Help please! My new Grey stopped eating!

[Spectre]

Hi all... I think I'm having a big problem. For those that haven't read my first posts, I got a 12 year old CAG about two weeks ago. Since I got her, she's been a finnicky eater, but it seemed she was at least eating enough. Yesterday I came home, and she hardly touched any of her pellets. I didn't think it too big a deal, and gave her some seed mix. Which she devoured (she wouldn't stop eating for almost an hour). I left for work today, and again left her a bowl full of pellets(which she had been eating just fine until these last coule of days). I came home today, and they hadn't even been TOUCHED. Not at all. Usually I can tell, because there will be pellets and crumbs in her water bowl from her dunking them. She hadn't eaten a single one, and drank almost all of her water. I think she's also losing weight. When she stretched her wings back, I could see the bones of her sternum. I've just tried feeding her everything I could get my hands on:

 

Two different types of pellets(RoudyBush, Zupreem)

Veggies (cooked and fresh)

Fruit

Several cooked mixes that the pet store had been feeding her

Seed mix

Nuts

 

She won't eat anything!!!! She nibbled a bit at some boiled cauliflower, but that's it. I'm really freaked out and worried right now. Does anyone know ANYTHING that might help? Please, I would really appreciate it.

 

Post edited by: Spectre, at: 2007/06/14 07:07<br><br>Post edited by: Spectre, at: 2007/06/14 07:08

[Ice]

Since she ate alot yesterday, that might be the reason she doesn't want to eat that much today. But the problem that she's losing weight, you van try giving her fruit, I think that might help seeing that that is the natural food.

 

Hope that she'll be okay

[Guest Lidia]

Hi Spectre,

 

It must be very worrying for you, especially since you haven't had her that long.

I think the eating problem might have a few reasons. One is that she has not fully settled in yet. Another is that she may not be used to a diet of pellets. My eighteen year old parrot (whom I've had since he was 4 months old) will not normally touch pellets, and when he does he just delights in crunching them up and spitting them out.

As your CAG eats seeds, you might have to slowly wean her onto pellets. However, bear in mind that she might not agree to do this!

There is great debate and disagreement about the healthiest diet for parrots, and unless you have the parrot when it is at an age to be easily persuaded to change its dietary habits, you may not be able to achieve the 'ideal'.

My CAG's main food is seed-based, but he also gets plenty of fresh food, fruit, vegetables, some cheese, yogurt, pasta (loves bolognese). In fact, he gets a bit of whatever I am eating (except for fatty stuff). As long as your CAG's diet is balanced overall, it will work out just fine, and you will see it in her condition. My CAG is glossy, healthy and content and rarely touches pellets. Perhaps, if I'd known more about parrots when I first had him, I would have put him on a pellet diet.

So, if you give her a diet based on seeds, just make sure she gets all the vitamins and minerals she needs from other sources. You might do this as part of your 'quality' time together. Give her some treats directly from your fingers. Grapes, slices of apple, tiny pieces of cheese, broccoli, peas, etc. My CAG Joshua particularly loves peas, sweet corn (on the cob or off, raw, dried or cooked) and pasta, rice, mashed potatoes, potatoes (except fried). Just keep it varied and yummy.

In general, unless she is unwell, she will eat. But parrots can be very stubborn and if they do not like an item they simply refuse to eat it. You can't risk not giving her other food until she is 'hungry enough to eat what's there', they lose body weight and condition too quickly for this to be safe.

Incidentally, being able to see her keel bone is not problematic unless it is very prominent.

I think it is probably best to give her what she wants to eat, and then supplement it with things she should eat, and just experiment with her until you find what works for both of you.

Let us know how you're getting on.

 

ps. Joshua loves to be spoon-fed sweetened (with sugar or honey) porridge. He loves this and gets a real kick from being fed with the spoon, I think it reminds him of when he was a hand-fed baby. 'Porridge' is one of the words that he has never managed to say properly, and so he calls porridge 'dorrit'. As a result, everyone in my family (none of whom live with me!) call porridge 'dorrit'.<br><br>Post edited by: Lidia, at: 2007/06/14 12:43

[Tari]

My grey is not to hip on pellets either. She well eat veggies and fruit with no issues so that is her main diet with a little and I mean little seed/nut mix in the evening.

In your case for now I would leave seed in there but keep offering as many different kinds of other foods as possilbe. You might want to get smaller bags or find samples of pellets and try her on different brands.

But first have you had a vet check up yet? When you get a new bird this should be done within the first three days.

[ZoesDad]

Lots of great advice above.

Have you tried offering warm, soft foods like boiled sweet potato/yam, roasted squash,boiled egg, boiled broccoli, bits of cooked chicken? Handfeeding the above might also help the two of you bond faster.

[dblhelix]

Good advice here. Since she is still so new to you (you indicate only about 2 weeks) feed her what you know she eats for now, if you can. In your first post you indicated she mowed down some seed mix. Go with that for now until she settles in. Do you know if she was even on pellets before you got her? If not you cannot make the switch abruptly and there is no need to try and force it. First get her comfortable in her new surroundings and let her eat what she will. Once that hurdle is cleared you can work on a diet change if needed.

 

Also, easier said than done, by try not to harbor too much anxiety. Your bird will sense that and it will only make her stress level go up as well. Chances are she'll settle in just fine, but it is understandable that you are concerned. Good luck, be patient and keep us posted! B)<br><br>Post edited by: dblhelix, at: 2007/06/15 04:56

[Spectre]

Thank you for all the great advice... To answer some questions some of you have asked:

 

1. The bird was already on pellets before I got her (Roudybush, and then she started eating Zupreem).

2. Warm soft boiled foods: The store had her on a diet of 3 different blends of L'Avian (Bean Cuisine, Cream of Tweet, Carribean Crunch)

3. Veggies: She was eating them fine when I took her home.

 

Anyway... She's not eating any of the above. And now, even with the seed mix, she hardly touches it. She'll pick at a couple of sunflower seeds here and there, but that's it.

[dblhelix]

Hopefully this is just an adjustment phase. When we first got Kip she seemed to eat the first few days and then her appetite really dropped off and we were worried. After 3-4 weeks she settled down and started eating much more.

 

How is the bird's energy level? Is he/she drinking? Do you have access to a scale? Though you may not have any baseline data currently, the sooner you can determine her weight you can then see if the bird is stable, losing weight or gaining. Taking weight measurements can provide some good information.

 

I hope the appetite picks up. If you truly think weight is being lost you may need to consult a vet, but I think there is a good chance this is just some stress associated with being brought into a new home. Keep us posted and I really hope things start looking better. <br><br>Post edited by: dblhelix, at: 2007/06/15 08:02