The incidence of atherosclerosis in African Grey parrots is high

[Spiritbird]

Does this scare you? It does me. I thought this subject deserves a thread all by itself. You can google the topic and come up with many scientific articles and studies that are being done. I stopped feeding Rosie cheese even though she loves it. I sprinkle hemp seed on her food and do not give her so much of the dried sweet fruits. I know there are other dietary changes that can be made but I will learn about those. She gets wing exercise every day as she is newly clipped. There are other dieta.ry changes we can make so our birds do not become obese and add a risk factor. I am going to study topic to be more :22:knowledgeable on the subject. Just like with people with our birds there is a heredity involvement when birds get heart disease. If I could do it all over again I would have been an avian nutritionist.

There is a nice discussion on omega-3 fatty acids in this article. http://www.parrothouse.com/pamelaclark/greymatters.html

http://featheredangels.wordpress.co...sease/atherosclerosis-in-birds-heart-disease/

Flax seed is helpful but it may not be good for female birds as the estrogen properties could contribute to egg laying. Hemp and Chia seed are very good.

 

[Rio Mom]

Thank you for all the excellent articles you post for us. I need to get a binder and start printing them out.

 

[Spiritbird]

I did that very thing. I re read it at times and highlight what can be important. I thought this subject is totally important. Right now I do not have a printer beause the printer I had did not match with new computer.

 

[antoinette]

Di thanks once again for such important information
I should call me folder for Mishka Di's Info Folder
Thanks for always sharing, there is always something new to learn

 

[nofearengineer]

Lots of good stuff in those links.

I especially liked the behavioral items Pamela Clark talked about.

I don't really know what I would do about giving Bitty a "flock" experience. All I can do is spend a bunch of time with her; we will just have to be a two-bird flock until Ann Coulter agrees to marry me . She (Bitty, not Ann) seems pretty happy with the arrangement for now .

I will have to pick up some Kale this weekend at the store and see if she likes it. Gotta keep that calcium up. I've been putting crushed egg shells (washed and sterilized in the microwave of course) in with her food...she nibbles at them a little, but who knows with a parrot...MESSY.

 

[Spiritbird]

Norf I have found the addition of a food processor a very good thing. Today I partially cooked organic carrots, peas, squash and kale and then put it through the processor but not so mixed that it looked like mush. Then here comes more calcium - almonds ground, unhulled sesame seeds (hard to find) 35% calcium too, and a mix I cook intended for birds with quiona and other grains. They both really pigged out on this. I had enough to freeze several small containers for those days when you need something fast.

The mix is Higgins called African Sunset. It gets cooked separately by directions.
Anytime you and Bitty wanna come to dinner my door is open!!

 

[nofearengineer]

Be careful, SB...if I don't eat you out of house and home, Bitty will!!

 

[Spiritbird]

No problem.

 

[cshowalter]

Does this scare you? It does me. I thought this subject deserves a thread all by itself. You can google the topic and come up with many scientific articles and studies that are being done. I stopped feeding Rosie cheese even though she loves it. I sprinkle hemp seed on her food and do not give her so much of the dried sweet fruits. I know there are other dietary changes that can be made but I will learn about those. She gets wing exercise every day as she is newly clipped. There are other dieta.ry changes we can make so our birds do not become obese and add a risk factor. I am going to study topic to be more :22:knowledgeable on the subject. Just like with people with our birds there is a heredity involvement when birds get heart disease. If I could do it all over again I would have been an avian nutritionist.

There is a nice discussion on omega-3 fatty acids in this article. http://www.parrothouse.com/pamelaclark/greymatters.html

http://featheredangels.wordpress.co...sease/atherosclerosis-in-birds-heart-disease/

Flax seed is helpful but it may not be good for female birds as the estrogen properties could contribute to egg laying. Hemp and Chia seed are very good.

I recently (suddenly lost my African Grey, Oscar to this disease. He was approx 18 yrs old (import) and it went undetected for his entire life. I faithfully took him to the Vet every year for annuals and his results were always "positive". He seemed to have reoccuring sinus problems (stuffy nose) and was put on anti-biotics and anti-fungals but it would only reappear within days of treatments. In the last six months of his life, I would get a clear mucus when doing nasal flushes. We now know this coming from his lungs, which I had thought for so long it was his sinuses. Maybe this will help others with similiar symptons. He was my heart and soul and miss him gravely.

 

[sodakat]

Eclectus are prone to this also. In the last year I've heard of 3 very young Eclectus (I'm talking less than 4 years old) who died and the necropsy showed atherosclerosis.

Diet and flying are so important to our parrots.

 

[Jtbirds]

Yeah and sadly the flaws humans take in taking care of there parrots and animal in general is we're these diseases start to become so reoccurring and then even breed specific... Like eclectus and the fatty liver disease problems they run into because of our flaws in there speacial diets. Thank you so much for sharing.