Ah, my specialty...unfortunately. I have been blessed with chronic kidney stones since the age of 18, I get fewer now than I used to (I used to get between 5-10 a year that I was very aware of and that caused issues), now at age 38 I only get between 4-5 a year that I'm aware of and that cause me a problem. I probably pass between 40-50 a year at least that are either small enough or shaped in a way that I don't know that I'm passing them. It sucks, that's all I can say, it sucks. I've changed my diet completely, I've taken prescription meds, I've tried every natural and/or holistic treatment available, I've taken $100 a month special renal vitamins, etc. As 2 urologists have told me, "Some people are just stone-collectors". Yay, I'm a "stone-collector". Anway, as such, my kidneys are constantly becoming infected, especially when a stone gets stuck in one of my ureters and causes the urine to back-up into the kidney (hydronephrosis), which is what causes the undescribable pain in the lower side/back that people are always talking about with kidney stones, the pain that makes you want to kill yourself. And kidney infections are not much better, let me tell you. Anyway, my diet looks very similar to Kiwi's current diet, lol, and I can add to it and explain it a bit...
The reason for not eating any "dark, leafy greens", which is a bummer for a bird, is because they are loaded with not only calcium, but even more loaded with oxalates, which are extremely difficult for a compromised kidney to process. Also, he's more likely right now to actually form a renal calculi due to the compromised kidney, so feeding him foods that are high in both calcium and oxalates, such as dark green, leafy veggies, black pepper, tea/tannic acid, coffee, etc. can cause serious issues. Also, any foods that will change the pH of his urine/renal system are very bad, such as the citrus fruits, and avoid bananas, raisins, kiwi, honeydew, and any juice thereof. The artificial dyes, depending on what they are, can cause a host of renal and liver issues, but the renal issues can be awful because a lot of artificial dyes are excreted by the renal system and can actually change the pH, effect the diameter of the renal vessels, and over-work the kidneys if they are in-fact excreted by the renal system instead of the hepatic system. Also, a lot of these foods are high in phosphorous and/or potassium, which are big no-no's.
The corn, soy, and beans are much the same as the artificial dyes, they are excreted mostly by the renal system, and can cause changes that can negatively impact the function of the kidneys. Also, these as well as the animal meats can be high in protein, and with a renal diet you need to lower your overall protein intake, which is also why the pellets are off the diet.
***Now, onto the important stuff, what foods are excellent for the overall health of the kidneys and the entire renal system:
-Cherries
-Cranberries and Cranberry Juice (all-natural, no sugar added, not from concentrate)
-Peaches
-Grapes
-Pears
-Apples
-Pineapple
-Watermelon (good source of hydration too, which is very important)
-Berries such as blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries
-Broccoli
-Carrots
-Cauliflower
-Squash and Cucumber
-Bell Peppers
-Eggplant
-Egg-Whites (no yolks)
-Pasta that is NOT whole wheat
-White Rice
-Cinnamon
-Olive Oil
-Garlic
***A big one for birds would be avoiding nuts, whole wheat products, bran, multi-grain products, etc. because they are extremely high in phosphorous. So where white rice is usually not the best to eat, it is for renal health as opposed to brown rice or a multi-grain rice, same for pasta, breads, etc. Everything has to be "white" and NOT whole wheat/whole grain/multi grain. Sounds counterproductive, but for the kidneys it makes sense...
Instead of nuts and seeds that are extremely high in phosphorous, such as sunflower seeds, almonds, peanuts, etc., you want to instead try unsalted popcorn, cream of wheat (no oatmeal), and any type of rice based cereal instead of corn, soy, wheat, or graham-based cereals that are high in phosphorous. So any regular cereal that is rice-based, or better yet the regular baby rice cereals that are not multigrain or whole wheat. Regular, plain grits are good too.
So it's tough with no pellets and no seeds or nuts, lol, that is hard for a parrot. The pellets are definitely a big no-no due to their high protein content, and nuts are extremely high in phosphorous, so I'd stay away from all nuts, as well as sunflower seeds. I've never had to put one of my birds on a renal-health diet, so that's a challenge, but again, THINK "RICE-BASED" instead of wheat, bran, soy, nut, graham, or multi-grain based...
Broccoli and cauliflower are favorites! What about white potatoes if white foods are suggested?
