I'm honestly at such a loss here. My 6 year old hand raised buddy Deu has had these issues for about 3 years now and progressively gets worse. When he was younger it wasn't really noticeable until he was around 3 when he started plucking, itching non stop and developed crusty yellow scabs. He regurgitated a lot and it smelled like sour yeast and his skin smelled like Fritos! I started having to bathe him every other day and I mean BATHE so soak him entirely as it was the only way to soothe his skin. Afterwards there would always be white flakes and the water would be murky off white from the amount of yeast coming off him.
The vet said it was likely hormonal and to stop giving him cuddles and all that so I did but that didn't help. I read about reducing the amount of protein in the diet to curb hormones so I cut out a lot of his pellets and seeds and he ate mostly veggies and fruit and I would make him alternative protein foods like rice. But I saw he would get itchy immediately after he would eat things like rice and seeds and the sour smell would come back. I started suspecting allergies and not hormones so I switched his pellets to TOPs organic and it was and is the only thing he can tolerate to this day. They still include rice and buckwheat and he itches a little but I think the fact that it's organic and cold pressed helps. The scabs went away, his feathers grew back and no more regurgitating or major yeast smell.
Now I am worried because he is really lean only 40 grams but the vet said he's healthy lean I just feel bad he can only eat that and nothing else he likes. He doesn't like most vegetables or fruit and will literally starve himself. I just got some dried herbs and flowers that he won't touch either. He only likes beans, green peas, lettuce sometimes and green apple. He won't touch carrots or squash or any orange veggies and I have to cut out so much other stuff I just don't know what to do anymore.
He can't have any grains or any seeds and I've tried the following: brown rice, basmati, normal white rice, lentils, safflower, sunflower, hemp seeds+oil, grass seed mixes, curly dock seeds, barley, wheat, plantain seeds, pumpkin and there's probably a few I'm missing. He doesn't like nuts.
I'm going to experiment with other seeds that aren't so common and see if they can pass. I'm currently trying sprouting seeds to see if the change in protein content and ease of digestion will make a difference. I gave him a couple today but he started itching not so much this time but they weren't fully sprouted yet so maybe that's why? They just had the little white top coming out so I'll wait a few more days and try again to see if that will work.
I love this bird to the moon and back and just want what's best for him and also for him to be able to have a fun treat you know? It's hard. If anyone has similar troubles or suggestions please let me know because I really want to figure this out for my dear Buzz!!!
The vet said it was likely hormonal and to stop giving him cuddles and all that so I did but that didn't help. I read about reducing the amount of protein in the diet to curb hormones so I cut out a lot of his pellets and seeds and he ate mostly veggies and fruit and I would make him alternative protein foods like rice. But I saw he would get itchy immediately after he would eat things like rice and seeds and the sour smell would come back. I started suspecting allergies and not hormones so I switched his pellets to TOPs organic and it was and is the only thing he can tolerate to this day. They still include rice and buckwheat and he itches a little but I think the fact that it's organic and cold pressed helps. The scabs went away, his feathers grew back and no more regurgitating or major yeast smell.
Now I am worried because he is really lean only 40 grams but the vet said he's healthy lean I just feel bad he can only eat that and nothing else he likes. He doesn't like most vegetables or fruit and will literally starve himself. I just got some dried herbs and flowers that he won't touch either. He only likes beans, green peas, lettuce sometimes and green apple. He won't touch carrots or squash or any orange veggies and I have to cut out so much other stuff I just don't know what to do anymore.
He can't have any grains or any seeds and I've tried the following: brown rice, basmati, normal white rice, lentils, safflower, sunflower, hemp seeds+oil, grass seed mixes, curly dock seeds, barley, wheat, plantain seeds, pumpkin and there's probably a few I'm missing. He doesn't like nuts.
I'm going to experiment with other seeds that aren't so common and see if they can pass. I'm currently trying sprouting seeds to see if the change in protein content and ease of digestion will make a difference. I gave him a couple today but he started itching not so much this time but they weren't fully sprouted yet so maybe that's why? They just had the little white top coming out so I'll wait a few more days and try again to see if that will work.
I love this bird to the moon and back and just want what's best for him and also for him to be able to have a fun treat you know? It's hard. If anyone has similar troubles or suggestions please let me know because I really want to figure this out for my dear Buzz!!!
