occupy them.

This is great advice to add foraging as it is healthy for any parrot to actually search and work for its food but it won't help the actual issue- ingesting the powder coating from the bars is seriously dangerous and likely not something that foraging will stop.

 

[Harold35]

If you are worried about metal ingested, check in with an avian veterinarian.

Feeding some cooked sweet potatoes or pumpkin can help pass stuff out if their system

Hes been pooping the coating all evening. I managed to get some peanut butter down him but not much. Ill be watching him through the night.

 

[Shez]

Hes been pooping the coating all evening. I managed to get some peanut butter down him but not much. Ill be watching him through the night.

Some is better than none! I am so glad you did that, hopefully it will help to pass any more paint that may be consumed. Still call your vet first thing in the morning and let them know what has happened

 

[Harold35]

Some is better than none! I am so glad you did that, hopefully it will help to pass any more paint that may be consumed. Still call your vet first thing in the morning and let them know what has happened

Yes absolutely. Thank you. Joanna.

 

[Laurasea]

the fiber in the pumpkin and sweet potatoes is what's helpful. Sometimes vets will recommend Metamucil, but I'm not familiar with the use of Metamucil.
Are you saying he has lost his appetite? Ohhh poor guy. Definitely get intouch with the veterinarian tomorrow.

I still urge the cooked sweet potatoes.

 

[Harold35]

the fiber in the pumpkin and sweet potatoes is what's helpful. Sometimes vets will recommend Metamucil, but I'm not familiar with the use of Metamucil.
Are you saying he has lost his appetite? Ohhh poor guy. Definitely get intouch with the veterinarian tomorrow.

I still urge the cooked sweet potatoes.

Hi.
Here in the uk its 02.03 and hes sleeping. Until i put him to bed he was eating ok but time will tell. Yes absolutely, i will be calling the avian vet tomorrow morning. Pirt he didnt answer my mail or message.
Thank you. Joanna

 

[Shez]

Feed the almond butter, peanut butter, cooked sweet potato or pumpkin, feed some metamucil- all these listed things will help parrots pass many different ingested foreign objects.

Call the vet first thing in the morning- do not email or text as they are often ignored till the person has free time, calls are generally answered straight away

 

[Harold35]

Feed the almond butter, peanut butter, cooked sweet potato or pumpkin, feed some metamucil- all these listed things will help parrots pass many different ingested foreign objects.

Call the vet first thing in the morning- do not email or text as they are often ignored till the person has free time, calls are generally answered straight away

ThAnk you Shez. Joanna

 

[Harold35]

He was at the avian vets for 13 days from January 24th till February 5th because of a total gi tract "loss of function" that lasted 7 days !!! All tests for pdd, zinc, lead etc were negative and we returned home not knowing what it was. Then i found a lot of hidden mouse excrement in my home and we thought maybe it was this but now tonight I'm worried it could be the cage. Ive checked the cage coating for damage (apart from todays 10cm damage (chew off) and there is circa 23cm of chew off from the recent past. Im frightened of what the next 24hrs will bring. I will be calling the Avian Vet in 3 hrs. Harold is there in his cage sleeping. Im watching him through the cam.
Joanna.

 

[Harold35]

I spoke with Harolds Doctor and they said that as long as he was ok they were not too worried but to keep him under observation and if he is a cage chewer, which he is, then to consider a stainless steel one. Yesterday i found in the uk this company and spoke for a long time with the maker of the cages and i have ordered one. https://www.aviarycage.co.uk/

 

[Laurasea]

I'm glad to hear this @
When I saw his past episode I was starting to worry about PVD.

Looks like a gorgeous cage.

If you don't already I suggest weekly weight checks.

 

[Harold35]

I'm glad to hear this @
When I saw his past episode I was starting to worry about PVD.

Looks like a gorgeous cage.

If you don't already I suggest weekly weight checks.

Thank you Laura for your input. What is PVD ?
Yes the stainless steel cages seem to be the only ones a cage coating eater should have. Im just wondering how to shape it. Hes in a nova 2 right now which is in cm: 220cm width, 102cm depth and 185cm height. Ive put the deposit down for a cage this size however i can in the next couple of days choose if to have it more square and less rectangular....
Id love to do weekly weight checks on the parrot scales i bought for him but he just will now have it. Not even bribery works !! How do you weigh yours ?
Thank you.
Joanna.