Vitamins in the water?

[olivierr1]

Hi there,

We recently adopted our little parrotlet Peeko at about 3 months old.
He's doing great, eating his veg (every now and then).
The breeder gave us a bottle of this vitamin additive for his water.
I haven't used it yet because I don't exactly like the idea of putting anything in his water.
Am I supposed to be using this stuff?
His beak is a little flakey but I assume he's still growing a bit.

I might be able to find more details on the specifics of the vitamins.

Does anyone else use this stuff?

Thanks!

 

[noodles123]

Vitamins in water are not good. 1. because they promote mold/bacterial growth at a faster rate, 2. because you can't tell how many vitamins your bird is ingesting and 3. because they can flavor the water in such a way that it discourages normal drinking.

Never use vitamins without the close supervision of an avian vet (not just an exotics vet, because sometimes they will just go with whatever, as they don't have the same extensive training with parrots).

Is there a specific deficit he mentioned? What is your bird's diet? Ideally, pellets, veg and some seed should be providing the vitamins needed in an adult bird.

 

[olivierr1]

He is currently on a fruit/veg and seed diet. We are still waiting for his pellets to arrive. The breeder had only been giving him seeds so we are slowly transitioning to a healthier lifestyle. The breeder did not mention any deficits, he just gave us the bottle with the bag of seeds, with a simple instruction on how to use it, not why to use it?

I thought maybe the breeder thinks the bird needs it because he's a baby?

No idea, but I'll make sure not to use it.

I cannot go to my avian vet just yet, they have minimized their clients due to COVID, I have sent them pictures, however.

I have attached the same pictures to this thread, his beak seems very flakey/cracky and he seems to be missing a toe?

Please let me know if it looks like anything serious, I can always make an emergency appointment.

 

[noodles123]

did you ask the breeder about the toe??? I can't really tell from the picture, but that is something that the breeder should be able to explain if it really looks like part of a toe is missing. Do you mean the nail or the toe itself?

 

[olivierr1]

Oh sorry I meant the nail, not the toe!

Both feet seem to have something weird with the nail on one of the toes.

 

[noodles123]

I see what you are talking about and sadly, I don't know enough about your bird to tell you if it's normal. It could be- but admittedly, it looks a bit odd to me as well...Like I said though, not super familiar with parrotlettes-- so I DK if his age or species could have something to do with it (could be normal for them--hoping someone chimes in). If no one replies, you might consider starting a new thread just asking for opinions on the toe etc.

 

[GaleriaGila]

I'm glad you're reaching out.

If you decide to look for professional help, I hope you find these resources helpful...
Certified Avian Vets
https://abvp.com/animal-owners/find-an-abvp-specialist/
If none are near you...
Avian Veterinarians
http://www.aav.org/search/custom.asp?id=1803
In my opinion, any of the vets listed here should be better than a regular vet.
International contacts, too.
Or... sometimes I find a place to start just by Googling "avian veterinarian near ((your location))"

 

[Amsterdam]

i never use this stuff i add lemons to the water sometimes or oranges

 

[noodles123]

Just remember- citrus isn't really good for birds in the same way it is good for humans. It needs to be given in very small doses or it can lead to iron storage disease. I would avoid putting anything in the water.

 

[Amsterdam]

Just remember- citrus isn't really good for birds in the same way it is good for humans. It needs to be given in very small doses or it can lead to iron storage disease. I would avoid putting anything in the water.

howdy noodles i add it atleast once a week mixed with water its good against alkaline infections , cancer etc
also they strenghten the immune system due to the amount of vitamin c would you consider once a week to much?

 

[noodles123]

Just remember- citrus isn't really good for birds in the same way it is good for humans. It needs to be given in very small doses or it can lead to iron storage disease. I would avoid putting anything in the water.

howdy noodles i add it atleast once a week mixed with water its good against alkaline infections , cancer etc
also they strenghten the immune system due to the amount of vitamin c would you consider once a week to much?

My vet told me a tangerine slice/wedge per week (but not more) was okay for my U2 who weighs a little over 1 lb- not sure whether weight matters, but it's something I am cautious about just because I know that it's in lots of vegetables etc (besides citrus fruit) but when adding citrus on top of that, it concerns me, so I try to keep the amounts on the lower-side.

I have read that Vitamin C doesn't play nearly as large of a role in parrot immunity as it does in human immunity. Vitamin C helps humans fight infection, but from what I understand, things are different for parrots Of course, they can have some vitamin C, but from what I understand, it doesn't help them in the same way it would help humans who are fighting infection.

If you have an avian vet, I would check with him/her to verify.
Here's a link that discusses C's part in Iron Storage Disease: https://www.petmd.com/bird/conditions/digestive/c_bd_Iron_Storage_Disease Obviously they are going to consume some, but citrus is one that I have been told to avoid specifically except in extreme moderation--again, I would check with an avian vet to verify.

Vitamin C is in most fruits and veg, so it is fine for them, but not too much ---again citrus was the specific warning I was given. It's not that they CAN'T have it at all (citrus in moderation can be beneficial) but it can also be given too frequently.

here's some more info: https://petcentral.chewy.com/citrus-fruits-acids-your-bird/

 

[Inger]

Oh sorry I meant the nail, not the toe!

Both feet seem to have something weird with the nail on one of the toes.

The toenail doesn’t look normal. Definitely something to talk over with your vet. You said you sent pics? Did they have any comments?

Here’s a pic of my parrotlet’s toes. Her nails are a bit long because I haven’t gotten up the courage to take care of them myself and the vet isn’t doing mani-pedis right now. But you can see the toenails are the same on all toesies.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Noahs_Birds]

I strongly advise AGAINST water soluble vitamins in the water.................UNLESS they are breeding birds or suffer from a diet deficiency