She's underweight :(

[KatherineI]

So, when Sugar was at the Vet's, she said that Sugar was a little underweight, but that she should start gaining once she's settled in.

Tonight, I finally was able to get her on the scale. I had tried many times before, but she wouldn't stand on it long enough to get an accurate reading because she was scared of it. Anyway, her breastbone is rather prominent when I was holding her tonight, so I tried again. 220g. She is 30g lower than the average weight for a Goffins. She was 230g at the Vets, so she's lost weight.

I've had much difficulty in getting her to eat fresh foods. She also is very very picky about her pellets; if they have been in her dish too long, she won't eat them. She also has a very strange habit of taking a pellet, keeping it in her beak and then going to either a toy or the cage bars so that she can chew on something while she eats her pellet. It's hard to explain, but it's certainly... weird, IMO.

Just about any suggestion would be welcomed right about now. I'll be putting a call in to the Vet's office tomorrow I'm worried about her, but she seems fine other than that. She does eat her pellets as long as they're "fresh", she's playing fine, she's quite active, she's slowly getting over a molting, and she's trying to talk. Seems perfectly normal, except for the weight.

 

[jaimmorr]

I'm so sorry about that. How long have you had her again? Maybe she's just not quite comfortable eating there yet... You haven't had her longer than a few months have you? Sorry if I'm sorely mistaken, I can't remember.

I'm obviously not an expert at all (yet?), but I just wanted you to know I'm here for you if you need to vent!

 

[KatherineI]

Thanks. I've had her 6 weeks, so it is quite possible that she's still not comfortable enough to eat properly. I just worry now that if she doesn't put on weight soon, when we move, it's going to really affect her.

Perfect bird, bad timing. What's done is done, so now I've got to do the best I can, right?

 

[jaimmorr]

Bad timing indeed, but I'm sure she will pull through just fine. And you're doing GREAT, Katherine. Don't think you're not.

I would just call the vet and see what he/she recommends. Maybe trying to give her more fatty foods like nuts, chicken bones, etc. I've read that 'toos need a bit more protein in their diet than other birds. Maybe try giving her some lean meats, they're good for them. Have you tried making her birdie bread? I've heard a lot of people bake their pellets right into the bread, and with some egg in there, if she'll eat that I bet she'd gain weight in no time!

 

[KatherineI]

She won't touch anything I've baked for her so far. Even putting seed in didn't work.

I think upping her protein intake may help. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[jaimmorr]

Hmmm she won't eat birdie bread? Have you tried showing her it's good, eating it (or pretending to), etc? That may help..

I was just reading up on weight for G2s and there doesn't seem to be a general consensus on it... I saw (literally) everywhere from 200 grams to 1100 grams!? And yes, I made sure it was for a G2. So maybe she's just a little on the small side? Hmmm

 

[melissasparrots]

Generally when I see mine doing things like crunching their food between cage bars it means they aren't really that hungry and they are more interested in playing with their food. Cockatoos can be slender and they do have a more prominent breast bone than other species. Both of my cockatoo girls are slender although their weight is stable for the most part. My goffin's fluxuates 279-292 or so. My sulfur goes through cycles of gaining in the summer and loosing in the winter. You may just have a picky eater and a slender bird. If there isn't some pre-existing condition going on, and you've had the cultures and blood work to prove it, then I'd just say you have a picky girl. I've always had the best luck getting weight on birds by loading up on the high carb veggies. Things like frozen and thawed sweet corn, cooked sweet potato mixed with some cooked rice etc. Generally I throw some quinoa into the cooked rice mix to make sure there is a little good protein in there. A few sprouted or cooked legumes are good too for protein.

 

[Purl]

How about trying a scrambled egg? I made one for Purl over the weekend and she enjoyed that.
Other things Purl has eaten for me recently are spaghetti squash and Fage 0% greek yogurt(just about 1 teaspoon of it).
I haven't been able to get Purl on the scale either. I'm going to have to buy a perch scale..

 

[melissasparrots]

I forgot to mention, what time of day was she weighed at the vet? A 10gram difference could very well be the difference between a bird that has had breakfast and has 10grams worth of food in her crop and one that hasn't eaten yet. Yes, they will drop weight with a new home. I would continue weighing her every single day first thing in the morning so you know your comparing empty crop to empty crop. If she keeps dropping, then its time to worry. If she's stable then she will probably come up a little bit later on. It can take cockatoos a while to put weight back on. They dont' tend to just bounce right back like amazons will.

Sometimes having them forage for food makes them value it more and they are more likely to eat it than play with it. Start out doing something simple like putting some pellets or something else she likes in a half rolled paper towel of coffee filter. Sometimes you have to teach them to forage by making it really easy. First by just showing them that food is often found in connection with some crumpled paper. Then by rolling it in the paper and making them take it out. When I first did this with Cassie she ignored it unless she could clearly see food in the wrap and it was really easy to get out. She was also afraid of the wrapper so I had to tear little strips of paper to make it less big and scary. I just made like a little bowl from the paper with the food sitting in the middle so it wasn't a big deal to just reach down and eat out of the paper bowl. Then I started enclosing it more and more until it was totally wrapped up. Now she's all about foraging and eats great. I have that girl eating stuff her previous mom(who was excellent) swore she would never eat. Her other mom swore she wouldn't forage either but she lives for it here.
Melissa

 

[dishgal1]

I would try boiling an egg and mashing it up.
Also I think this might be a good time for some fattening seeds even sunflower. It certainly can't hurt.
I almost starved my green cheek to death and his breast bone was prominent when I first got him. No energy or anything. I was feeding strictly pellets.
Gave him seed and he perked up and has held his weight ever since.
Seed is the only thing he would eat for the longest time. I thought he would never start eating fruit and veggies but I kept putting them out and throwing them away. Finally he started eating them.

 

[KatherineI]

Thank you everyone! I just got off the phone with the On-Call Vet (my vet is out of town, go figure!) and he said, and I quote, "For starters, breathe. Don't panic." and basically proceeded to tell me what you all did.

He's guess (without seeing her) that she's just a picky eater, the 10g drop was most likely from adjusting to a new house and should start to go up and that she's going to be more on the slender side. If she's acting "normal", then she's fine. It's once she's not playing as much as she usually does, if she's not doing her Jungle Dance at her usual times, to start worrying.

All her cultures and such came back normal, so she's healthy. She was weighed mid-morning at the Vet's, so she may have still had some food in her crop. I'll start weighing her in the AM tomorrow (too late to do it now).

I've tried eggs. She snubbed her nose at them! (That's okay, Loki got her portion, he LOVES his eggs). Something she absolutely loves and I swear to god I want to kill my husband for, is milk. He has taken to giving her a small amount of milk at night before bed. I have begged him not to, but he can't be reasoned with. He did start putting some of her pellets in the milk and thus giving her "birdie cereal", lol. Luckily, I do buy organic milk! I am giving her her favorite seed, which I was trying to keep strictly for training purposes since it's expensive (Safflower) but I've since decided to add it much more often. Her nut offerings are also going to be increased.

In regards to things like birdie bread - she doesn't seem to like anything that doesn't have juice. As in, it's running down her beak, juice. She'll take a few pecks of nectarine and such, but the only reason she's doing it is to get the juice. And yes, that's with US actually eating it, we willingly share our food in hopes we will find something she really likes. She doesn't actually eat any of it. Watermelon is the only thing I can consistently get her to eat, but watermelon doesn't hold much nutrients.

I do give her foraging toys that I make myself, but she also doesn't seem all that interested even after learning that there's food in there.

I've never had a picky eater before. Kid, or pet, so this is all new to me

 

[melissasparrots]

Try cheese and yogurt instead of milk. Almost all of my birds LOVE cheese. To the point if they see me going near the cheese drawer or making sounds like I might be unwrapping an american single they all bend over in my direction and look at me with such hope in their eyes I just have to share a little bit. I only give them a small piece from a corner at a time. And for those that know tricks, they have to give me a trick before they get their cheese. Which makes it all the more special. Ariel is usually showing me all the tricks she knows before I even get to her cage because she knows what is coming. In theory cheese and yogurt should have a decent amount of the lactose already consumed by the bacteria used to make the cheese. So digestive upset is unlikely. I have heard of someone who gave their 'too so much cheese it clumped at the bottom of their crop, which is why I give small amounts at a time.
Melissa

 

[jaimmorr]

Oh, I have an idea, Katherine!

Almond milk.

You say you buy organic milk, but I have to be honest with you. Coming from a former vegan, there's really no difference in organic milk vs nonorganic milk. At least, not in the humane sense. If you're talking health wise, I still doubt there is a difference. If you're interested: Humane Myth: Encouraging Truth, Transparency and Integrity in Animal Advocacy

Anyway, organic or not, cow's milk (dairy products) is made for baby cows. It's really not made for humans or any other species. Especially not birds, since they're not mammals at all. So, instead, tell your hubby that he can give her cereal, but with almond milk instead. It's also good for her and fattening, so she'll put on a bit of weight.

 

[Purl]

I'm such a putz...LOL!! I think you told me to make Purl a scrambled egg.

 

[dishgal1]

The vet sounds encouraging. That is good news. At this point I would give her whatever she will eat birdsafe of course) even if it is seeds.

 

[GiosMom]

Try Chicos diet....Golden Feasts Central American Blend II soft cooked (bring water to a boil, the blend added and allowed to steep) once cooled and drained add the pellets to the mixture 1 part pellets to 2 parts Golden Feast. Also fresh fruit and veggies added daily. The mixture has to be kept refrigerated. I also got a great stew idea with elbow pasta and sweet potato and some boiled chicken chopped up in cubes. They put it in ice cube trays with 1 pellet in it...freeze it and every day pop one out microwave it and serve it warm....I personally can't wait to make my bird spaghetti! LOL! Since weight gain is a priority maybe just feed her what makes her happy - fatten her up and then slowly introduce the stricter diet?? I'm sure you will come across something she goes nuts over...

 

[KatherineI]

Thanks guys. I'll give some of them a try. I'm going to look into another pellet too. Right now, I'm giving her whatever I can to try and get something in to her. And yes, the Vet made me feel somewhat better, but I'm a worrier. I'm a Mom, it's sort of my job

In regards to the milk; I do not drink milk. I do some dairy, but not a lot. Unfortunately, it's my husband and daughter who are the milk fans and they won't touch anything but cows milk. I could buy Almond Milk for Sugar, but it's a pretty safe bet that my Husband would "forget" and still give her the regular stuff, and he's the only one who gives it to her. Sometimes, it's like beating my head against the wall. I actually agree with you Jaimmor, I think that cows milk is made for baby cows and not for humans at all!

 

[jaimmorr]

Oh, gosh, I completely understand that... My partner also is a milk drinker. I finally have gotten her to the point where she'll let me buy Almond milk instead of cow's milk, but it took over a year! LOL

I was vegan for awhile, vegetarian for 3 years, but I've been eating meat for the past few months for some reason. I don't know why, I just started again. But I'm pretty sure I'm going back to vegetarianism after this weekend. Going to have one last Chinese meal with the fam (it's my weakness!) and then I'm done! LOL. I feel way too guilty when I eat meat.

 

[KatherineI]

Oh, gosh, I completely understand that... My partner also is a milk drinker. I finally have gotten her to the point where she'll let me buy Almond milk instead of cow's milk, but it took over a year! LOL

I was vegan for awhile, vegetarian for 3 years, but I've been eating meat for the past few months for some reason. I don't know why, I just started again. But I'm pretty sure I'm going back to vegetarianism after this weekend. Going to have one last Chinese meal with the fam (it's my weakness!) and then I'm done! LOL. I feel way too guilty when I eat meat.

It's impossible for me to maintain my Pescatarian diet that I lived on for over 5 years (I even managed it while in Basic Training, and that was hard!!) but gave up during my pregnancy and was never able to return to. I cook our dinners and my husband gets testy if he's just eating fish, seafood and the occasional chicken every night. I also find it difficult to make a meal for the two of them and then something separate for myself - I'm not a short order cook!! I also have to watch my carbs, sugars, starches and such since I've been diagnosed as Pre-Diabetic, so the way I prefer to eat, well. It's just not really feasible anymore

I definitely feel a difference between "regular" meat and buying from the butcher their grain-fed, hormone-free, antibiotic-free meats. Even the so-called "Organic" stuff at regular grocery stores. I also refuse to shop at Whole Foods because they're prices are twice what I pay a the Market (Gotta love Pike's Place!).

We tried giving Sugar some chicken tonight, but she wanted nothing to do with it. I think it was the seasoning Oops! She apparently doesn't like lemon!

 

[Mare Miller]

Oatmeal! A sure bet...with almond milk, a tad of butter, little bitty bit of brown sugar. I grind up pellets, in a spice grinder, and add that to the oatmeal. My birds love it!