spookyhurst

I'll just reiterate what the others have said, don't feel stupid. So many people think that it's not worth taking a bird to the vet over something seemingly small...and then their bird dies . Better safe than sorry!

Did the vet do any bloodwork?

I think the red bulb doesn't disturb their sleep like a regular bulb does. Someone will need to confirm that though. Glad Jengo is feeling a bit better .

I would think that as long as you gave each of them individual attention every day, they would maintain a good relationship with you.

I had a pet shop tell me the opposite. I used to have a conure, and I wanted to get him a little conure friend. The pet shop told me that it was a bad idea because they would hate each other and see each other as rivals for my affection.

Nikko is an oddball. She can be frightened by little things, like a new toy, but unafraid by big things, like a Christmas tree. Naturally, she has no fear of things she shouldn't get into .

I know of a few people with multiple greys, and they don't have problems. The birds are bonded to their people instead of each other. I'm sure there probably are greys who get on better with each other than with humans, but it's not a sure thing. When I adopted Nikko, the rescue told me that greys often like to have a second grey around. It's something I will consider in the future. I can't really see Nikko deciding she doesn't like us anymore just because she has a new grey friend.

I had a conure who loved to dump his food and water dishes. He also figured out that he could lift the doors up and quickly swing his body out and be FREE FREE FREE :lol:. Like Nychsa, I had to invest in a few clamps.

I also have a suggestion for pellets. Goldenfeast Golden'obles are organic and all-natural. The ingredient list is impressive: Hulled organic barley, Roasted organic soybeans, Organic corn, Organic pureed papaya, Organic Triticali, Shelled almonds, Organic flax seed, Organic hulled oats, Organic alfalfa, Maltoferm malt extract, Organic Pasteurized honey, Organic Quinoa, Organic Kamut, Beets, Amaranth, Organic spelt, Apples (cored), Sesame seed, organic Fenugreek, Pureed organic Guava, shelled Pumpkin seed, Dried Lactobacillus acidophillis fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus fermentum fermentation product, Dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, and Dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, and Dried Bifidobacterium longum fermentation product. Parsley, Fennel seed, Sweet potatoes, Carrots, Blueberries, Raspberries, Wheat grass, Star anise seed, Ginger, Echinacea, Red clover leaf and Cilantro.

It takes about an hour and a half to get to Nikko's vet. There are bird vets closer (including a certified avian vet), but Nikko's vet came highly recommended to me. Even though he is not certified (I believe he's studying to take the test), I completely trust him. He sees mostly birds at his clinic, as well as other exotics like reptiles.

You can say that again Judy. Check out the warning label on a medication I take: Long-term use of azathioprine may increase your risk of developing certain types of cancer (e.g., skin cancer, lymphoma). You must be closely monitored by your doctor during treatment and regularly afterwards if your doctor stops treatment with this medication. Azathioprine may also cause serious (rarely fatal) blood disorders (decreased bone marrow function leading to anemia, low number of white blood cells and platelets). It can lower your body's ability to fight an infection. The risk of these side effects is higher in patients receiving this medication to prevent kidney transplant rejection than in patients treated for rheumatoid arthritis. To reduce the risk of side effects, use this medication at the lowest effective dose. Keep all medical and laboratory appointments. Taken at the dose my doctor wants, I feel hideous, but he says to take it anyway. A blood test showed I was at near toxic levels too. So I played doctor and secretly am taking a little less than prescribed. Shhh! Don't tell!

I got a new mattress recently and was not pleased with the chemical like smell it had. It was either the foamy stuff them put in the pillowtop, or it absorbed some of the smell from the plastic that was wrapped around it. Nikko and I had to put up with it for a couple of weeks. Finally, a nice day came along and I stripped the bed and left the windows in the room wide open to try to air it out. Seemed to do the trick, because I can't smell anything now. Also, we had a finish put on the concrete in our courtyard. You wouldn't believe the horrible fumes it produced. I demanded that the front window and door stay shut for a couple of months. It's been almost 6 months now, and there is still a faint odor. You would think that the fresh air / rain / etc. would have taken care of it by now .

Thanks! Nikko is very photogenic B). I keep the camera out so that I can easily grab it when she's doing something funny. She seems more than happy for me to snap photos. However, get the video recorder or tape recorder out, and she freezes :lol:. I'm like a proud mama, always sending pictures to people of my little girl. Nikko wants another photo contest so she can show off all her antics . Her head is still swollen about being on the homepage .

I think I remember that thread. I probably said, "Oh sure, make a PVC gym. You'll be fine." :blush: I'm going to get a different shower curtain too. I have some health problems, so maybe having this stuff around doesn't help matters :dry:. And I sure don't want Nikko to be troubled by it.

Pictures! We need pictures !

I've been reading a lot about how we shouldn't have things made out of vinyl and PVC (polyvinyl chloride). They put toxic chemicals into the air. Many companies are phasing PVC out of their products. Many of us, including me, have a bird gym made from PVC. I'm going to remake it with wood. My dad told me when I originally built it that it was a dangerous material, but I told him that I'd seen it recommended as a good gym building material. Should have listened to daddy. Here's a website to look at: http://www.pvcfree.org/ A couple quotes from it are: PVC - The Poison Plastic PVC (polyvinyl chloride) plastic, commonly referred to as vinyl, is one of the most hazardous consumer products ever created. PVC is dangerous to human health and the environment throughout its entire life cycle, at the factory, in our homes, and in the trash. Our bodies are contaminated with poisonous chemicals released during the PVC lifecycle, such as mercury, dioxins, and phthalates, which may pose irreversible life-long health threats. When produced or burned, PVC plastic releases dioxins, a group of the most potent synthetic chemicals ever tested, which can cause cancer and harm the immune and reproductive systems. New Car or Shower Curtain Smell? The Smell of PVC PVC is useless without the addition of a plethora of toxic additives, which can make the PVC product itself harmful to consumers. These chemicals can evaporate or leach out of PVC, posing risks to children and consumers. New car smell? New shower curtain smell? That’s the smell of poisonous chemicals off-gassing from the PVC. One of the most common toxic additives is DEHP, a phthalate that is a suspected carcinogen and reproductive toxicant readily found in numerous PVC products. Children can be exposed to phthalates by chewing on vinyl toys. While it is still legal for US retailers to sell PVC children’s and baby toys containing dangerous phthalates, the European Parliament voted in July, 2005 to permanently ban the use of certain toxic phthalates in toys. One EPA study found that vinyl shower curtains can cause elevated levels of dangerous air toxins, which can persist for more than a month.

Nikko has been flighted for awhile, but only recently realized that those wings will take her to places she wants to go. A favorite destination is the kitchen counter (lots of things to get in trouble with :pinch:). My parents recently purchased a life sized statue of St. Francis to put in our courtyard. The courtyard fence isn't up yet though, so they decided to put Francis by the kitchen counter to scare Nikko from flying over there. Here's how well it worked out: I guess she knows St. Francis is the patron saint of animals . Since this didn't work, my parents placed 2 gargoyle statues on the kitchen counter. Here are the results: I'm afraid a wing clipping is in Nikko's future. I don't think I'll get her into the vet until May though, so she has time for a few last hurrahs.

Here's a link to what the vet will probably do when he/she sees your bird: http://thetrueparrot.homestead.com/vetvisit.html

Congrats on your new baby! It sounds like he's very lucky to have you as his new mom . I think the vet check is a must. If I were you, I'd probably have bloodwork done and maybe have a fecal check. I'm sure they will probably do a complete workup on him since his living conditions haven't been too hot. When I adopted my bird, the stress of being placed into a rescue lowered her immune system just enough for her to get a minor bacterial infection (some antibiotics cleared it right up). He probably needs his calcium levels checked as well (usually included in the bloodwork). He definitely needs baths. If he won't get in a bowl of water, you can mist him. Some aloe vera juice would also be good for his dry skin. I mist my grey at least weekly, but try to do it every 3 days or so. After I get her fairly wet, I spritz her with aloe juice. Direct sunlight is a good way to kill germs, so if you could roll the cage out into the hot sun for a few hours, it would kill most anything. I use Grapefruit Seed Extract for cleaning as well. It kills just about every nasty thing you can imagine. You'll get lots of good advice here. Several people have rescued birds from less than ideal conditions.<br><br>Post edited by: spookyhurst, at: 2008/03/17 06:57

And that is the exact reason why I play my video games with the sound turned down :laugh:.

Nikko is perplexing. She doesn't say a lot, but some of her words are so clear and perfect, it makes me think she is capable of speaking more than she does. I think she's holding out on me :side:.

It's funny how we all got the same vibe. The first thing I thought of when I read it was "Nigerian check scam."

You should teach Harrison to whisper "Superstar!" like Einstein the grey does B).

Nikko said a new phrase the other day: Birdie needs a shower. I have no idea where she got that from. I think she just made it up from words she already knew :silly:.

Sometimes when Nikko scratches her head, a little plume of super fine dust comes off her. Kind of like Pigpen in the Peanuts :laugh:. Also, after a good round of tickles, she leaves quite a debris field behind.