Vision?

[kendrafitz]

I have always thought Rosie's vision is a bit off. She seems to feel for her perch with her beak before she trusts it is there when she goes in her cage. I also question if she always recognizes me when I walk up to her cage in the evening. Once I speak I know she knows it's me, however.

Today I noticed her depth perception seems to be off. I have noticed it slightly in the past, but it was glaring today. I brought her into the bathroom and offered her a drink from my sink faucet. Normally she drinks out of the kitchen faucet, when not her bowl. Anyway, it is lower and she couldn't figure out how to get the water. Even when I showed her, it didn't seem to be registering. She wanted a drink, kept saying her garbled WATER and when I dribbled water in her beak, she said WANT MORE. But she could not figure out how to get to the tap (even though I was holding her right next to it). So I tried filling the sink and having her use it as a big bowl. She had trouble with that as well. She did finally figure it out, but it took a few minutes. She was trying to drink a few inches ABOVE where the water was.

Has anyone else noticed this with their birds? I don't know if it is a Rosie thing, or a parrot thing.

She is fine with things she knows. So she is always fine with her water dishes on her perches, tree and cage. Just with new things. I am not sure if she is nearsighted, off with depth perception or if it is normal for a parrot. I guess it's not like I can do anything to correct her vision, but I am really curious.

[Mr Peepers]

Very interesting for you to notice this, I've never had this issue with any of my little fidlets. Perhaps someone else here has had or knows of something like you are describing an you might get some answers to this. :th_smile:

[PlaxMacaws]

Salsa's sight and his depth/distance perception-related behaviors appear relatively normal to me. So far, his judgments relating to physical objects haven't given me reason for concern. Zaf, on the other hand, has been suffering from a serious vision issue that I've known about since early 2012. I was looking into his right eye one sunny day and I noticed a white dot in the center of his pupil. It was not easily noticeable until his eye became highly illuminated. I was certain it was a cataract. I could as well see a slight haziness within his left eye. The revelation disturbed me greatly :,(.

I remember discussing the issue with my dear friend Terrie Morris not long before her death. I never mentioned my observation to Zaf's regular vet, however. Strangely, he would always mark the "eyes appear normal" option on Zaf's health assessment chart (he did so during each of 3 consecutive visits since I discovered presence of the white dot). I found this quite peculiar. Conversely, the vet who Zaf visited for the first time one week ago immediately said, "he has cataracts" as she examined each of his eyes. I commented to her that I've known about Zaf's cataracts since 2012 and that his regular vet missed them 3 times in a row.

The white dot I mentioned in the center of Zaf's right pupil appears to be a solid, circular opacity. And it's not a stand-alone artifact. The dot is surrounded by an apparent cloudiness. His left eye isn't very bad (yet). But as mentioned, I can see a slight hint of haziness to it when the light is just right. Since 2012 when I discovered the cataract condition in both of Zaf's eyes, I've been conducting regular object identification tests with him on his right side. I use his favorite handheld grinding bolt for the test - he truly loves this bolt. He has always been able to notice it and identify it when it suddenly appears in his right field of view. He'll turn his head toward it and go in for a grinding session every time. This fact at least tells me that he is still able to see and distinguish through his worst eye.

Having stated the above, I will also mention that Zaf will consistently perform a visual reference depth check each time he wishes to take a drink of water. He extends his head over the far side of the water bowl and hooks his upper beak over its edge. He then dips his lower beak and tongue into the water to determine its level from the bowl top. Once he has done this, he'll retract his head toward the center of the bowl and commence with his drinking dips. If I'm holding his water bowl for him, he usually also insists upon centering the bowl under his beak before starting to drink. He does this by nudging the bowl back and forth (just so) until it's where he wants it to be. I mention these drinking rituals of his because they may indicate less than optimal vision. However, he has been performing these same rituals since he came to live with me in 2005. As such, they may simply be idiosyncrasies and have little or nothing to do with his degrading vision.

Concerning Zaf's cataracts, his previous vet records indicate that he's 26 years old now. He certainly shouldn't have cataracts at this stage of his life. My suspicion is that Zaf's cataracts may have stemmed from a long-term poor diet during his earlier years. And I'm sure the battery of unnecessary x-rays that he endured during his horrifying vet ordeal described here [Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]! (from 2005) didn't help his eyes in the slightest, either :sad:

[spiritbird]

I have no experience with avian vision problems. If your vet agrees she is having limited vision I know there are alterations you can make in her living space and cage. I hope she is OK.

[kendrafitz]

Dianne - thanks! I am not super concerned just something I noticed since she has come home. At first I thought it was her being a baby and klutzy. But now I guess it is just her. It doesn't really affect her, I have just observed it. Neurotic Mom that I am.

Tony - Poor Zaf! He has been through the ringer. Interesting that his normal vet didn't notice it. Is it something that you think you may have surgery for? I know they do it for dogs, no idea of parrots.

I was kind of hoping Salsa was similar and it was just a GW thing. But I guess it's just a Rosie thing. :)

[PlaxMacaws]

Tony - Poor Zaf! He has been through the ringer. Interesting that his normal vet didn't notice it. Is it something that you think you may have surgery for? I know they do it for dogs, no idea of parrots.Yes, cataract surgery can be performed on parrots. The problem is that there's no one that I'm able to access here who's qualified to do ophthalmic surgery. There aren't even any board certified avian vets in my state, much less any avian ophthalmologists... or even a vet who specializes in avian ophthalmology (that I'm aware of). I'd be too afraid of a potentially worse result from a vet without specific surgical experience. Currently Zaf is able to see and distinguish with both of his eyes. I realize that as his condition progresses this may well change :(


I was kind of hoping Salsa was similar and it was just a GW thing. But I guess it's just a Rosie thing.I'll make it a point to watch Salsa a bit closer for such things. I haven't noticed anything as of yet, though.

[Lady]

With everything else I have learned here, this is something I never really gave great thought too. Of course it is very important to have good information on hand if we should find ourselves in need. I did a search and found a list from the American College of Avian Ophthalmologist: [Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]

[PlaxMacaws]

With everything else I have learned here, this is something I never really gave great thought too. Of course it is very important to have good information on hand if we should find ourselves in need. I did a search and found a list from the American College of Avian Ophthalmologist: [Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks] good, Alice. Thank you. I need to learn more about where avian ophthalmic technology stands at the moment and what risks and successes can normally be expected. I will definitely check into it!