lyndaelyzoo

I am very concerned about the health of my African Grey parrot and was wondering if anyone may have some advice or suggestions. I will be calling the vet tomorrow to schedule an appointment, but wanted to know if anyone on this forum may be able to help. Brutus just went through a long, severe molt, and some of this down feathers are visible on his chest. I have also noticed that he has air bubbles in his feces, which concerns me that he may have a Clostridium infection. He also doesn't seem as high-strung as usual and am wondering if that relates to the molting. Would appreciate any comments or suggestions.

Here is a link to a video of my African Grey parrot saying "BP Sucks"!!

Couldn't believe that my parrot did this at the vet's office, so had to share. My African Grey (Brutus) that I adopted from an avian vet ten years ago was missing some feathers by his beak, so I decided to take him to a bird vet. He was sitting on a perch in a plastic clear carrier cage in one of the examining rooms and when the vet walked in, he said "What kind of bird are you?" I swear!!! Then, when she put him on the electronic scale, he tells her "up" and after she put him back in his cage, he says "bye bye". Then when the examination was complete, he starts whistling as if he knows he passed his inspection!!!! Anyways, I later learned that the missing feathers are from scratching himself on his food dish. When in his carrier cage, he picks up his food dish, dumps out the food, and stares at his reflection in the metal dish!!! Apparently, he sometimes scratches himself on the side of the dish when holding it. The price of vanity!!!!

I would love to get some advice on my African Grey's missing feathers near his beak. He has a bald spot on the left side of his face near his beak, which is not due to molting. The avian vet performed a throat culture, but did not find any harmful bacteria and just suggested that I increase his immune system through holistic treatment. Then I mentioned the case of the missing feathers to a pet store owner, who said that it was scaly face mites. I have been researching this online, and it seems to be almost nonexistent among African grey parrots. Does anyone have any other advice? I have also noticed that he started losing those feathers about the same time that I took up acrylic painting (fine art, not painting the house), however, I try not to keep him in the same area where I paint and I have three air purifiers running simultaneously. I am not sure if this is a coincidence or if the paint may be causing this feather loss. Please advise.

I was wondering if anyone has purchased the Get a Grip hanging bird gym for their African Grey? I am considering buying one, but would like to hear from anyone who has one and their bird's response to it. Thanks.

I just finished reading Alex and Me. It was the best animal-related book that I have ever read. It is an emotional and intellectual account of Alex, the parrot who changed the perception of "bird brain", and Dr. Pepperberg, the scientist, who despite all odds, showed the world the intellectual capacity of the African Grey parrots. I have never before been so emotionally affected by a book, but it was impossible to hold back the tears while reading. This story is truly an inspiration. The story not only describes the scientific studies on avian intelligence, but also explains the interrelationships among species, and the passion and perseverance of a scientist who has forever changed our perception of intelligence and language acquisition. This humbling book is truly an inspiration and a must read!!!!!

I just finished reading the book Alex and Me, and I have to say that I have never been so emotionally affected by a book in my entire life. Could not hold back the tears throughout the book, but it is truly an inspirational story about Alex, the parrot that changed our perception of of what it means to be a bird brain and the scientist, Dr. Pepperberg, who tenaciously studied avian intelligence in ways that challenged the traditional animal behavior models. It is a story about passion, animal intelligence, interspecies relationships, and dedication. It is truly the best animal story that I have ever read and I highly recommend it!!!!

I really appreciate the list of rescue organizations. Thank you Muse!

I am wondering if anyone knows of any parrot adoption organizations in south Florida. I have an African grey male and am looking for an African grey female to adopt. Any advice would be appreciated. Lynda

Hello fellow Grey lovers, I am Lynda and have been owned by an African Grey named Brutus, whom I adopted from an avian vet clinic. I think I posted in the wrong section, so apologize for the double post. As you can see, I am new to the forum.

Hello. My name is Lynda. I am new to the forum and have posted in the welcome section. Here is a picture of me with my African Grey named Brutus, whom I adopted from an avian vet clinic.

Kibibi, I find that interesting. I was more worried about my CAG than I was of the dog, but I guess it works both ways.<br><br>Post edited by: lyndaelyzoo, at: 2007/11/25 21:45

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone. I have been owned by my parrot, Brutus (I did not name him), for about eight years and adopted him from an avian vet clinic where I used to work. He was kept in the boarding room along with lots of other birds, and never really got out of his cage before. I knew that he was the one I wanted when every time that I left the room he would say bye bye and then he would ask me if I wanted to scratch his neck while he scratched his neck. I couldn't believe it! When I brought him home, he said "welcome home". He says "What kind of bird are you? and then he answers "African Grey". He whistles Beethoven's fifth symphony usually on command, says "I love you, Give me a kiss, Whats up boy?, What are you doing? and on and on...I guess my main concern with getting a dog is that Brutus has been my only pet in the house for eight years, so was unsure how he might adjust to having a canine companion. Thanks for everyone's advice.

Hello fellow grey lovers, I am new to the forum and am excited to communicate with other interesting parrot owners! I have a Congo that is about ten years old and his intelligence never ceases to amaze me. However, I am thinking of purchasing a dog and am not sure how he will react to a canine companion. Has anyone had any experience with this?