Baby Green Wing macaw refusing formula at 11 weeks old

[chad84]

I have a baby green wing macaw. His name is Robert (wife named him). He is about 11 weeks old. Got him from a friend as a gift. He told me he was about 8 weeks old at the time and I have had him for about 3 weeks. I am not really sure of his age. Can you judge by the pictures?

I have 2 issues.

2 days ago he hasn't been taking all of his Kaytee Exact hand feeding formula for baby macaws. He usually takes about 90cc 3 times a day. I add 4 drops of Bragg's Apple Cider Vineger and 2 drop Multivit CH to his food. He weighs about 1035g at 11 weeks old. He started refusing formula after he has had about 45 - 60cc. I also noticed he is not doing the head bobbing (begging for food) as he used to. Sometimes he doesn't bob at all. He has been panting a bit after playing alot and I took him to vet today who said he has respiratory infection. He gave me antibiotic to feed him orally for 5 days 2x a day. He started refusing food before I gave him the antibiotic.

Second issue, I caught playing with his poop. I caught him 3 times. Don't know if he is eating it but it scared me. I decided to cut up some banana and give to him to see what happens. He ate it all up. This puzzles me. I just fed him formula again and he wasted half. But right after he had a good bit of banana. Also tell me if his poop looks ok.

Other than that he is playing alot and following me around the house. He nibbles on my toes and is always playing with his toys. He isn't acting sick in any way. He is active about 10hrs a day and sleeps about 14hrs a day.

Posted pictures below.

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Videos in youtube.

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Can you assist me?

[spiritbird]

We have a member named Cedardave that could help you.

[The Pinkertons]

If his weight is normal I wouldn't worry, try offering human organic baby food, apple, squash, carrots, he may be a little off from the bacterial infection.

[chad84]

He finally ate some food. 60cc of formula. But I had to mix it in with some vanilla yogurt. He did head bob for 45cc of it and the rest i put on his tongue and he swallowed.

[PlaxMacaws]

Hello chad84... how did the vet determine that your GW baby has a respiratory infection? Have you noticed any wheezing or coughing, or any discharges? Has he aspirated any formula? When feeding formula it's easy to aspirate these little guys, so please be very careful. By the way, is your vet an avian vet? Please don't read much into that question... but it's always advisable to use an avian specialist for matters like this.

I would recommend that you feed your baby as much formula as he will comfortably take each time and monitor his weight closely. If the amount that he's ingesting is less than it used to be then so be it. The important thing is to make sure he keeps getting the feedings. You may be able to alter the frequency and the amount per feeding a bit for a different result. Hopefully someone who is more qualified than myself will chime in here concerning your feeding particulars. The poop in your photo looks relatively normal to me. The solids are well-formed and of reasonable color. The urates are white - which is a healthy sign.

Please keep us informed.

[chad84]

He inhaled some formula a few days ago. And yes he is wheezing. No my vet is not an avian specialist. We don't have any in my country. I decided I will give him less but more often. I realised Robert doesn't always ask for the syringe at the back of tounge. Sometimes he likes to have it on the tip. So I will work on being more careful. About twice last week he choked and coughed while feeding. I will exercise more patience and give more frequent feedings.

[PlaxMacaws]

He inhaled some formula a few days ago. And yes he is wheezing. No my vet is not an avian specialist. We don't have any in my country. I decided I will give him less but more often. I realised Robert doesn't always ask for the syringe at the back of tounge. Sometimes he likes to have it on the tip. So I will work on being more careful. About twice last week he choked and coughed while feeding. I will exercise more patience and give more frequent feedings.Irritation caused by the aspiration is likely what caused his respiratory issue. He may have still had some of the fluid/formula substance in his breathing mechanism and the vet interpreted it as a respiratory infection. Or the resulting irritation actually caused an ensuing infection. I'm just theorizing about what may have occurred. Hopefully he's on a good track for recovery. Care and patience are essential.

[chad84]

Robert refused to feed this morning. So I gave him the antibiotics on an empty stomach. Then I left him with some fruits he ate at 7am. At 12:30pm when I got home he stood still and didn't greet me. So I decided to make a large 150cc formula. He ate 2x 60cc and begged for more for a total of 140cc. I am so happy. Now he is following me around scratching me with his foot and nibbling me with his beak for the last 15mins. He is so active now. Very happy. 1st time I ever heard him so vocal. Sounds like he is quarelling.

[PlaxMacaws]

Robert refused to feed this morning. So I gave him the antibiotics on an empty stomach. Then I left him with some fruits he ate at 7am. At 12:30pm when I got home he stood still and didn't greet me. So I decided to make a large 150cc formula. He ate 2x 60cc and begged for more for a total of 140cc. I am so happy. Now he is following me around scratching me with his foot and nibbling me with his beak for the last 15mins. He is so active now. Very happy. 1st time I ever heard him so vocal. Sounds like he is quarelling.Ah, that's good news. I'm glad to hear it :). Hopefully he's going to continue feeling better and eating adequately. One thing I should mention is that it's not wise to give antibiotics on an empty crop. You should always make sure the crop is somewhat filled because antibiotics on their own may otherwise impact the liver and kidneys in a dangerous way. So food and water (or formula) should always be consumed just prior to ingestion of antibiotic substances!

[chad84]

Can I give it to him on a half full crop? What about a full crop? The doc told me not to mix it into the formula but make sure and give him it alone.

[PlaxMacaws]

Can I give it to him on a half full crop? What about a full crop? The doc told me not to mix it into the formula but make sure and give him it alone.What is the name of the antibiotic? I may not be familiar with it considering that you live in another country. Many antibiotics can result in organ damage if not accompanied by food and water. I believe that a half full crop should provide adequate buffering. Your vet may be thinking that because the regimen will only last for a short time, no appreciable organ damage is likely. I am not a vet, so I can only offer you my opinions. And one of those opinions is that if I were you, I would personally be concerned enough to never deliver such a medication on an empty crop. Considering that you don't have access to a certified avian vet, the best course for you and Robert will probably be to act on the side of caution as far as administering the antibiotic. It could be that the concentration of the particular substance is low enough to be safe even on an empty crop. But I personally wouldn't chance it.

I'm unsure whether you already have this hand feeding guideline from kaytee, so I'll post it:

3972

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[The Pinkertons]

Can I give it to him on a half full crop? What about a full crop? The doc told me not to mix it into the formula but make sure and give him it alone.
Glad to hear that Robert is more responsive today, I'm sure he will be okay with a small amount of substance in his crop when administering his Medication. Do you know what the doctor prescribed, usually it's formulated in a palatable type of viscous substance whereas not to irritate crop . Aspiration pneumonia is a serious condition, hopefully he did not inhale to much formula and will have speedy recovery, it's a good sign that he is vocalizing for a favorable prognoses. Wishing you all the best with your Companion, please continue to keep us posted!


:magic:

[chad84]

He gave me Amoxicillin Oral 100ml. It tastes like a strawberry milk shake and is quite viscous.

[The Pinkertons]

He gave me Amoxicillin Oral 100ml. It tastes like a strawberry milk shake and is quite viscous.
Amoxicillin is a broad spectrum antibiotic , that's good its already mixed as formula, did he give you a time frame to see improvement, he may need to switch up antibiotics if no improvement is seen or worsens.

[PlaxMacaws]

He gave me Amoxicillin Oral 100ml. It tastes like a strawberry milk shake and is quite viscous.Amoxicillin is a broad-spectrum, antibiotic (essentially a synthetic version of penicillin). As it turns out, it is one antibiotic that's occasionally recommended to be administered on an empty crop for best results. So it sounds like your vet's advice is fine :). I just like to be sure because several antibiotics require some matter/fluid in the crop.

[The Pinkertons]

Amoxicillin is a broad-spectrum, antibiotic (essentially a synthetic version of penicillin). As it turns out, it is one antibiotic that's occasionally recommended to be administered on an empty crop for best results. So it sounds like your vet's advice is fine :). I just like to be sure because several antibiotics require some matter/fluid in the crop.
Doxycycline, Erythromycin should be taken with food and Baytrill is a very aggressive one and potentially damaging to the liver and kidneys.

[PlaxMacaws]

Doxycycline, Erythromycin should be taken with food and Baytrill is a very aggressive one and potentially damaging to the liver and kidneys.Yeah, I think Amoxicillin in a suspension is probably fine by itself for Robert's situation. However, I did a quick search and found that Amoxicillin has been linked to rare cases of liver damage in humans ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]). But I can find nothing about birds being at risk from it at the usual doses prescribed.

Thanks Suzanne :)

[Cedardave]

Wow...11 weeks is pretty young to have a macaw leave from a breeder.But here we are.I would suggest as well as the handfeeding your doing, offer a bowl of limited amounts of fresh fruit and vegetables.The yogurt is fine but don't overdo the apple cider vinager.Monitor his intake from the bowl of fresh stuff and be sure he is in a warm place .You want to be sure his crop is getting a full turn over from full to very close to empty to prevent a sour crop which will bring on an entire new series of issues.It sounds like he may have inhailed some of the formula I agree.That will eventually pass.I would be surprised if he actually had an infection,although its not impossible.Your using a relatively good brand of formula.If hes starting to refuse it,he may be ready to start weening onto solids.Which is why I suggest the bowl of other stuff.Dont stop the handfeeding as he is still pretty young.Most breeders I know including us wont send a macaw to new families until they are close to 6 months old for this very reason.They get a little confused when the transition is so early.He will figure it out and be fine.It sounds like your doing the right things.

[chad84]

I love you guys. You are so helpful. I actually got him at 8 weeks old. The coughing and wheezing is scary. Ran to the vet the first time i noticed. I have to wait till the weekend was over to go. Longest weekend ever!

[PlaxMacaws]

I love you guys. You are so helpful. I actually got him at 8 weeks old. The coughing and wheezing is scary. Ran to the vet the first time i noticed. I have to wait till the weekend was over to go. Longest weekend ever!I'm sure it was! Please keep us updated about Robert and feel free to post photos and videos of him if and when you like. We will always love to hear about him and see him having fun and growing :D

[chad84]

He ate 110cc tonight. I am understanding how to invoke his feeding response now even if he isn't begging. I show him the syringe and he opens his beak, then I use my thumb and index where his beak joins. And as soon as I touch his tongue, he bobs his head. So happy. Food is fed at 108 degrees for 1st 60cc and then 107.2 degree for 2nd 60cc.

Enjoy the pics below. I have so many more I wanna show you. He did alot of things from yesterday to today.

Been a few days since he ate his due. happy to see that nice round crop.

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[PlaxMacaws]

That's so good to hear, chad84. I'm glad the situation is improving for Robert. You and he are going to have a lifetime of fun and friendship. I love the pics... thanks for sharing :D

[The Pinkertons]

He ate 110cc tonight. I am understanding how to invoke his feeding response now even if he isn't begging. I show him the syringe and he opens his beak, then I use my thumb and index where his beak joins. And as soon as I touch his tongue, he bobs his head. So happy. Food is fed at 108 degrees for 1st 60cc and then 107.2 degree for 2nd 60cc.

Enjoy the pics below. I have so many more I wanna show you. He did alot of things from yesterday to today.

Been a few days since he ate his due. happy to see that nice round crop.
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Thank you Chad84, he is looking brighter , good to know your back on track with your new baby, don't be a stranger here on P.P. we are eager to share your journey in parronthood :goodjob:

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

Welcome to Precisely Parrots and welcome to the wonderful journey through life that is parrot guardianship. Robert looks quite a character, I am looking forward to reading of his adventures as he grows up. :)

[chad84]

Welcome to Precisely Parrots and welcome to the wonderful journey through life that is parrot guardianship. Robert looks quite a character, I am looking forward to reading of his adventures as he grows up. :)

So excited. Will update you all the time!

- - - Updated - - -

I am uploading some pics. A before and after.

Before: 850g and 8 weeks old (when I got him as gift)
He was raised by parents and was not hand fed

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After: 1052g and 11 weeks old (3 weeks of formula)
Started hand feeding after never tasting it and loved it

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[The Pinkertons]

I'm impressed, we will soon be asking you for advise on hand feeding in the future!:highfive:

[kendrafitz]

Hi Chad and welcome! Robert is gorgeous, you must be head over heels in love with him.

I brought my GW Rosie home when she was about 4 months old and was on 2 handfeedings a day. Since she was my first bird and I had no experience, I was a nervous wreck. It sounds like you are doing the absolute best you can with him. He seems like he is thriving.

Can't wait to see more pics as he grows and read all about him!!

Sent from my SM-T800 using Tapatalk

[chad84]

Hello to my friends! Robert has been full of energy even though he was pumped with antibiotics for the last few days. He still is refusing formula and only eats about 50cc a day. I offer him bananas and veges every time I feed him. He seems very content and very demanding at times. Always begging to come along when the wife and I leave the house. I ordered zupreem pellets to mix with his hand feed and also to offer to him moist as weaning food. It seems like he is almost ready to wean as his interest in non formula food has been awoken.

After eating 50cc, he would usually start quarrelling and running from the syringe. Is this at all normal?

Also, my wife has been complaining that all I do is talk about Robert and that I kiss him up so much. She also said I don't do that to her as much. Truthfully I have been spend ALOT of time with Robert. But I also give much more time to my wife. Seeing that he is a free range companion and he has no cage, he poops everywhere. I normally clean it up very quickly. The wife also complains that the house smells weird because I don't mop the tiles often enough. I always wipe up his poop as soon as he drops it. But I try to mop at least once a week.
She told me don't make her regret the decision to get a macaw. She is under some stress with her studies these days. I hope I don't lose Robert. I shed some tears this morning when she said maybe I should give him back if the house continues to smell funny.

All my life I have wanted to have a parrot pet/companion. I begged for it since I was a young child. So now that I have Robert, I can't let him go.

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[PlaxMacaws]

Welcome back, chad84. It's good to hear that Robert is active and that he's completed his regimen of antibiotics. Medication such as antibiotics can result in a diminished appetite, so that may be a factor at this point. You probably already know this, but antibiotics may kill some essential digestive bacteria. That can affect appetite as well... but I believe Robert has only been on the medication for one week or so and I'm unsure how much of a threat to digestive flora the short duration may or may not pose for a baby macaw. You should ask your vet if he thinks the meds may be a factor in Robert's lower appetite. If there is much potential for a reduction in digestive flora from that duration, you may wish to give Robert some probiotics to help his tract stabilize to normal. And you may want to do that anyway (just in case). However, it's a good idea to consult with your vet about any steps you take or changes you make concerning Robert's care.

As far as turning away from his feedings, I think it's typical for a bird being hand fed to turn away from the syringe or spoon once they feel they've had enough.

As for the odor, it may be a result of Robert's baby diet. The droppings from my adult macaws, who consume adult solid foods, are virtually odorless. Hopefully some other members may comment on this theory. Be warned, though, that Zupreem pellets can produce a sulfur-ish smell when moistened. And I've found that this condition appears to be exclusively peculiar to Zupreem pellets. Harrison's pellets, for example, do not emit said odor. If you're mixing Zupreem bird foods into Robert's feedings, that could be a contributor to any lingering sulfur-ish smell you may notice. If you're not currently using Zupreem foods the oder could be emanating from another component of the baby diet... perhaps from the formula itself.

I'm very hopeful that you won't have to part with Robert. If you did end up giving him back, what would become of him? From your descriptions I can tell that he's already bonding to you. I think that changing his environment as well as those he depends upon might be psychologically devastating for him. Please try and be there for him, as he truly needs you!

Wonderful pictures of your little feathered friend... thanks for posting them :D

[Lady]

Hi Chad,
Welcome to PP and congrats on your beautiful little baby boy! Love the pics, he looks so tiny for the moment. I hope you get things worked out with your wife so Robert steals her heart and you both will never want to part with him. I'm also looking forward to your updates!

[chad84]

Take a look at this poop. It looks weird; cloudy and yellowish. By the way I am uploading some more pics and videos.

Faeces is kinda solid. But dunno about urates and urine.

Camera flash off
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[PlaxMacaws]

chad84: If you look at the concentrated urates, they are snow white. Granted, the urine (the liquid part) has some coloring and looks cloudy. But in my experience that's a fairly consistent presentation in droppings when some of the fecal solids have leached into the urine portion while in the cloaca. This can especially happen when the solids aren't dry enough to emerge in a tubular shape, as is the case in your recent photos. I hope my observation and opinion are helpful.

[chad84]

Very helpful. Will try to mix his formula a little thicker.

[PlaxMacaws]

chad84: My adult GW, Salsa, occasionally produces droppings of similar appearance to your recent photos. When it happens, it is usually with his first poop of the day once he has awakened in the morning. In Salsa's case, it happens due to the component materials marinading together within his cloaca for an extended period while he sleeps. Again, the urates in your last photos look snow white to me - which is a good sign. There simply aren't very many areas in your photos where the urates (as well as some of the fecal solids) have not melted into the liquid urine. I'm guessing that such intermixing is responsible for the cloudiness and the greenish/yellowish appearance that you're seeing. Try getting Robert to eat more solid foods and closely monitor his droppings to see if the appearance changes to where the components are more isolated and defined.

[chad84]

Uploading some nice pics today. Also his droppings come less cloudy now. Don't know why.

[chad84]

Hi all, as promised. Lots and lots of pics of Robert doing stuff. Enough pics of poop. Finally some activities!

Short video of him exercising.
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He likes to sleep on my lap while the wife drives.
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This is how he sleeps in his cage most of the time. Yes I finally bought a cage for him to sleep in at night. But he is still a free range bird.
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Cage in the porch/gallery that I built using aluminium 1 x 1in angles, 1in wire mesh, steel sheet for tray at bottom and self tapping screws. He will stay in here when we have to go out. Haven't put him here yet as he goes everywhere with us.
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Night time cage to protect from predators and to keep him safe when we are cleaning the house
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He is climbing up on the bed and unto my pillow now... lol
Look at how beautiful he is! This is last weeks pic (week 12)
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Was looking for him all over the house... look where i found him!
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Wife is onboard... they love each other so much. He shares a different more gentle bond with her. But with me he threatens me and get his own way and begs to come along.
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[chad84]

What do you think of this pic as my forum profile pic?
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Since Robert has become interested in food I decided to make a kind of concoction of fruits, veges, grains and nuts. I used what was available in the fridge and freezer today. Didn't take long. About 1hr. He absolutely loved it!

Preperation
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Made it all bite size!
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Mix
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Close up
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I bagged it without fruits because I find that fruits don't freeze and unfreeze well. I mix fruits in fresh. or maybe not at all to prevent from being too sweet.
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Adding fruits
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Fruit, vege, nuts, grain mix
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Mix close up
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He took his time and sampled everything then decided to eat everything in the mix.
This is his most recent pic. Tonight! 13 weeks old!
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That's the backlog I have had for the last 2 weeks while he was ill.

[PlaxMacaws]

Hi again chad84. I think Robert is a very lucky baby bird to have such concerned and considerate human parents :). You are accommodating his needs quite well and it's obvious that you love him very much. It's wonderful that he has begun enjoying healthy solid foods (the chop you prepared for him)... that's so important! So I think it's all happy news for the 3 of you now :D. Oh, and yes, I do think that your top-most photo on post #37 in this thread will make a stupendous profile image. Thanks so much for sharing your snaps of Robert with us... they're great :)


PS: he's absolutely adorable :pinkgrin::heart:

[The Pinkertons]

Thank you so much for sharing with us your adventures of Robert, I am thoroughly delighted with the progress. Your commitment to ensure the well being of your Baby Macaw is clearly evident . I like your chop! it looks delicious, Robert is a very lucky bird. The Picture of the two of you would be a perfect profile picture.
:goodjob::smiley-bird-emotico

[chad84]

Hey guys my baby just woke up from sleeping and he is panting. Panting right? But he hasn't even been playing or flapping. Just woke up and panting. Then he started sneezing like once every 5 mins. There is a clear spray of liquid that comes out when he sneezes.
If you look at the video you will see the clear spray when he sneezes at 29 secs in the video. You may have to use slow motion on youtube.


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[PlaxMacaws]

What's the ambient temperature in the room where Robert was asleep? It seems like it could be some excess mucus in his upper respiratory/sinus pathways. My guess is that he doesn't feel that he's getting enough air at the moment. This could be due to the mentioned congestion, or from something else. Birds are very sensitive to things like essential oils and fragrances used in household products. Another thing to avoid is non-stick surfaces on cookware. A substance referred to as PTFE within those coatings can result in death to a pet bird in a very short time if/when the coating becomes hot enough to produce an outgassing emission.


Has Robert's condition improved to any extent as of now? If not you should seek your vet's advice as soon as possible!

[PlaxMacaws]

chad84: I'm very concerned about Robert! Please report back as soon as you can letting us know that he's okay. He is very much on my mind :(

[LunaLovebird]

As at 11AM AEST, he was fine, not sneezing or panting. According to a post on another forum, he'll be going to a vet tomorrow.

[PlaxMacaws]

As at 11AM AEST, he was fine, not sneezing or panting. According to a post on another forum, he'll be going to a vet tomorrow.That's a relief. But it's still imperative that the cause of Robert's symptoms be determined. Hopefully the vet will be able to ascertain in that regard. Thank you very much for the update, LunaLovebird.

[chad84]

Hi everyone. Finally back home with Robert. Had to consult with 3 veterinarians. Third and last one helped. A non-Avian vet who is very knowledgeable about birds; namely parrots. I spent 4 hrs at this vet as he did all his prodding and examination, he concluded that Robert doesn't have a respiratory infection. But he does have Hypovitaminosis A. He told me his plumage is very dull, the papillae on edge of the choana on one side is smooth and he has an irritation in the trachea from having been exposed to something foreign & having low immune system.

He requested that I get a specific multivitamin, some raw broccoli & pumpkin blended in blender and gave me an antibiotic for 10 days. He also asked that I update him at the end of the treatment.

Gonna start with him night feeding.

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[PlaxMacaws]

I'm now rather curious about Robert's story beginning from day one of his life. Such as, what are the details about his mother and father and the human caregiver(s) who had possession of him before he came to live with you? Did he come from a breeder within your country? More simply stated, what was the situation that preceded your possession of him?

I ask the above because it's possible that Robert was nutritionally deprived to some extent during his first weeks.

My recommendation would be to follow your vet's treatment regimen and as well focus on infusing as much Vitamin A into Robert's system as you can. Vitamin A (also referred to as Retinol) comes from beta-carotene, which is present in many vegetables and fruits. Orange and yellow vegetables and fruits typically have significant levels of beta-carotene. So your objective can be to shoot for establishing those foods as one quarter to one third of Robert's diet. Broccoli is a great source of beta-carotene, as are other green leafy vegetables (e.g., kale, spinach, parsley, turnip greens, and others), as well as orange or yellow vegetables/fruits (e.g., carrots, orange sweet potatoes, yellow squash, pumpkin, mango, peaches, papaya and others).

It appears that the vet believes Robert is at risk for, and may be suffering from, a bacterial pathogen presence. Hence the Amoxicillin. Amoxicillin is a broad-spectrum antibiotic, so in certain cases it may be prescribed preventatively as well. This could be the vet's intent, too.

I'm glad you were able to get Robert in to see the vet(s) today. The last vet that Robert visited sounds to be (perhaps) the most appropriate one for avians in your area. By the way, what types of diagnostic tests did the vet perform?

Please follow the advice and keep us updated!

[chad84]

I'm now rather curious about Robert's story beginning from day one of his life. Such as, what are the details about his mother and father and the human caregiver(s) who had possession of him before he came to live with you? Did he come from a breeder within your country? More simply stated, what was the situation that preceded your possession of him?

I ask the above because it's possible that Robert was nutritionally deprived to some extent during his first weeks.

My recommendation would be to follow your vet's treatment regimen and as well focus on infusing as much Vitamin A into Robert's system as you can. Vitamin A (also referred to as Retinol) comes from beta-carotene, which is present in many vegetables and fruits. Orange and yellow vegetables and fruits typically have significant levels of beta-carotene. So your objective can be to shoot for establishing those foods as one quarter to one third of Robert's diet. Broccoli is a great source of beta-carotene, as are other green leafy vegetables (e.g., kale, spinach, parsley, turnip greens, and others), as well as orange or yellow vegetables/fruits (e.g., carrots, orange sweet potatoes, yellow squash, pumpkin, mango, peaches, papaya and others).

It appears that the vet believes Robert is at risk for, and may be suffering from, a bacterial pathogen presence. Hence the Amoxicillin. Amoxicillin is a broad-spectrum antibiotic, so in certain cases it may be prescribed preventatively as well. This could be the vet's intent, too.

I'm glad you were able to get Robert in to see the vet(s) today. The last vet that Robert visited sounds to be (perhaps) the most appropriate one for avians in your area. By the way, what types of diagnostic tests did the vet perform?

Please follow the advice and keep us updated!

I was given Robert as a gift. I honestly have no information about Robert before I got him at 8 weeks old. I have taken care of him for almost 6 weeks. He doesn't act sick but I know he is. I grew up very sick as a child. But I made it. I know Robert will make it. I give him more love than he even appreciate. I follow the vets advice exactly. I think it was prescribed preventatively.

The vet didn't draw blood or anything. he listened to all the things I had to say, he examined him and then told me he has the Hypovitaminosis A. He is still making mischief all over the house but he is a little less active after his 2nd dose of antibiotics. He has lost his feeding response completely. This worries me. I kinda have to force feed him for the last 2 or 3 feedings. I am very weary that he can aspirate. I am mixing 25% carrot puree with 75% formula as directed this morning by the vet. I feel a little down that he is not interested in food. When I place it in his mouth he swallows some and spits out the rest. Out of 120 ml, he may swallow 60 - 80 ml.

[PlaxMacaws]

Hi Chad. You and Robert may well be on the course of treatment that most vets, even true avian vets, would recommend. There's something I might mention, though. It's my understanding that a diagnosis of Hypovitaminosis A typically stems from an educated guess by a veterinarian subsequent to the physical examination stage. I'm unsure if there is any conclusive blood test to rule out the condition. One of the illnesses that may result from Hypovitaminosis A is sinusitus. There seemingly exists some controversy among experts, however, concerning whether instances of sinusitis in psittacines should necessarily be attributed to low levels of Vitimin A. The reasoning is that many parrot foods, and especially baby bird formulas, contain large amounts of Vitamin A. The safest way to increase Vitamin A levels is said to be through beta-carotene from fresh produce. That of course is one of the things you are trying to do for Robert - which is good! Please have a look at the following excerpt on avian sinusitis from [Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks] ...


Hypovitaminosis A is a nutritional deficiency thought to predispose birds to sinusitis. This can occur if the bird is fed an all seed diet, which is deficient in vitamin A, iodine and calcium, therefore it is essential that a full dietary history is taken. Vitamin A deficiency causes some cells to differentiate abnormally. This occurs in the sinus, where the epithelial lining degenerates into squamous metaplasia. This causes the mucus to thicken, thus preventing debris from being flushed out of the sinus. This results in a build-up of debris and bacteria, eventually resulting in infection. This deficiency can also contribute to the development of and rhinoliths, abscesses and conjunctivitis. Currently it is thought that sinusitis may not occur as a result of vitamin A deficiency as many parrot diets now have an excess of Vitamin A.I hate for your baby macaw to be bombarded with antibiotics. That can affect a bird's appetite negatively and create other difficulties. It will be especially unfortunate if the particular antibiotic (Amoxicillin) is not the proper one for whatever pathogen may be present. Additionally, I would strongly recommend that you acquire some probiotics for Robert. All of the antibiotics entering his system may take their toll on his essential digestive flora organisms in a big way. The probiotics will replenish those essential flora. It would be a good idea to speak with your veterinarian about this.

Please keep us posted.

[chad84]

I ordered Avi-culture 2. Will have it in a few days. Giving him Gerber carrot puree (25%) and formula (75%) 3 times a day. He eats about 90 ml in the morning, about 40 ml lunch time and 120 ml in the night. Also he is getting 1.5 ml of antibiotics twice a day and 1 drop of multivit ch in 1.5 ml of water twice a day. So he has formula, beta-carotene, amoxicillin and extra vitamins daily.

[PlaxMacaws]

I would make preparations for administering probiotics to him as well (you may wish to speak with the vet about it). And be mindful there may be some risk of vitamin intoxication, depending upon the collective amounts that he's receiving. At least I think you would do well to research the possibility.

[chad84]

Hi guys. Just an update. The diarrhea has stopped but his urine is still YELLOW for about 3 weeks now. Still having problems feeding him. No feeding response and he spits back out 10% to 50% of the food we feed him. Food is 25% carrot puree (gerber) and Kaytee hand feed formula. He very active climbing up our 7 ft indoor security gate, couches and anything really high up. Flapping up a storm too all day long.

The only disturbing thing is his weight loss. Friday morning he weighed 1000g and Sunday morning (today) he weighs 945g. 2 weeks ago he weighed 1050g. So that's a total of 10% weight loss from 2 weeks ago to now. He feels less 'meaty'. Unsure if this is fledging weight loss or illness weight loss or a combination of both. Either way I am worried. The vet told me that I should only be concerned if it stretches to 25% weight loss then I have to bring him in. He said that because he is only have 75% formula, fledging and is ill, his weight loss will be more than normal.

Waiting for him to poop so I can show it to you all and also email it to the new Vet I found.

[PlaxMacaws]

Chad: There are several factors to consider as far as Robert's weight loss. He has indeed entered the fledging phase, which typically brings with it less food consumption and a greater rate at which calories are burned (mostly from flapping and climbing). That will inevitably produce noticeable weight loss in a baby bird. The other possible contributor is that Robert's appetite has become diminished even beyond what those factors would render alone, by the presence of the antibiotics he is being given. Antibiotics can and often do reduce appetite.

I think it's reasonable to believe that your vet is correct about the Vitamin A deficiency. However, I'm not fully convinced that every part of the prescribed treatment is the best approach for Robert's condition. My recommendation is to obtain some beta-carotene supplement and add that to Robert's diet in place of any Vitamin A solution (or multi-vitamin substance) he is now receiving. The reason being that a bird can overdose on Vitamin A, but not on beta-carotene supplement (which is converted to Vitamin A by the bird itself as its system requires it). There are in fact several vitamins that birds may overdose on and the baby formula is already chock full of vitamins. So that's my basis. It would seem the safest path to take because I believe that your vet merely guessed about Robert being deficient in Vitamin A based upon a visual examination. And please know that I am *not* saying that I'm convinced your vet's diagnosis is incorrect. I'm only saying that it *is* a possibility and that it thus may be wise to play it safe -just in case and because too many vitamins can be harmful- by replacing the Vitamin A (or multi-vitamins) with a beta-carotene supplement. Again, beta-carotene will give Robert the Vitamin A that he needs in a very safe way. The foods you're feeding along with the formula (carrot puree etc.) should be fine as long as they are not fortified with harmful additives (like iron). And as I mentioned previously, you should get him some probiotics.

[chad84]

Chad: There are several factors to consider as far as Robert's weight loss. He has indeed entered the fledging phase, which typically brings with it less food consumption and a greater rate at which calories are burned (mostly from flapping and climbing). That will inevitably produce noticeable weight loss in a baby bird. The other possible contributor is that Robert's appetite has become diminished even beyond what those factors would render alone, by the presence of the antibiotics he is being given. Antibiotics can and often do reduce appetite.

I think it's reasonable to believe that your vet is correct about the Vitamin A deficiency. However, I'm not fully convinced that every part of the prescribed treatment is the best approach for Robert's condition. My recommendation is to obtain some beta-carotene supplement and add that to Robert's diet in place of any Vitamin A solution (or multi-vitamin substance) he is now receiving. The reason being that a bird can overdose on Vitamin A, but not on beta-carotene supplement (which is converted to Vitamin A by the bird itself as its system requires it). There are in fact several vitamins that birds may overdose on and the baby formula is already chock full of vitamins. So that's my basis. It would seem the safest path to take because I believe that your vet merely guessed about Robert being deficient in Vitamin A based upon a visual examination. And please know that I am *not* saying that I'm convinced your vet's diagnosis is incorrect. I'm only saying that it *is* a possibility and that it thus may be wise to play it safe -just in case and because too many vitamins can be harmful- by replacing the Vitamin A (or multi-vitamins) with a beta-carotene supplement. Again, beta-carotene will give Robert the Vitamin A that he needs in a very safe way. The foods you're feeding along with the formula (carrot puree etc.) should be fine as long as they are not fortified with harmful additives (like iron). And as I mentioned previously, you should get him some probiotics.

Probiotics ordered and on the way (Avi-Culture 2) and the carrot puree says 0% Iron based on DV or something like that. I will buy a new one and send you the photos of the nutritional facts. So you will tell me if I need to change it.

- - - Updated - - -

Good night everyone
Robert has been flapping and flapping and climbing so much. He then came and begged to hang out, so I picked him up and gave him 2 hrs of TLC tonight and then he ate... wait for it... 110 ml of carrot puree and formula mixed.

So without further wait, here is the poop you have been waiting for!
Faeces is almost well formed. Could be a little more solid.
Urates are white.
Urine is yellow. Not cloudy anymore, just yellow.

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I have been reading about a product on amazon to help detox the liver called Aloe Detox. Many reviews state that it helped their birdie. My plan is to run the course of antibiotics (10 days), then wait a week after that, till its out of his system and then do 1 week of Aloe Detox (3 times a day). The maybe do another week of detox with a few days in between.

Tell me what you think.

[Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]

[PlaxMacaws]

Chad: Personally, I'm not convinced that Robert's urine looks all that bad. To begin with, his droppings in your photo are laying on a pure white surface. I think some contrast is to be expected between the shade of the liquid urine and a pure white background. Then add the fact that Robert is consuming a yellow/orange substance (the carrot puree) and the fact that his fecal solids are still a bit loose in appearance. All considered, my suspicion becomes that the shade of the urine against the white background can be attributed, at least in part, to the leaching of pigment from the colored fecal solids, and the color of the fecal solids can be attributed to Robert's current diet.

At a distance the urine appears yellowish, yes. But upon closer examination it can be seen that the urine areas nearer the fecal solids become darker. This indicates to me that the color is likely leaching from the somewhat loose fecal solids. If I were you I would watch for this dynamic in the poop components carefully.

[chad84]

Robert flew for the first time this morning. I let him out around 6am and wife and I started preparing his formula and carrots. He climbed to the top of his cage in the living room which is 2.5 ft high. We were in the kitchen, about 15 ft away. All of a sudden there was a gush of wind over us and down came Super Robert from 7 ft high and 15 ft away. He also landed so gracefully. Gave him much praise. After that he had a whopping 120 ml of formula. Made formula at 110 f and a little thinner and he drank it all.

For those wondering, this is what I mix into his formula... makes up 25% of what he eats. Says no iron. Lemme know if to continue using this.

[Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks] ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]) [Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks] ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]) [Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks] ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks])

[PlaxMacaws]

Congratulations to Robert on his first flight! I think he's feeling good today :D. Glad to hear it.

Note:
At the moment, there appears to be something wrong with postimage.org because clicking on any of your images renders a page not found message. It's probably a temporary condition on their end.

[The Pinkertons]

Robert flew for the first time this morning. I let him out around 6am and wife and I started preparing his formula and carrots. He climbed to the top of his cage in the living room which is 2.5 ft high. We were in the kitchen, about 15 ft away. All of a sudden there was a gush of wind over us and down came Super Robert from 7 ft high and 15 ft away. He also landed so gracefully. Gave him much praise. After that he had a whopping 120 ml of formula. Made formula at 110 f and a little thinner and he drank it all.

For those wondering, this is what I mix into his formula... makes up 25% of what he eats. Says no iron. Lemme know if to continue using this.

[Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks] ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]) [Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks] ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]) [Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks] ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]) Hi chad84, Conscientious would be an understatement in supportive care you are providing for Robert. Congratulations ! on his fledgling flight! yes the baby food is excellent! I wouldn't change a thing...except the vitamin supplement's, Vitamin A is oil soluble . Which means that it is not secreted out through the kidneys but instead is used as the body requires. Therefore it has the potential to become a toxic overload. By providing nutrient dense food " which you are already doing" the body can naturally select the bioavailability in food. More is not always a good thing especially with synthetic Vitamins!

[chad84]

Chad: Personally, I'm not convinced that Robert's urine looks all that bad. To begin with, his droppings in your photo are laying on a pure white surface. I think some contrast is to be expected between the shade of the liquid urine and a pure white background. Then add the fact that Robert is consuming a yellow/orange substance (the carrot puree) and the fact that his fecal solids are still a bit loose in appearance. All considered, my suspicion becomes that the shade of the urine against the white background can be attributed, at least in part, to the leaching of pigment from the colored fecal solids, and the color of the fecal solids can be attributed to Robert's current diet.

At a distance the urine appears yellowish, yes. But upon closer examination it can be seen that the urine areas nearer the fecal solids become darker. This indicates to me that the color is likely leaching from the somewhat loose fecal solids. If I were you I would watch for this dynamic in the poop components carefully.

The urine turned yellow 3 weeks ago though.
He had a almost clear poop today. I was never so excited to look at poop in life. I stood there refusing to wipe it up. So clear and healthy looking. Smelt like meds though.

[chad84]

Congratulations to Robert on his first flight! I think he's feeling good today :D. Glad to hear it.

Note:
At the moment, there appears to be something wrong with postimage.org because clicking on any of your images renders a page not found message. It's probably a temporary condition on their end.

Yea it was problematic to upload pics but it is working again.
That first flight shocked me.. Time froze as he flew to our location.

[The Pinkertons]

That's to be expected...Moving right along, How is Roberts breathing is it still labored?

[chad84]

Hi chad84, Conscientious would be an understatement in supportive care you are providing for Robert. Congratulations ! on his fledgling flight! yes the baby food is excellent! I wouldn't change a thing...except the vitamin supplement's, Vitamin A is oil soluble . Which means that it is not secreted out through the kidneys but instead is used as the body requires. Therefore it has the potential to become a toxic overload. By providing nutrient dense food " which you are already doing" the body can naturally select the bioavailability in food. More is not always a good thing especially with synthetic Vitamins!

The Pinkertons, you win. I will stop the multivitamins. I spoke to the doc today and he said I can do it for just one week as he is very deficient. But I don't want toxic overload. So I will just do formula and carrot puree.

Loved his first flight. Was breath taking. Gave him kisses and a million 'good boy' comments. He strut around on the tiles feeling very proud.

[chad84]

That's to be expected...Moving right along, How is Roberts breathing is it still labored?

He doesn't have alot of laboured breathing now mate. When he flaps alot he will pant. He only sneezed today since friday when he was sneezing alot. I am happy he is not panting much at the moment. Maybe the 60 hrs on beta carotene is already starting to work.

[The Pinkertons]

That's got to be so exciting to see your baby getting stronger and starting to thrive! Kudos to you and Robert
:GWs::th_yah:

[The Pinkertons]

He doesn't have alot of laboured breathing now mate. When he flaps alot he will pant. He only sneezed today since friday when he was sneezing alot. I am happy he is not panting much at the moment. Maybe the 60 hrs on beta carotene is already starting to work. Good to know, I'm keeping positive thoughts that it is only going to get better every day!

[The Pinkertons]

The Pinkertons, you win. I will stop the multivitamins. I spoke to the doc today and he said I can do it for just one week as he is very deficient. But I don't want toxic overload. So I will just do formula and carrot puree.

Loved his first flight. Was breath taking. Gave him kisses and a million 'good boy' comments. He strut around on the tiles feeling very proud. One week should be ok

[PlaxMacaws]

The urine turned yellow 3 weeks ago though.Be mindful that psittacine fecal solids typically possess green or yellow-brown coloring. When those solids are of soft and un-firm consistency, they tend to bleed into the liquid urine component. Allow me to explain it this way... if you were to take an unformed, overly moist portion of a parrot's fecal solids and place it in a teaspoon of clear water, then move the combination of materials from point A to point B to point C with any sort of pressure or agitation, I bet you would notice that the water would no longer appear clear. Instead, it should appear slightly yellowish or greenish. And that would be especially true if you placed it against a white surface. So, as I've stated before, the coloring in a bird's urine can emerge from loose fecal solids within the cloaca. And the cloudiness that you have observed from time to time can result from the white urates combining with that soft, pressured/agitated mixture.


He had a almost clear poop today. I was never so excited to look at poop in life. I stood there refusing to wipe it up. So clear and healthy looking. Smelt like meds though.That sounds very good to me :)

[chad84]

Hey all.

Robert ate another 120 ml of formula at 2pm. So happy. Still not begging for food or head bobbing but he ate it.

This picture is him at 8 weeks and him at almost 14 weeks. Can't believe 6 weeks has passed already.

[Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks] ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks])

This look like signature material. Was playing the fool with the stylus lasso app and made this.

[PlaxMacaws]

Time flies! :D

Continue tracking his weight, keep providing beta-carotene rich foods, start him on probiotics (once you receive them), and perhaps consider obtaining a beta-carotene supplement for him - it would provide a higher absorption rate.

I'm glad Robert's situation appears to be improving and I'm hoping the improvement continues.

[chad84]

Glad the news pleased you guys.

Just fed him another 120 ml. That's 5 meals so far. His stomach is emptying so fast. Usually takes 8hrs now its empty in like 5 - 6 hrs. He came to me and just sat there looking at me and when I checked his crop it was empty so I fed him.

One thing though, i saw him throw up a little food a few minutes after I fed him on 2 of the 5 feedings of 120 ml. I did some research and they said the antibiotics makes him nauseous. Felt sad to see it. Wasn't much just an inch in diameter.

His current weight for today is 960g.

I saw him panting a bit today but I am unsure if he was flapping. So I will monitor it.

[The Pinkertons]

Glad the news pleased you guys.

Just fed him another 120 ml. That's 5 meals so far. His stomach is emptying so fast. Usually takes 8hrs now its empty in like 5 - 6 hrs. He came to me and just sat there looking at me and when I checked his crop it was empty so I fed him.

One thing though, i saw him throw up a little food a few minutes after I fed him on 2 of the 5 feedings of 120 ml. I did some research and they said the antibiotics makes him nauseous. Felt sad to see it. Wasn't much just an inch in diameter.

His current weight for today is 960g.

I saw him panting a bit today but I am unsure if he was flapping. So I will monitor it.
:goodjob:

[The Pinkertons]

Glad the news pleased you guys.

Just fed him another 120 ml. That's 5 meals so far. His stomach is emptying so fast. Usually takes 8hrs now its empty in like 5 - 6 hrs. He came to me and just sat there looking at me and when I checked his crop it was empty so I fed him.

One thing though, i saw him throw up a little food a few minutes after I fed him on 2 of the 5 feedings of 120 ml. I did some research and they said the antibiotics makes him nauseous. Felt sad to see it. Wasn't much just an inch in diameter.

His current weight for today is 960g.

I saw him panting a bit today but I am unsure if he was flapping. So I will monitor it. Bentley Bird, the first one in my Avatar with his crest up, pants after he flaps his wings, He's more excitable then my Girl, Bella Bird.

[kendrafitz]

Hey all.

Robert ate another 120 ml of formula at 2pm. So happy. Still not begging for food or head bobbing but he ate it.

This picture is him at 8 weeks and him at almost 14 weeks. Can't believe 6 weeks has passed already.

[Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks] ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks])

This look like signature material. Was playing the fool with the stylus lasso app and made this.
So happy to read he is doing well. He has grown so much and is such a handsome guy! Of course, I am partial to GWs. :)

[plax]

I too am glad that he's eating more and that his droppings are looking better.


I saw him panting a bit today but I am unsure if he was flapping. So I will monitor it.


Bentley Bird, the first one in my Avatar with his crest up, pants after he flaps his wings, He's more excitable then my Girl, Bella Bird.When Salsa first began his flapping workouts he would pant as if there were no tomorrow! (Terrie always kept him clipped so he was used to very little resistance as he flapped - when he came to live with me I let his wings fully grow out.) As Sals lost weight and became stronger, his heavy panting diminished. He reached a point where during his extended vigorous flapping sessions he would not noticeably pant at all. Unfortunately, he has gained some of his weight back due to slacking off on the workouts a bit over the past six months or so. But he still doesn't pant much when he does his heavy flapping. I really need to get Sals back into his regular workout routine, and do so fairly soon. My point here is that once they condition themselves, they utilize oxygen far more efficiently.

[The Pinkertons]

I too am glad that he's eating more and that his droppings are looking better.



When Salsa first began his flapping workouts he would pant as if there were no tomorrow! (Terrie always kept him clipped so he was used to very little resistance as he flapped - when he came to live with me I let his wings fully grow out.) As Sals lost weight and became stronger, his heavy panting diminished. He reached a point where during his extended vigorous flapping sessions he would not noticeably pant at all. Unfortunately, he has gained some of his weight back due to slacking off on the workouts a bit over the past six months or so. But he still doesn't pant much when he does his heavy flapping. I really need to get Sals back into his regular workout routine, and do so fairly soon. My point here is that once they condition themselves, they utilize oxygen far more efficiently. Thanks Tony, Good to know!

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

I've just realised we are on page 8 of this thread already and I haven't yet welcomed you and Robert to the forum. I've been waiting a while because I haven't the knowledge of Macaws or baby birds to be able to offer any advice, and I also thought that the advice you were getting was very impressive. Its so good to hear that Robert is on the up, parrots are such fragile little things and I am very glad that Robert has someone like you to care for him - it could all have gone horribly wrong if he had gone to a less aware person.
So, rather belatedly, welcome to Precisely Parrots from Casper and his 'best friends'. We look forward to hearing a lot more about Robert.

[Mare]

I too, have not welcomed Chad and Robert, mostly because of Jean-Pierre's reasoning but also because I was afraid of a sad ending. I'm so happy to know how far Robert has come under your care, Chad, and a big old welcome to you both!

[chad84]

Night guys, fed Robert 90 ml as the 120 ml seems to make him throw up a little.

After I fed him I decided to grab a bite. Took me 45mins to eat as I had to fight off Robert from my plate. He flew up to my lap and I placed him back to the ground then he flew back up to my lap again. This repeated about 12 times. I put him on the table and he jumped back down to my lap. Anywhere I put him he just flew back to my lap. Now that I have finished eating he is just sitting on my stomach licking my top and bottom lips. He is also obsessed with my teeth. Constantly trying to open my mouth. He takes 5 minute breaks to do this erie beak crunching and grinding. Then he goes back to licking my lips and goes back to beak grinding. Why does he grind beak? Beak crunching/grind is loud and it crawls my blood a little.

Can't get him off my stomach. I wanna pee and can't move. Hostage!

[The Pinkertons]

Night guys, fed Robert 90 ml as the 120 ml seems to make him throw up a little.

After I fed him I decided to grab a bite. Took me 45mins to eat as I had to fight off Robert from my plate. He flew up to my lap and I placed him back to the ground then he flew back up to my lap again. This repeated about 12 times. I put him on the table and he jumped back down to my lap. Anywhere I put him he just flew back to my lap. Now that I have finished eating he is just sitting on my stomach licking my top and bottom lips. He is also obsessed with my teeth. Constantly trying to open my mouth. He takes 5 minute breaks to do this erie beak crunching and grinding. Then he goes back to licking my lips and goes back to beak grinding. Why does he grind beak? Beak crunching/grind is loud and it crawls my blood a little.

Can't get him off my stomach. I wanna pee and can't move. Hostage! I hate once again to be the bearer of bad news... our saliva carries e-coli Bacterium. Birds do not have e-coli naturally. Exposing Robert to your saliva and exploring in your mouth is a :th_bignono: He Could potentially end up with a e-coli bacterial infection . give dry kisses on top of his beak .

[Mare]

The beak grinding sounds like bed time, to me.

[The Pinkertons]

The beak grinding sounds like bed time, to me. Mares Right

[chad84]

I hate once again to be the bearer of bad news... our saliva carries e-coli Bacterium. Birds do not have e-coli naturally. Exposing Robert to your saliva and exploring in your mouth is a :th_bignono: He Could potentially end up with a e-coli bacterial infection . give dry kisses on top of his beak .

Roger that. Won't happen anymore. I am learning. Will do dry ones on the beak. Thank you!

[The Pinkertons]

Roger that. Won't happen anymore. I am learning. Will do dry ones on the beak. Thank you! No worries that's what were here for :th_wink:

[kendrafitz]

Beak grinding means he is utterly content, happy and tired. He was preening you, sounds like he has really bonded with you. Once in a while Rosie will try to get in my mouth. Since she knows it is off limits I think she thinks it's funny. I just say YUCK!, twist my head and then kiss her beak. We usually both end up laughing. :)

Next time you have to use the bathroom and he is not letting you leave, you can just put him on your shoulder and bring him with. Rosie comes with me everywhere in the house, shower included. :)

[chad84]

Goodnight all. I have so much updates for you! This is gonna be long...
Robert is weighing 900g. That's a considerable drop from the 950g 1 week ago. He is currently 14 weeks 3 days. He is on day 7 of the clavamox/enhancin antibiotic cocktail. I reduced his feeding from 120c 3 times a day to 90cc 3 times a day. Most days since he started antibiotic he throws up. Not a whole lot, about 5ml to 10ml. But it still worries me.

He also hasn't been eating much for the last 3 days (Day 5, 6 & 7 of antibiotics).
During these days he ate 40 ml in the morning, almost nothing lunchtime and almost nothing in the night. He doesn't have the feeding response and just simply does not want to swallow the formula. I offer him chop and soft food 3 times a day but he just plays with it, breaking it up to smaller pieces but I can't tell if he is eating any at all. Since he isn't really interested in formula I was hoping he would at least eat his chop and soft food. I need my Robby Boy to eat ANYTHING. But he isn't eating.

Robert started flying a few days ago. All he wants to do is fly to me from where ever he is in the house. He flies 5 - 6 times a day. If someone is holding him or if he is perched and I pass, he jumps down and follows me, if I hide he comes flying around and trying to land on me. He still flaps a ton. But he flies and circles in the living room looking for a place to land (me). He loves us so much. Can never leave him home. He is a love HOG. He gets loving by me till I am tired then goes to my wife.

So the weight loss could be that he isn't eating AND he is flying quite a bit.

He still pants a bit when he flies but I haven't really noticed him panting at rest.
One thing I must note. Robert isn't acting sick in any way. He picks fights with me, follows me around and cuddles with me almost all day making his baby sounds and begging to be played with. He is ALWAYS climbing, flapping, flying and BITING everything in sight.

Now that I have stopped him from trying to get into my mouth, his new obsession is my NOSE. He licks and nibbles my nose everywhere ALL DAY LONG.

Tomorrow I am going to the vet for a 1 week follow up check up and to do an x ray to check out his throat, lungs, air sacs and anything else. What else should the x ray tell me? The vet says they don't really do avian blood tests and avian cultures. So on Monday I am going to our government veterinary lab to ask if they will do the blood tests and cultures. They asked me what they should be testing for. Can you guys tell me?

[The Pinkertons]

This may be helpful to print out to take along with you for the Vet to review.
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[PlaxMacaws]

Hi Chad.


So the weight loss could be that he isn't eating AND he is flying quite a bit.That is exactly right. He's burning calories and not eating enough to replenish, much less surpass, the loss. But why is he not eating more? I'm sure one of the contributors is the fact that he's at the fledgling stage, which means he is effectively a calorie furnace. And then add in the likelihood that the antibiotics have diminished his appetite -which they are known to do at times- and you end up with a calorie bleeding scenario. Unfortunately that's one of the potential pitfalls of precautionary antibiotics. Of course, exactly how much a bird's appetite may be impacted by a regimen of medication depends on the particular bird and the particular medication. But I think there's a high chance that it's a factor in Robert's case.

As for blood work and what the lab and clinician should be looking for, that's a frightening question. They should do a CBC and blood chemistry panel... but in my opinion if they have to ask you what to check for that's a poor indicator that they are qualified to adequately assess the results. The specific testing parameters should be guided by the veterinarian. If he/she doesn't know what tests to request from the lab then it's not likely that he/she will have sufficient knowledge to dependably interpret the results. And therein lies an example of why it's important to have a certified avian veterinarian guiding the diagnostics for an ill bird. But I fully understand your situation and that you are confined to what's available in your area as far as veterinarians.

Having stated the above, here is a link for a breakdown of the CBC and what the related specifics mean:

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[chad84]

Printing it now and heading there.

[chad84]

Night guys. As I sit here Robert is preening my beard. And so diligently. I also stopped him from licking my nose just as my mouth as it may be dangerous. He goes through every hair on my mustache and beard. EVERY hair! It tickles so much. if I laugh he just starts over. I am taking 40 mins to write a 2 minute update.

His weight this morning was 920g. He actually ate today! He had 100 ml in the morning, 90 ml at lunch, 95 ml around 6pm and his crop is empty again. I had to force him to eat the formula though. No feeding response. just pouring it at back of throat and asking him nicely to swallow and he does. I have to do this 20 times to get 100 ml in. lol. 5 ml at a time. I love Super Robert (remember he is flying now) so much. These days on the antibiotics he vomits almost on every feeding, only about 2 ml. When I see him gagging I reach for him, hug and kiss him and let him know it will be alright.

Breaking news... I held him at the beak joint tonight and got some head pumps. But they didn't last long enough for me to feed him with head pumping. I got really excited though. Must be the extra vit A. I hope it comes back for good.

Robert is still doing his lick-tickle-preen on me.

He is sleeping throughout the night now and not waking and calling me. Seems he is feeling a little better.
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He found a spot on top of the gate that he flies to a few times for the day.
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[PlaxMacaws]

Good evening, Chad. I'm happy to hear that you and Robert are pressing forward though his issues and his treatment - because that's precisely what you have to do! Hopefully when he's through with the antibiotics he'll start feeling better on a permanent basis and his appetite will pick up. He's been through a lot for a baby bird... the poor little guy :(. So keep hanging in there (both of you). I love the pics, by the way :D

[The Pinkertons]

Hi Chad, Hope everything went well today with Roberts Doctor visit, he is certainly growing-up fast. I love his frogy pillow. Thanks for sharing. Give Baby Robert a hug for me.
:night:

[chad84]

Hey all. Today Robert weighed 935g on empty stomach in the morning after 1st poop. it has been 2 complete days in a row where he has eat 3 meals a day. Around 100 ml per meal. He eats 60 ml with no fuss then I have to force the 40 ml extra down but he doesn't put up much of a fight. He swallows it but makes a crying kind of pitiful sound. Breaks my heart. He gained 35g from 900g about 3 or 4 days ago.

Today is day 9 of 10 on antibiotics (enhancin/clavamox cocktail). His vomiting has been reduced to 1 meal a day and it's only a few drips compared to the puddle from before.

Started doing flight recall training today. I place him somewhere and call him and he flies to me. We did a 20 min session today. I would have loved to give him treats but he doesn't eat solid food yet. He flaps and flaps boy... wow. He plays all day as well. He meets lots of new people several times a week. He meets my clients and employees of my clients. He also get alot of attention from the school children in the vicinity of my office. Can't believe how he just hops onto strangers' arms and cuddles looking for TLC.

He has been active and great.
He will live!

Anxiously awaiting tomorrow morning to go to the government veterinarian and government veterinary lab. They do alot of tests there and I heard the Avian Vet (only one in the country) has a Teaching Assistant. Will be making an appointment to see her. Yiiiiippppyyyyy!!

[PlaxMacaws]

That's wonderful, Chad. You've tended to Robert's situation remarkably well considering your area limitations, and I have a feeling that you two are nearing a much smoother road :). I have to tell you that it will surely be well-deserved! Please keep us posted. We love hearing about and seeing baby Robert. His personality is endearing :D

[The Pinkertons]

Such great news...I too am Anxious to hear all about it !

[chad84]

Hi all. Robert is still doing well. Didn't get a vet visit today. Scheduled for 10am tomorrow as she was booked out today. Told her to run all the tests possible. She is asking me 'like what?' OMG. I nearly tripped. I told her x ray, CBC, cultures, just everything. Gave her a pdf full of tests to run. She said they don't like drawing blood from ill avians. I tried hard to compose myself and not to start throwing around thing in her office like a wild animal. So I am thinking, tomorrow would be quite the waste of time except I will get the x ray I have been waiting on for a while. Sucks not having access to an avian vet. She looked at him and says he looks really good. She said he is extremely active and very close to peak health.

She pointed out that Robert stood there on 1 foot and grinding his beak contently. He indeed looked like he had the perfect life. She said that unhappy/unhealthy birds stand on 1 foot and they grind beaks. She told me that his blunted choanal papillae are very pointy/sharp and are 80% regrown in just 10 days of increased multivitamin and high beta carotene intake.
I won't lie he indeed looks good.

Super Robert's constantly flying is burning calories galore. He now eats 90 ml 4 times a day... not 3 but 4! He has also become 1000% more destructive. He no longer licks stuff. He severs anything string or cord like, crushes and crunches wood he can find, destroyed all his toys and chews up everything in my man cave.

He is still having 30 ml carrot puree and 90 ml formula mixed. I give him 1 drop of multivitamin in his feed and a dash of guess what? Guess... Avi-Culture 2 probiotic. I waited till I stopped the antibiotics to introduce the probiotics.

I will be buying alcohol free milk thistle drops to sooth his liver after 2 sets of antibiotics and 1 set of anti-yeast. I really wanted to try the aloe detox as well. :(

So to recap.
He is eating 4 times a day around 90 - 120 ml but still throwing up
He is very active.
He started sleeping on 1 foot and beak grinding loud as ever (who gave him that PA system) lol
Vet doesn't seem to know much more than me (government vet)
Antibiotics are over... enter probiotics

[The Pinkertons]

Sounds to me you know more then the Vet. That's disturbing to say the least. She seems to make conflicting statement's such as = Gave her a pdf full of tests to run. She said they don't like drawing blood from ill avians. Then she says = She looked at him and says he looks really good. She said he is extremely active and very close to peak health.She pointed out that Robert stood there on 1 foot and grinding his beak contently. He indeed looked like he had the perfect life. She said that unhappy/unhealthy birds don't stand on 1 foot and they don't grind beaks. She told me that his blunted choanal papillae are very pointy/sharp and are 80% regrown in just 10 days of increased multivitamin and high beta carotene intake.

Chad with all due respect . I say, "what's the problem here," In my opinion, This Vet is not confidant in treating Exotic Avian Species. Coupled with the fact, that Doctors and Veterinarians included have a Demi God Attitude . God forbid you might know something, their inflated egos won't allow it! On a positive note, congratulation's to you for doing your homework , in that you have been diligent in providing proper nutrient dense nutrition, along with stimulating and supportive enrichment. Those have and will go a long way for a happy healthy life for your Baby Macaw Robert . Remember prevention is the best Medicine.

[PlaxMacaws]

Well Chad, I think you're doing very well. You're so clearly dedicated to Robert and his health. It's truly heartwarming!

It sounds like your requests may be a bit overwhelming to the government veterinarian. I'm unsure how else to interpret her responses. Just a thought here: the best plan may be to not put Robert through a big blood draw at this point. Especially if the vet isn't familiar with what all of the potential result levels may mean. It might end up being more stress for Robert's system than is necessary. Maybe you could just have the x-ray done and hold off on the blood testing pending some additional troubling symptoms? But you'll have to decide. There's always the perspective that it's best to try and find out for sure and to get it over with while you have an opportunity. If it turns out that the vet isn't as familiar with the figures from the lab as she should be, I suppose you can investigate them on your own. Whatever you decide, please keep updating us.

[chad84]

Look what just came in the mail for Robert. Detachable bowls with double (2) wing nuts to fasten to the cage. They are 20 oz and are 5.5 in diameter. Locks securely to pet cage to prevent spilling. Instead of resting in a loop like the usual ones, these snap into the holder securely.

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[The Pinkertons]

Look what just came in the mail for Robert. Detachable bowls with double (2) wing nuts to fasten to the cage. They are 20 oz and are 5.5 in diameter. Locks securely to pet cage to prevent spilling. Instead of resting in a loop like the usual ones, these snap into the holder securely.

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Their good, I have some and have to be careful with water. They have a strong grip.I have to hold on to the bowl otherwise I end up spilling water allover. I'm kind of clumsy though you may not have that problem. :th_smile:

[chad84]

Well Chad, I think you're doing very well. You're so clearly dedicated to Robert and his health. It's truly heartwarming!

It sounds like your requests may be a bit overwhelming to the government veterinarian. I'm unsure how else to interpret her responses. Just a thought here: the best plan may be to not put Robert through a big blood draw at this point. Especially if the vet isn't familiar with what all of the potential result levels may mean. It might end up being more stress for Robert's system than is necessary. Maybe you could just have the x-ray done and hold off on the blood testing pending some additional troubling symptoms? But you'll have to decide. There's always the perspective that it's best to try and find out for sure and to get it over with while you have an opportunity. If it turns out that the vet isn't as familiar with the figures from the lab as she should be, I suppose you can investigate them on your own. Whatever you decide, please keep updating us.

Hmmm.
I will go do the x ray tomorrow so I can see if his lungs are okay. And to see if his crop, stomach and liver are ok as well. If she gives me the x ray I will scan it for you guys to see!

[The Pinkertons]

Hmmm.
I will go do the x ray tomorrow so I can see if his lungs are okay. And to see if his crop, stomach and liver are ok as well. If she gives me the x ray I will scan it for you guys to see! Sounds Good !

[chad84]

Hi all. Essay time!

So the vet I saw today was the absolute best so far. She listened well, gave great advise and commended me on my great care for Robert.

She was extremely kind to Robert and I. She took her time and inspected Robert from head to toe. He loved her. He flew to her and jumped on top her head and preened her hair. She was amazed at how active he is and wondered why I requested to see her. And guess what? She is an Avian Veterinarian. She teaches at the School of Veterinary Medicine (government) with the Senior Avian vet. I didn't get to see the one I was previously scheduled to meet. And boy am I glad.

I explained all that was wrong with Robert. Throwing up, no appetite, refusing food, has to be force fed, diarrhea and slightly yellow urine. She did a full examination on him. After which she told me he doesn't need a blood test just yet. And she doesn't want to do an x ray yet either. I was SO DISAPPOINTED. She saw this and explained to me fully why she thinks I should not waste time and money.

I didn't tell her what the 4 other non-avian vets told me, as I wanted her to form her own opinions. And I also didn't tell her about his medical past or his current diet. I needed to get her professional advice without prior knowledge. The Avian Vet told me that there are no easily discernible signs of illness and his energy levels are off the chart. She said she noticed 10% of his papillae on the choana are very short but the rest are pointy as they should be. She noted that he is recovering from a vitamin A deficiency. She also told me that he has a calcium deficiency and showed me his beak, nails and skin. She then told me he has a fat deficiency too. She also pointed out some white specs on his choana which she said he is getting a mild case of candida due to a probable previous antibiotic treatment (she was spot on) or low immune system (spot on again). The vet said that he had good breast muscle but could get some more. She said that his weight (930g) is not too bad as he had been sick but she thinks the fledgling depleted his calories and had him in a deficit. She said the Vit A deficiency and medication usually causes the refusing of food. She said I am lucky I can still get him to open his beak and accept the food all the way to the back of the throat and he swallows it even though he isn't in the mood. She noted that the diarrhea is caused by the candida and formula being too thin. She said the urine actually looked ok but if it get darker yellow or brighter yellow, then come see her. She said almost clear, yellowish tint is normal.
By the way, he is no longer sneezing.

Solutions!
She told me to get him on a complete formula like RoudyBush, Kaytee or Zupreem (already there... lol). She said to add a carrot or sweet potato puree to the formula (been there done that!), add 1 drop of multivitamin (been there too), a sprinkle of avian probiotics (started that last night), a teaspoon of red palm oil (but she prefers coconut oil) [didn't do this], a tablespoon of yogurt (neither this), and a whole lot of love (been overdosing on this one). Oh and to give him a few drops Apple Cider Vinegar in 30 ml of water halfway between meals to reduce fungal growths.
She said this will cover Vit A deficiency, fat deficiency (and allow the solubility and absorption of Vit A), calcium deficiency, candida and give him a weight gain boost.
She gave him a Vitamin A booster injection and an Amoxycillin injection which he didn't like but got over it in like 15 secs and started back playing with her.
She also clipped his nails! No more impaling...

She said give him 1 week off all meds and use the healthy all natural foods she suggested and come see her in 1 week to discuss if he is still vomiting and has diarrhea.

[The Pinkertons]

Well Hallelujah... Now we are getting some where ! your persistence is finally paying off ! seems all is well in the universe!!!

[PlaxMacaws]

Hey, that's truly encouraging news! Everything the avian vet you've just seen has stated sounds entirely reasonable to me. You're already doing most of what she recommended, so take the steps to combat his emerging candida infection and continue with the probiotics. While use of ACV in water tends to be controversial with some folks, it is certainly anti-fungal. Many vets recommend administering it as a treatment for oral, esophageal and crop infections involving fungal pathogens, and even recommend using it preventatively.

One thing you may want to consider for Robert is getting him away from the colored, fruit-blend pellets and onto a natural pelleted diet instead. The fruity ones contain higher sugar levels and the dyes they use to color them are believed by some to pose health hazards, especially in the long-term. Harrison's, Zupreem, and Roudybush each produce natural psittacine-diet pellet options. You might want to consider getting Robert interested in one of those.

So you've done very well for Robert, Chad! Even with the scarcity of avian vets on your island you've managed to get him seen by a very good one. And that is wonderful news indeed :D. The currently improved prominence of Robert's choanal papilae are an absolute indicator that his body is producing more Vitamin A from the nourishment you're providing to him... beta-carotene ROCKS! So I would say from the sounds of it that Robert is well on his way to a full recovery :). Great work!

Please keep updating us.

[chad84]

Tonight Robert ate his first cocktail that the vet asked me to give him.
90 ml Formula
1 drop Multivitamin
1 tsp Coconut oil
1 tbsp Yogurt
1 tbsp Carrot puree
1 dash of Probiotic powder

She said between meals I should give him apple cider vinegar in about 5 ml to 30 ml of water.
Now what I want to know is, should I just mix the ACV into his formula? Or would it kill the beneficial bacteria I added?
Why I ask is because I am unsure when exactly I should give him. That will be 3 extra times I have to put a syringe in his mouth besides the 4 feeding times.

Robert ate up the 1st 60 ml and gave trouble when I had to refill the syringe. He didn't throw up tonight! not even a little bit. None at all. He seems so content. He is standing on my arm while I type this message. My my my he is heavy. But he won't let me type properly. But his intrusion is a welcome one. He is fighting with my fingers as I type. Love my Super Robert so much. Wife loves him equally.

Enter the beak grind! Very very loud. But I feel good knowing he is content.

[PlaxMacaws]

Chad: The ACV goes in Robert's drinking water. The dosage she mentioned seems quite high to me. Several years ago, when my hyacinth's fecal gram stain analysis was evaluated as containing budding yeast organisms, the vet advised me to place my bird on a regimen of ACV water at 2.5 ml of ACV per 400 ml of water (2 cups). If I were you, I would call the clinic and confirm the prescribed ratio before administering the ACV to Robert. I think 5 ml of the stuff per only 30 ml of water is an extremely high concentration of ACV. You need to double check that.

[chad84]

Hey, that's truly encouraging news! Everything the avian vet you've just seen has stated sounds entirely reasonable to me. You're already doing most of what she recommended, so take the steps to combat his emerging candida infection and continue with the probiotics. While use of ACV in water tends to be controversial with some folks, it is certainly anti-fungal. Many vets recommend administering it as a treatment for oral, esophageal and crop infections involving fungal pathogens, and even recommend using it preventatively.

One thing you may want to consider for Robert is getting him away from the colored, fruit-blend pellets and onto a natural pelleted diet instead. The fruity ones contain higher sugar levels and the dyes they use to color them are believed by some to pose health hazards, especially in the long-term. Harrison's, Zupreem, and Roudybush each produce natural psittacine-diet pellet options. You might want to consider getting Robert interested in one of those.

So you've done very well for Robert, Chad! Even with the scarcity of avian vets on your island you've managed to get him seen by a very good one. And that is wonderful news indeed :D. The currently improved prominence of Robert's choanal papilae are an absolute indicator that his body is producing more Vitamin A from the nourishment you're providing to him... beta-carotene ROCKS! So I would say from the sounds of it that Robert is well on his way to a full recovery :). Great work!

Please keep updating us.

I hear you with the pellets. But we have spent a lot of money on and with Robert. His running cost so far is about 2800 USD. We got him as a gift though. So I have said I will buy a Harrison high potency after and only after the coloured ones are finished. I wish I knew about it earlier. But being the good parronts we are, I provisioned for Robert's arrival 4 months in advance. So the pellets were here long before he came. Now that I know better I will make adjustment.

[chad84]

Chad: The ACV goes in Robert's drinking water. The dosage she mentioned seems quite high to me. Several years ago, when my hyacinth's fecal gram stain analysis was evaluated as containing budding yeast organisms, the vet advised me to place my bird on a regimen of ACV water at 2.5 ml of ACV per 400 ml of water (2 cups). If I were you, I would call the clinic and confirm the prescribed ratio before administering the ACV to Robert. I think 5 ml of the stuff per only 30 ml of water is an extremely high concentration of ACV. You need to double check that.

No plax. Lol. Not 5ml to 30ml. She said a few drops (.25 ml) to between 5 ml and 30 ml of water. How much ever he will drink. From 5ml up to 30ml but not more than 30 ml to ruin his appetite on next meal.

[PlaxMacaws]

No plax. Lol. Not 5ml to 30ml. She said a few drops (.25 ml) to between 5 ml and 30 ml of water.Ah, that's a relief! Your sentence below was a bit confusing:


She said between meals I should give him apple cider vinegar in about 5 ml to 30 ml of water.;)



How much ever he will drink. From 5ml up to 30ml but not more than 30 ml to ruin his appetite on next meal.I would go with the lower concentration of 0.25 ml of ACV per 30 ml of water. And simply allow Robert to drink as much of it as he will. He doesn't have to ingest a precise amount of the solution. It's only important that some of it gets into his system. And I'll mention again that ACV treatment is somewhat controversial among the avian caregiver community. Some avian vets won't prescribe ACV at all, while others will.


I hear you with the pellets. But we have spent a lot of money on and with Robert. His running cost so far is about 2800 USD. We got him as a gift though. So I have said I will buy a Harrison high potency after and only after the coloured ones are finished. I wish I knew about it earlier. But being the good parronts we are, I provisioned for Robert's arrival 4 months in advance. So the pellets were here long before he came. Now that I know better I will make adjustment.Understood. And one thing that I should mention further... the dyes used in the fruit-blend pellets may noticeably color a bird's feces and can bleed into the liquid urine component.

[Penny]

He is getting a great start to life!

[Camelotshadow]

Been following you elsewhere but Harrisons Hi Pot is good hi protein.
Hope he eats it. It comes in small 1 lb bags so you might want to get a bag & offer it too him also.

There is a naturally colored pellet Higgins Intune but it does have sugar & you might not be able to get it in your country.

At his age he's probably going to pick at the pellets & play with them but its good to introduce them & get him used to the taste.

[chad84]

Good morning.

I have some bittersweet news about Robert. He is currently 890g on empty stomach today. Yesterday he was throwing up everything I fed him. He played with his pellets and with his chop. Not sure if he ate any. He has been a little grumpy and sticking up under me all day yesterday and all of this morning. I am scared that he is throwing up all the time for the last 3 feedings. His symptoms for candida are white stuff in the mouth, vomiting, diarrhea and refusing to eat. He literally runs from the syringe. The new avian vet has exams and will not be available till next week. I have been giving him Apple Cider Vinegar in his food but it has no effect since he is not digesting properly and has diarrhea.

I am not vet but decided to save my baby's life last night, I started a course of antifungal since the ACV is being thrown up. Gave him 35 mg fluconazole in 20 ml of pure raw apple puree. He ate it down quickly. Last night's dosing (day 1) was a success. Then I put him to bed.

This morning I gave him 60 ml of a mix of formula, yogurt, carrot puree, multivitamin, coconut oil, ACV and probiotics. After having 30 ml he threw up all of it. Gave him the remaining 30 ml and he did the same thing. Now his crop was empty again.

I took a piece of paper and wrote down all I gave him and decided to start eliminating all that was not necessary to be in his crop/stomach right now. So I mixed 60 ml of greek yogurt, multivitamin, probiotics and apple cider vinegar. Fed it to him and he ate it. He did the throw up reflex but only 2 drops came out his beak. 5 mins later he tried again and 1 drop came up. He is now sitting on my lap grinding his beak. I sit here typing this and kissing him gently on the back of his neck reassuring him all will be ok.

I feel stressed but not too bad as day 1 of fluconazole is down and he ate the yogurt. I will feed him yogurt every 3 hours for the next 48 hrs until i know 2 days of antifungal is in him and 2 days of ACV vinegar is in him, then I will try formula again.

He is asleep now making baby noises.
I have an urgent client to go see now and i don't know what to do.

[PlaxMacaws]

Chad: While the fluconazole may be a wise move, I would consider eliminating the ACV. There are two reasons for this. First, you are assuming that Robert's candida infection is the cause of his sudden vomiting and thus doubling up on anti-fungal treatments (the ACV and the fluconazole). I don't think you should do that unless it's recommended by your avian vet. And next, ACV can cause nausea and reduce appetite when administered. Moreover, I believe you should have been providing the ACV separately in pure water instead of mixing it into the formula. ACV creates a strong, often objectionable flavor in whatever substance it is mixed with. Its presence may have ruined the enjoyment Robert had been experiencing from eating his formula, and as well caused him to become nauseous. My hyacinth macaw has been on ACV water twice since he's lived with me. He absolutely hates it and will forgo drinking water to avoid the stuff.

Please contact your vet as soon as possible and, if I were you, I would try removing the ACV element for now.

Please keep us updated.

[chad84]

Chad: While the fluconazole may be a wise move, I would consider eliminating the ACV. There are two reasons for this. First, you are assuming that Robert's candida infection is the cause of his sudden vomiting and thus doubling up on anti-fungal treatments (the ACV and the fluconazole). I don't think you should do that unless it's recommended by your avian vet. And next, ACV can cause nausea and reduce appetite when administered. Moreover, I believe you should have been providing the ACV separately in pure water instead of mixing it into the formula. ACV creates a strong, often objectionable flavor in whatever substance it is mixed with. Its presence may have ruined the enjoyment Robert had been experiencing from eating his formula, and as well caused him to become nauseous. My hyacinth macaw has been on ACV water twice since he's lived with me. He absolutely hates it and will forgo drinking water to avoid the stuff.

Please contact your vet as soon as possible and, if I were you, I would try removing the ACV element for now.

Please keep us updated.

The vomiting started before I gave him ACV. It started about 2 days ago. The yogurt is greek unflavoured. I am getting so stressed having to force feed him 4 times a day. Thats over 3 hrs a day just feeding. I am so fatigued. Both mentally and physically.

He on the other hand is so active and full of energy. Flying all over the house.

[PlaxMacaws]

The vomiting started before I gave him ACV. It started about 2 days ago. The yogurt is greek unflavoured. I am getting so stressed having to force feed him 4 times a day. Thats over 3 hrs a day just feeding. I am so fatigued. Both mentally and physically.

He on the other hand is so active and full of energy. Flying all over the house.If I'm not mistaken, Robert's vomiting had not been this severe prior to your recent mixture changes. Is this correct? Again, ACV can cause nausea and appetite issues. I have experienced this very thing. It's generally not a good idea to give two separate treatments for the same pathogen (unless instructed otherwise by a qualified professional). It remains my suspicion that the ACV in Robert's formula may be deterring his appetite and exacerbating his instances of vomiting.

Please consider a trial run of your formula mixture without the ACV. It may take a few feedings to notice much improvement. That's what I would do, at least. And by all means, contact you avian vet as soon as you can!

[PlaxMacaws]

By the way, just to confirm, the fluconazole was prescribed by your avian vet in dosages of 35 mg, correct?

[chad84]

If I'm not mistaken, Robert's vomiting had not been this severe prior to your recent mixture changes. Is this correct? Again, ACV can cause nausea and appetite issues. I have experienced this very thing. It's generally not a good idea to give two separate treatments for the same pathogen (unless instructed otherwise by a qualified professional). It remains my suspicion that the ACV in Robert's formula may be deterring his appetite and exacerbating his instances of vomiting.

Please consider a trial run of your formula mixture without the ACV. It may take a few feedings to notice much improvement. That's what I would do, at least. And by all means, contact you avian vet as soon as you can!

OK. I am gonna omit the yogurt and ACV completely and just feed him formula, carrot puree and probiotics. Should I leave out coconut oil and multivitamin?

No vet can be seen right now. The right dosage is 20mg a day. But I bought an inferior brand as I don't have a prescription. I am gonna lower the dosage to 20 mg tonight.

[PlaxMacaws]

OK. I am gonna omit the yogurt and ACV completely and just feed him formula, carrot puree and probiotics. Should I leave out coconut oil and multivitamin?

No vet can be seen right now. The right dosage is 20mg a day. But I bought an inferior brand as I don't have a prescription. I am gonna lower the dosage to 20 mg tonight.I hope your fluconazole is of proper quality. It's a commonly used anti-fungal medication but its dosage and quality are quite important. Treatments can have negative effect upon the liver if done improperly.

I don't think there's any reason to omit the coconut oil (it's very good for increasing essential fats). If the multivitamins were prescribed/recommended by your avian vet, continue with them. What is in Robert's formula as far as protein? He needs a substantial source of protein to nourish his muscles.

[chad84]

I hope your fluconazole is of proper quality. It's a commonly used anti-fungal medication but its dosage and quality are quite important. Treatments can have negative effect upon the liver if done improperly.

I don't think there's any reason to omit the coconut oil (it's very good for increasing essential fats). If the multivitamins were prescribed/recommended by your avian vet, continue with them. What is in Robert's formula as far as protein? He needs a substantial source of protein to nourish his muscles.

Plax thank you taking time to spend with me. I appreciate that.

Protein 19%
Fat 13%
Fibre 5%

[PlaxMacaws]

Plax thank you taking time to spend with me. I appreciate that.

Protein 19%
Fat 13%
Fibre 5%You're welcome. I care very much about Robert and his health.

When you next speak with your avian vet, please ask her if the protein level you've cited is sufficient, given Robert's complications and his fledgling status. If she feels the protein level should be increased, find out what her recommendation in that regard might be and accommodate it.

[chad84]

You're welcome. I care very much about Robert and his health.

When you next speak with your avian vet, please ask her if the protein level you've cited is sufficient, given Robert's complications and his fledgling status. If she feels the protein level should be increased, find out what her recommendation in that regard might be and accommodate it.

I find that none of these vets take my birds health seriously. *sigh*
He is angry right now because I have locked him in his cage. He is doing much damage outside and he is also not well so I prefer if he is in his cage. He is active and still not looking sick.

[PlaxMacaws]

I find that none of these vets take my birds health seriously. *sigh*
He is angry right now because I have locked him in his cage. He is doing much damage outside and he is also not well so I prefer if he is in his cage. He is active and still not looking sick.Poor Robert :(. I hope that his subsequent feedings -minus the ACV- will begin to improve upon his appetite and food retention. For what it's worth, vets are often the same here.

[chad84]

Robert just had his 2nd dose of fluconazole. I waited until he was really hungry and hid it in 20 ml of apple puree. he didn't notice it. And so far he hasn't gone the gag reflex or thrown up. Will feed him 1 hr after that.

[PlaxMacaws]

Robert just had his 2nd dose of fluconazole. I waited until he was really hungry and hid it in 20 ml of apple puree. he didn't notice it. And so far he hasn't gone the gag reflex or thrown up. Will feed him 1 hr after that.Hopefully things will go better. Keep us posted.

[chad84]

He just ate 90 ml of formula, coconut oil, carrot puree, multivitamin and probiotics. Left out Yogurt. He didn't have a gag reflex or vomit. He gave me hell to eat it though. he bit me 3 times really hard for the first time in the 2 month I have had him. When he bit me the first time, I was looking for my finger on the floor, couldn't believe it was still attached. I screamed. When I looked at Robert, before I could say anything, he said 'helloooooo', as if mocking me.

I forgave him, finished feeding him and kissed him up. Cried a little letting him know I can't lose him and will always give him best care possible. Finger throbbing with pain. He tore the skin off but not deep enough to draw blood.

His mouth doesn't smell like mold as strongly as it smelt 2 days ago. Smelt like moldy cheese. Tonight it barely smells. He is flying around alot and he plays this game where he comes in to land on me and when I reach for him he passes me and circles around the house again. he gets really tired from that game.

Just happy to see his energy levels high.
He aite 60 ml x 2 yogurt, 60 ml formula, 90 ml formula.
I feel like he hates me because I force feed him 4 times a day. And he bit me. Made me sad. He doesn't wanna eat. Happy his crop isn't a crater. It is a nice little rise above his chest. Gonna rub his head and kiss him till he falls alseep and then put him to bed. Right now he is watching TV shows with me.

[PlaxMacaws]

When I looked at Robert, before I could say anything, he said 'helloooooo', as if mocking me.Haha, that reminds me of my own GW, Salsa. I have this pair of reading glasses that he hates. The other day I walked up to him while he was hanging out on top of his cage. Sals lunged forward, grabbed the glasses by their nose bridge, ripped them off of my face and hurled them onto the floor. I stepped up on a nearby foot stool to become eye level with him so I could tell him his action wasn't very nice. Before I could get a word out he looked me squarely in the eye and said in his most sarcastic tone, "how are you?" (He put an extreme upward inflection on the ending syllable.) I broke out in laughter... so Salsa escaped my planned admonishment session ;)

I'm sorry that Robert is not happy about being forced to eat. But at least you're getting food into him. Hopefully he'll start feeling better and things will improve. As for Robert biting you, it's not hard for me to imagine how he harbors some temporary resentment for being forced against his will. They really can't understand why they need to eat, and when they don't feel like eating it's a rough deal. Simply stated, when you have a macaw you should expect to be bitten occasionally. That's really true for most parrot species.

Keep up the good work!

[The Pinkertons]

Welcome to Parronthood!

[kendrafitz]

You are doing a wonderful job.

Sounds to me like the bite was just him being mad at the moment. When he bites, don't pull away. Open his beak with your hand. Tony has a good description of how to do this somewhere. Hopefully he will put a link up for you. If you pull your hand (or whatever body part) out of their beak it can cause more damage. By opening their beak you can remove yourself without too much damage. You probably need to start working on bite pressure training with him as well. :)

Sounds like he realized he hurt you and was trying to lighten the mood. My experience with GWs is they are loving, silly parrots. Like Salsa, Rosie will be silly/funny after being naughty. She also will say "sssssh" and kiss me if she pinches too hard and I act hurt. (If she is hurt from me getting a sore pin feather while preening I tell her, "Shhh, it's ok. I'm sorry." Kissing her the whole time. So she now does the same to me.) It is just amazing on how smart/empathetic these creatures can be.

Robert doesn't hate you for feeding him. Just like a toddler he was angry that you were making him do something he didn't want to. He had a tantrum and then forgot about it. You are his Daddy, you take awesome care of him and he loves you and is bonded to you. He is one lucky little red guy!!!

[chad84]

Goodnight guys. Tonight will be short and sweet. Very tired. Long day of seeing clients and rushing home every 3hrs to feed Robert.

He ate 60 ml x 5 times today! 300 ml! He threw up on 1st 2 feedings and didn't on 3rd and 4th. But he gave me hell. 5th and final feeding was 2 mns ago. I fed him in 30 secs. Yup you heard me. Instead of 45 min feedings. I forced his mouth open while kissing him and singing to him, then I placed pointed tip of syringe at back of his throat and squeezed. The formula disappeared. I squeezed harder and all 60 ml disappeared. No tantrum tonight.

Now he on desk watching movies with me and grind that beak loud as ever.
He was extremely active today for his times out of the cage. He navigated like a boss. Turning corners, entering rooms and hovering... kinda.

Day 3 of fluconazole and day 2 of ACV. Mouth doesn't smell sour anymore. Has no scent.

[The Pinkertons]

Goodnight guys. Tonight will be short and sweet. Very tired. Long day of seeing clients and rushing home every 3hrs to feed Robert.

He ate 60 ml x 5 times today! 300 ml! He threw up on 1st 2 feedings and didn't on 3rd and 4th. But he gave me hell. 5th and final feeding was 2 mns ago. I fed him in 30 secs. Yup you heard me. Instead of 45 min feedings. I forced his mouth open while kissing him and singing to him, then I placed pointed tip of syringe at back of his throat and squeezed. The formula disappeared. I squeezed harder and all 60 ml disappeared. No tantrum tonight.

Now he on desk watching movies with me and grind that beak loud as ever.
He was extremely active today for his times out of the cage. He navigated like a boss. Turning corners, entering rooms and hovering... kinda.

Day 3 of fluconazole and day 2 of ACV. Mouth doesn't smell sour anymore. Has no scent.:goodjob::goodnight:

[chad84]

Goodnight friends...

Time for update on Super Robert! (he used to walk but now he flies... Super!)
I have got alot of pictures for my mates. Can't send all now though, but they are colourful. Will send more tomorrow.

Tomorrow is the vet visit with the Avian vet. She is extremely hard to meet with, just like her Avian vet mentor. But I managed to snag a visit for tomorrow (Tuesday 10 May 16). We have a x ray scheduled and I hope she will draw some blood for a blood test and test for all kinds of stuff.

For the last 4 days Robert has eaten 100 ml 3 times a day. I make it a little thick like porridge instead of watery like he likes it. Reason for that is to sneak in some extra food. So instead of 1 spoon of dry formula to make 100 ml, I used 2! Twice the food, twice the nutrition! So instead of his 3 spoons a day, he gets 6 spoons a day. Lol. Because of that, he moved from 870g on last Tuesday 03 May 16 to 915g on Monday 09 May 16 (today). I doubled the carrot puree too. I think the weight gain is because of the teaspoon of coconut oil (plenty fat) and the double amount of protein (2 spoons instead of 1). 45g increase in 1 week after a slow decline from 1050g to 870g over 4 weeks.

On the other side of things. I am not sure, but I think the candida is getting worse (could just be in my mind). His faeces portion of the poop is completely liquid now and he regurgitates (not vomits, i made a mistake before) after every feeding, sometimes during each filling of the syringe. That stresses me alot. He starts bobbing his head and then the formula pours out. I tried stopping him by tilting his head up a few times but it seems dangerous as I hear a 'gurgling' sound as if he is trying to breathe. So I stopped interrupting his regurgitation. I try talking to him lovingly and kissing him and 75% of the time it stops him.

He sneezes a few times for the day but nothing major. He started back panting intermittently as rest. I sometimes think he was flying and I didn't see him. But he never wakes up panting.

These days he is just playing with his veggies and pellets. I saw him putting them in his water but he can never get them out of the water.
He is flying up a storm. He flies several times for the day. Flying all around the house and has started doing precision landings. He even flies to walls, stops mid air, hovers a bit and then turns around and flies away.

Prepared a fresh batch of veggies, grains and almonds for him for next 14 - 21 days, depends on how much he eats (or plays with it). Newest batch below.

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[PlaxMacaws]

Please stress the current state of Robert's symptoms and your related observations to the vet during your visit tomorrow - I'm sure you will. Let us know what she says, what tests she performs, and what treatment modifications she makes.

[chad84]

Hey guys.
Went to vet yesterday but she said the clinic was closed of this week. She said it was an emergency shut-down. she still looked at Robert for a minute and said he is active and bright and looking well. I managed to ask for her private number and she said no. Too many guys are talking to her inappropriately and other people send her 20 photos a day about their rabbit. So she doesn't wanna take any more risks. That was totally understandable. I told her I would check back next week and started packing up to leave. The I told her it's hard to come to clinic to set an appointment and then come back another time to see her. and when I come to set appointment, i still have to WAIT to set it. She said if I promise not to abuse the privilege she would give me her personal number for setting appointments and HOUSE CALLS! Didn't know she did those. I promised and we exchanged numbers. Told her I was married and she doesn't have to look forward to any inappropriate conversations.

So in the end of the brief meeting she told me she would do a faecal analysis to check for parasites, fungus and bacteria AND a x ray to check for blockages and tissue damage sometime next week. I am going to ask the other vet I met before her to do the same thing and compare their notes.

Last night I was really tired and I decided to retire early. My wife left Robert out sleeping on my worked desk. when I awoke this morning, oh the carnage! Destroyed my mouse, speakers, poop was everywhere. he went to town on the monitor. When I woke up and called for him, he screamed in shame and tried to hide. I reached out to touch him and he flew all over the house screaming out. I fed him, kissed him up and put him on the gate to dry off after I cleaned him up.

Below are the most recent pics of him.
Today he is 16 weeks old! Can't believe that months have passed already.

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[PlaxMacaws]

Robert is indeed looking well (perhaps a bit thin, but well)! Thanks for sharing his photos with us :)

I'm glad you were able to get direct contact information from your new avian vet. Please let us know what the fecal and x-ray assessments reveal.

[chad84]

Hi all.
I bring you sad news.
Robert flew away from me at 7:30am this morning at the clinic. He landed on a 36,000 volt power line. It's 1:10pm, that's almost 6hrs he is sitting there in the hut sun with no water or food. I haven't moved. I am writing this in the open by the highway waiting for him to fly down. He is at the back of the vet office.

The electricity company said they cannot shut off the current for a bird. So the vet said he might get weak and fall. So I am here with him crying, he is crying too. Keep me in your prayers.

[plax]

OH NO!!! I am SO very sorry! Your news is horribly devastating and I can't imagine your heartache, Chad :'(. Please wait for him... he may eventually come down (before it's too late). I realize that's only a possibility but it can happen. He may also fly to another location... hopefully if he does so he will fly to a safer and perhaps more accessible place. If he does in fact fall, hopefully his fall may be broken by something such as foliage that can absorb the impact. Please keep us informed. Again, I am so, so sorry for you and Robert :(

[Lady]

Oh my goodness, what sad news. My prayers are with you both. I will pray daily till I hear he is safe with you again!

[chad84]

I have Robert back safely in my care. He has sunburn and he is dehydrated. Gave him pedialyte and he fell asleep immediately after. Thank you for your prayers and well wishes. Will update you later when I get to speak to the vet.

[plax]

I have Robert back safely in my care. He has sunburn and he is dehydrated. Gave him pedialyte and he fell asleep immediately after. Thank you for your prayers and well wishes. Will update you later when I get to speak to the vet.It's an ENORMOUS relief to know that Robert is back with you! :pinkgrin: I've been very worried about him and what may have happened after your last incredibly disturbing report. I'm sure you will fill us in when you get a chance. Pedialyte is certainly the thing to use for hydration. Hopefully Robert's sunburn isn't too severe. We'll be here looking forward to your updates. Thanks so much for reporting back!

[chad84]

Hi guys exhausted after 25 hrs of continuous calling, blazing caribbean sun, looking up and standing up. But it was well worth. Had a couple hours sleep and so did Robert.
We gave him 60 ml pedialyte with a quarter tsp of glucose twice (x2) about 3 hrs apart. Then this evening we made 60 ml of very thin formula mixed with 30 ml of pedialyte. He will have 1 more meal of formula and pedialyte then return gradually to thicker formula until we reach desired thickness.

Robert, after having pedialyte and glucose cocktail, became very active. He didn't want to drink the pedialyte. He complained and protested. I prepared the formula and something amazing happened. He started moving his head up and down slowly (begging) and then as soon as the food touched his tongue he bobbed his head so violently (feeding response) I could not keep the syringe in his beak. Was so relieved that his feeding response returned! He ate 90 ml of the pedialyte/formula mix and begged for more.

Two important things to note is that Robert did the feeding response AND he didn't regurgitate... not even 1 drop fell from his mouth! I have been struggling with those 2 for weeks.

Since then he is happily playing with us and back to his old destructive self walking around the house causing much damage.

The law of our country states that it is illegal to clip/cut/trim the wings of any Avian (especially parrots). I bought a travel carrier and an aviator harness for carrying my baby around.

So relieved he is back with us. Thank you again for your prayers and well wishes.

Below are pictures of some of the spots he went to during his 25 hr long trip.

This is where he landed when he first flew away. 70 ft tall 33,000 Volts.
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Close up
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The tallest object in the area he flew to. A cell phone tower. 100 ft tall. My wife and I climbed to the very top of the tower. We could not reach him at the last 10 feet as the antenna itself could not be climbed.
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Close up.
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On the roof top where the cell tower was anchored. We put his toys to entice him to come down.
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Another high power wire he flew to after the roof top. 12,000 volts.
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[plax]

Hi Chad. Your news about Robert is wonderful. Things could have turned out very differently... but thankfully they did not. I'm truly happy for that :)

It's great to hear Robert is engaging his feeding response again and that he's not purging any matter from his feeding sessions. It's clear that he's been a bit of work and consumed a bit of time for you and your wife. As you've indicated, though, he's well worth it! :D

How did you finally get Robert to come down? I'd be interested to know what ultimately led to the access to him that you required. His toys perhaps?

The law in your country about wing clipping is interesting. You'll of course need to take special care so this never happens again (which you obviously realize). The carrier and the harness are a great start.

Your photos are remarkable, by the way! Thanks for sharing them with us. I would think the next step will be for each of you to replenish with additional rest. Please keep us posted as you're able.

[The Pinkertons]

I have Robert back safely in my care. He has sunburn and he is dehydrated. Gave him pedialyte and he fell asleep immediately after. Thank you for your prayers and well wishes. Will update you later when I get to speak to the vet. That was a close call. I can imagine the state of panic you must have been in. Please tell us about how you were able capture him. Take Care, I'm relieved he's back to safety.

[Lady]

Thank You God! I'm so very happy everyone is safe and home. What a truly wonderful ending to a long long ordeal.

[chad84]

Goodnight all.

Still could not see my vet as she is busy. So I found yet another vet to go to, not an avian vet though. He was kind to Robert and me. he checked Robert from head to tail. He commented on Robert's prime condition and great health!

I told him about my every concern. 900g weight with now weight gain, diarrhea ( mostly gone now), regurgitation, no feeding response and sunburn. He said sunburn will be gone in a few days and no feeding response is normal sometimes when the bird is tired of eat the same boring formula or is ill. He looked at Robert's poop and said it's actually very good. The yellow tinted urine is also gone. He said the yellow was due to the colour of a food additive that leeched from the faeces to the urine and now diarrhea is gone the yellow is gone too. Now the regurgitation, he tested Robert's faeces and did a throat swab and many other tests. he said Robert has candida positive in all tests and a single strain of bacteria due to antibiotics killing out the all bacteria and probiotics adding back only 1 type.

So his advice for regurgitation was, use Diflucan for 7 - 14 days at 20 mg a day for 7 days or every other day for 14 days. He also said use apple cider vinegar in water on empty stomach between meals. He said to increase Robert's complete darkness resting time and change Robert's formula from Kaytee exact baby macaw formula to Harrisson's Juvenile hand feed formula & add various fruits and vegetables to it to change the taste of the formula regularly.

To recap.
-longer dark hours
-ACV
-new formula
-diflucan

This should solve the regurgitation and weight gain issues.

Which formula is better, Harrisson's or Roudybush for my Green wing macaw?

[PlaxMacaws]

Which formula is better, Harrisson's or Roudybush for my Green wing macaw?Hi Chad. Hopefully your new vet is on track. With the exception of Harrison's, I believe that all of the major baby bird formulas contain Menadione (including Roudybush - unless things have changed). Menadione is a source of Vitamin K activity and has been shown in some animal studies to promote liver cancer. Therefore, to be safe, I would acquire Harrison's formula for Robert (if possible).

I continue to hope the best for Robert and yourself. Keep us updated.

[chad84]

My birdie is now 17 weeks old. Robert is active as ever, flying all over the house and perching on everything you can imagine. And that beak! Oh wow! Such destruction and strength.
We love Robert so much. He has become a little more demanding and quarrels when we stop rubbing his head. We have started putting him to bed earlier now too.
He seems so content. Grinds that beak morning, noon and night. He mumbles all day as well. At 32 years old, I couldn't ask for a better pet... ahem... buddy.

He has been on Diflucan for 2 days and will be getting his day 3 dose later this evening. He is having 120 ml of formula 3x a day now instead of 4. He gets apple cider vinegar in 20 ml of water 3 times a day 30 mins before formula. I give him Diflucan mixed with 20 ml of apple puree, once per day, 30 mins after apple cider vinegar and then I wait 30 mins before I give him his final evening formula.

I give him pure formula and probiotics for now with nothing else to minimise regurgitation.

We came home today and I was so tired from all the running around to get veggies and stuff for Robert, I said let me lay down for 5 mins and fell asleep. My wife came looking for Robert and I and couldn't find us. When she check the bedroom she saw Robert sitting on my chest as if he was waiting for me to awaken.

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Purchased some new goodies for Robert. Bought the training perches from Parrot Wizard (Michael Sazhin). Also tested the flight harness. Allowed Robert to play with it and he let me put it on him with ease. Also bought a book about parrots.

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[PlaxMacaws]

Sounds absolutely wonderful, Chad. Thanks for the update :)

[The Pinkertons]

How sweet ,happy you got him back safely . Moving right along , your lucky Robert is cooperative with the harness.

[chad84]

Good morning.

Robert only eats (plays with!) his veggies, fruits and pellets when he is in his cage during the day while we work.
How do I get him to eat them when he is out of his cage and on his perches or roaming the house?

[PlaxMacaws]

Good morning.

Robert only eats (plays with!) his veggies, fruits and pellets when he is in his cage during the day while we work.
How do I get him to eat them when he is out of his cage and on his perches or roaming the house?If there are any solid foods that he will actually eat, start with those. I would try playing with him using the food items (as if they were toys). Make a game out of it to pique his interest and engage his participation. And whenever he's out and about playing near you, you might try showing him that you enjoy eating the food items, yourself. And be sure that you are persistent! Unfortunately, even with much effort it can be difficult to convince a bird to try new foods, regardless of its age. Typically, they must convince themselves.

[Lady]

Have you tried putting him on his perch and near the dinner table when you sit down to eat? Lady enjoys eating with us. She has her own spot on my plate when I come in to her area and have something I can share with her.

[kendrafitz]

It may help if he sees you eating it and you "share" with him. :)

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[chad84]

Today took Super Robert flying in one of our savannahs. He flew till end of harness and kept flying as if he didn't know he was suspended. He flew for 20 mins. When we put him back in the car he was just crunching/grinding his beak very LOUD all the way home after the flight.

Feast your eyes.

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[PlaxMacaws]

Ah, it's nice to see Super Robert safely out in the open :). He obviously gets plenty of exercise and fresh air. Very nice photos... thanks for sharing!

[chad84]

Hiya friends,

So my Robbie Bear had a slow crop yesterday (probably candida) and took about 10 hrs to empty when 6 hrs are usually enough. I watch Robert so closely and keenly everytime I enter his personal space. The regurgitation is also making it difficult to medicate him properly.

Last night I said if he can't sleep I won't either, because he was very restless. His crop was empty at about 1am. I gave him 30 ml of water with 4 drops apple cider vinegar to rinse out his crop. He tried about 6 times to bring it up.As he lay on my chest, I held his head up by propping it against my chin while we took in a movie on Netflix. In 50 mins the 30 ml was out of crop and a watery mess of poop was everywhere. Crop felt flat and nice. His breath was increasingly sour, either candida or ACV. Gave him some very watery formula and put Diflucan in it. I had to take matters into my own hands as the vets don't seem to have a clue. And the "your bird is ok and looking great" bull**** isn't cutting it with me anymore.

I figured Robert could do with a change of taste in his mouth in the morning. As I woke up, at 5:45am, I realised that he had regurgitated in the night and he did it again in front of me. He looked very unhappy. He didn't beg for food. I figured as much. He flew and flew and flew and FLEW. I let him. I decided I will take 2 days off from work starting today to ensure my buddy is on his way to recovery. Screw everything else! A life is at stake! Dropped the wife off to work and came back home at 10am. He begged to get out of cage and flew on me and started begging. I waited for his poop to confirm no food was in his body. Yep. Green colour, slimy, tiny poop with alot of water.

He was ready. Ready for Harrison's Juvenile Hand Feeding Formula!!! I did not gradually give it to him as advised by the reps (you evil evil man, chad84). I mixed pure Harrison's and gave it to him. Only gave him 60 ml (1 syringe) to gauge how fast it leaves his crop (60 ml usually takes 3 hrs). I REALLY LOVE my first impressions.

1) Powder is extremely fine.
2) Smells fantastic (I felt like making a glass for me!)
3) Tastes great (Yes I ate some. I always eat anything I will be feeding my bird)
4) Mixed very well (I made it very thin as it was the first time he will be eating it, but within 2 mins, the formula became very thick. I was pleasantly surprised because it means it will last longer)
5) He liked it (Don't get me wrong he still gave trouble to eat, just less trouble, way less)
6) He didn't gag or REGURGITATE (fingers crossed)
7) Doesn't run out of his mouth like a waterfall. It is very slimy too, it goes down easy and almost no drips. And when he shakes his head it doesn't fly everywhere.
8) Very very very easy to clean up wet or dry. When dry it simply wipes off almost like a powder. And was super easy to wash feeding utensils too.


The Kaytee is course and a little hard to mix but I found my ways. Didn't smell too great. Robert got fedup of the taste I think, especially how he is close to weaning. He always regurgitates and he makes quite the mess with drips and formula flung everywhere. Don't have these issues with Harrison's. Not too mention how hard the feeding utensils are to clean because of the greasy mess Kaytee leaves behind. I always have to sponge bathe Robert when feeding Kaytee. I had no clean up to do on Robert with Harrison's!

Stay tuned friends. We will be back with more updates.

[PlaxMacaws]

I'm glad to learn that you purchased the Harrison's baby formula instead of the Roudybush. The Menadione content in Roudybush (and many other bird foods) concerns me. I've used Harrison's baby formula for Zaf due to a weight loss situation and I'm convinced it's a good product.

As I've mentioned previously, I have reservations concerning the use of ACV. There are two reasons for this. One of them is that there's a level of controversy about its effectiveness upon fungal infections. Please note, however, that I neither have evidence nor an opinion about the effectiveness of ACV upon a candida infection. I'm merely mentioning that its use is controversial among certain folks. But the other reason that puts me off from ACV treatments is as follows: I have proven to myself that ACV can nauseate a bird and diminish its appetite. That's what it does to my Hyacinth, Zaf. So you may accept my opinion for what its worth to you and Robert, or not.

Lastly, I think your dedication as a macaw father has been absolutely remarkable! You're exceptionally committed to Robert and his health and you clearly love him unconditionally. I find those attributes beyond commendable! Keep it up :D

[chad84]

I'm glad to learn that you purchased the Harrison's baby formula instead of the Roudybush. The Menadione content in Roudybush (and many other bird foods) concerns me. I've used Harrison's baby formula for Zaf due to a weight loss situation and I'm convinced it's a good product.

As I've mentioned previously, I have reservations concerning the use of ACV. There are two reasons for this. One of them is that there's a level of controversy about its effectiveness upon fungal infections. Please note, however, that I neither have evidence nor an opinion about the effectiveness of ACV upon a candida infection. I'm merely mentioning that its use is controversial among certain folks. But the other reason that puts me off from ACV treatments is as follows: I have proven to myself that ACV can nauseate a bird and diminish its appetite. That's what it does to my Hyacinth, Zaf. So you may accept my opinion for what its worth to you and Robert, or not.

Lastly, I think your dedication as a macaw father has been absolutely remarkable! You're exceptionally committed to Robert and his health and you clearly love him unconditionally. I find those attributes beyond commendable! Keep it up :D

What weightloss situation Zaf had? How did Harrison's help?

[PlaxMacaws]

What weightloss situation Zaf had? How did Harrison's help?I've replied to you via PM.

[chad84]

Hey all.

Update on the Harrison's: I love this stuff. Robert digests it quicker than the Kaytee. It's kinda slimy and goes down so easily and smoothly. I didn't have to mix the 2 to get him aclimatised. He simply ate it and never looked back. 3 hours after his first feeding of Harrison's and his poop went from soft/water faeces to completely tubular and firm. It smells great and has an amazing consistency.


These poops are his normal Kaytee formula poops. He has the watery and then soft and back to watery. Never firm.
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2 hrs using Harrison's formula
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36 hrs using Harrison's formula
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The photos speak for themselves. "Diarrhea be gone!" - Harrison's

[Penny]

I'm glad he's doing better with the new food. You have been doing a great job with him!

[chad84]

Hey buds.

On Wednesday I was gonna see a previous vet that did some faecal testing for me but was confused about the results saying that he saw a minute amount of candida and a pretty uniform set of bacteria which he found weird. 2 weeks later (Wednesday) I went to see his partner (another vet) for more testing on Robert when I met a guy who knew a vet that worked on racing pigeons. He is a normal vet but has LOADS of experience with PIGEONS! The guy who told me about the vet set he is well versed with pigeons and he cures all of the racing pigeon diseases... pigeons are BIRDS. I cancelled my appointment immediately and got his number and travelled across my country to see him.

Met him and he immediately inspected Robert carefully. No testing just a lengthy physical. He noticed some nasal debris and some other stuff and gave me 2 sets of pills, 1 for inflammation (7 pills) and 1 for respiratory infection (4 pills to cut in half). He also gave Robert a Vitamin A injection and an anti-inflammatory injection. 2 days later, Robert's constant sneezing has minimised and he ins't digging nose as much. he told me the regurgitation will subside a bit on the new Harrison's formula and it indeed went down to a very minimum. He says see him in a week after all the medication is done.

On a more cheerful note, he are some of Roberts old toys and a couple of his new ones I just bought. He loves that stuffed frog! On top of the cupboards is his favourite place. he cries when we ask him to come down.

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[PlaxMacaws]

Best of luck with the new vet. So what are those medications? If he didn't tell you, you should probably ask. Nice photos of Robert with his toys :D

[chad84]

Here are my current concerns.

1) Robert has NO appetite. He gets hungry, begs for food by honking and doing wing flip. But once the syringe or spoon is at his beak he tries to run away or he just squeezes his beak shut. I don't know how to get him to eat his formula. Formula is fed at 108 - 110f. I literally have to squeeze the formula down the back of his throat. All the while he is kicking and fighting and complaining. I hate forcing it down. Don't know why he isn't interested in eating anything. Not formula, not veggies, not fruits, just nothing. He plays with his veggies breaking them up into tiny pieces but I haven't noticed any being eaten.

2) He regurgitates during and after feeding formula. He Sometimes up to 3 hours after feeding him formula he will regurgitate. He starts gagging and then up comes the formula. If I watch him after I feed him and play with him he doesn't regurgitate for maybe 2hrs after feeding. But if I put him on his perch or in his cage, he will bring up like 5 - 15 ml just like that.

3) He has lost a good bit of weight. He went down to 860 g from 1050 g but is now at 885 g and SLOWLY climbing.

4) He used to sneeze alot and dig his nose with his claw all the time. But he had a mild antibiotic for 4 days and he sneezes like 3 times a day but doesn't dig his nose anymore.

[PlaxMacaws]

Here are my current concerns.

1) Robert has NO appetite. He gets hungry, begs for food by honking and doing wing flip. But once the syringe or spoon is at his beak he tries to run away or he just squeezes his beak shut. I don't know how to get him to eat his formula. Formula is fed at 108 - 110f. I literally have to squeeze the formula down the back of his throat. All the while he is kicking and fighting and complaining. I hate forcing it down. Don't know why he isn't interested in eating anything. Not formula, not veggies, not fruits, just nothing. He plays with his veggies breaking them up into tiny pieces but I haven't noticed any being eaten.

2) He regurgitates during and after feeding formula. He Sometimes up to 3 hours after feeding him formula he will regurgitate. He starts gagging and then up comes the formula. If I watch him after I feed him and play with him he doesn't regurgitate for maybe 2hrs after feeding. But if I put him on his perch or in his cage, he will bring up like 5 - 15 ml just like that.

3) He has lost a good bit of weight. He went down to 860 g from 1050 g but is now at 885 g and SLOWLY climbing.

4) He used to sneeze alot and dig his nose with his claw all the time. But he had a mild antibiotic for 4 days and he sneezes like 3 times a day but doesn't dig his nose anymore.Chad: I have just replied via PM concerning Robert's situation. I think you need to approach one or more of your vets about having samples taken for a lab culture and sensitivity assessment. Doing so can conclusively identify the pathogens and reveal which medications may be most effective against them. I also believe that you need to confirm that your treatment durations are not too short. I'm no vet, but I know that some of these medications may require 30 days or more of use to eradicate the involved pathogens. Please check on these things as soon as possible! And please keep us informed.

[chad84]

Chad: I have just replied via PM concerning Robert's situation. I think you need to approach one or more of your vets about having samples taken for a lab culture and sensitivity assessment. Doing so can conclusively identify the pathogens and reveal which medications may be most effective against them. I also believe that you need to confirm that your treatment durations are not too short. I'm no vet, but I know that some of these medications may require 30 days or more of use to eradicate the involved pathogens. Please check on these things as soon as possible! And please keep us informed.

I have to wait till after the 10th of June to see the vet that works with the avian vet. So no assessments until then.

Robert didn't eat a single thing for the day. He drank some water and that was it. When I made the yummy noises he came over and took the food from my hand but he didn't know what to do with it. he also took some food from the bowl but just moved it around in his beak but no swallowing was done. No food entered his stomach for 24 hrs now. So sad that he doesn't want the syringe but he doesn't wanna eat either. Offered his chop, whole grain penne and water. I just wanna cry right now.

[PlaxMacaws]

I have to wait till after the 10th of June to see the vet that works with the avian vet. So no assessments until then.

Robert didn't eat a single thing for the day. He drank some water and that was it. When I made the yummy noises he came over and took the food from my hand but he didn't know what to do with it. he also took some food from the bowl but just moved it around in his beak but no swallowing was done. No food entered his stomach for 24 hrs now. So sad that he doesn't want the syringe but he doesn't wanna eat either. Offered his chop, whole grain penne and water. I just wanna cry right now.Chad: have you tried using the syringe to squirt some formula or prepared mash into his lower mandible (under his tongue) to see if that might inspire him to swallow bits of it?

[chad84]

Chad: have you tried using the syringe to squirt some formula or prepared mash into his lower mandible (under his tongue) to see if that might inspire him to swallow bits of it?

He doesn't like the syringe. He runs from it. My wife just warmed some greek yogurt and he ate like .5 ml of it. 1st from from my finger then from a small bowl. He didn't want anymore after like 2 mins. I think he doesn't know how to swallow food.

[PlaxMacaws]

He doesn't like the syringe. He runs from it. My wife just warmed some greek yogurt and he ate like .5 ml of it. 1st from from my finger then from a small bowl. He didn't want anymore after like 2 mins. I think he doesn't know how to swallow food.What does he do if you put soft food in his lower mandible? I mean small amounts and by any means. Does he push it all out with his tongue?

[chad84]

What does he do if you put soft food in his lower mandible? I mean small amounts and by any means. Does he push it all out with his tongue?

Just made some gloop and will try to feed it to him.
I used:
Bananas, broccoli, carrots, corn, lentils, oats, quinoa.

Will update you in 10 mins.

[PlaxMacaws]

Just made some gloop and will try to feed it to him.
I used:
Bananas, broccoli, carrots, corn, lentils, oats, quinoa.

Will update you in 10 mins.So what happened?

[Lady]

:bump3:

[chad84]

So what happened?

I fed him the gloop this morning and he ate 2 full tablespoons and didn't anymore. I was so relieved he ate so I didn't force him. An hour later the wife and I kissed him up and he begged for food again. I decided to make some Harrison's formula and offer him the syringe and see if he would like it. He didn't open up and my heart sank. But I opened his beak gently and he gave a feeding response and ate the entire 60 ml of formula. We cried with joy. He too was happy.

At lunch he ate another 60 ml with no feeding response but he willingly ate the entire 60 ml but he took his time.

Tonight my wife suggested that I puree the gloop. So we went to the appliance store and bought a NutriBullet. That thing is super amazing. It made all the ingredients into a thick liquid. Left the banana out as it is very perishable. So the broccoli, carrots, corn, lentils, oats and quinoa became so smooth. Poured out 60 ml, warmed it to 110f and put it at his beak. Upon squirt some in his mouth, it disappeared. In 20 secs the syringe was empty. He ate it all! I am so happy right now. He is sleeping for the night.

I will give him the gloop puree for all of tomorrow (or how ever long it lasts) then return him to formula right after that.

I plan to puree my own veggies & fruits and mix them into his formula on a daily basis.
Formula and carrot puree will be the base as I want to get his beta carotene intake up as I feel he isn't full out of the vitamin A deficiency.

First feeding will be formula + carrot puree + bananas
Second feeding will be formula + carrot puree + papaya
Third feeding will be formula + carrot puree + broccoli

Should I use the above mixture?
or
Should I alternate constantly between formula and gloop puree?
Day 1: 6am-formula, 12pm-gloop puree, 6pm formula
Day 2: 61m-gloop puree, 12pm-formula, 6pm-gloop puree

This is the finished gloop he ate this morning
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This is the gloop puree he ate tonight.
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[Lady]

Yay so glad he is eating! :th_yah::happy-feet::happy-feet::happy-feet:

[PlaxMacaws]

That's excellent news, Chad :D. About your feeding plan: It's certainly up to you. But I would probably go with the day1/day2 alternation. It would serve to give him some degree of a break from the consistent back-to-back formula feedings. And that may keep him from getting bored with both the food and the routine. Or you could try both ways and see which he prefers.

[Christinenc2000]

How are things going now ?

[chad84]

Goodnight guys, it's Thursday night (09 June 2016) and I have those long awaited updates.

Today marks the 5th day that Robert is eating without problems or issues.
Here's what happened.

Thursday 02 June 2016:
Robert gave so much trouble to eat on this day. Fed him 3 times and he regurgitated almost all of the formula and I felt so desolate. I eventually cried that night. My wife and I felt so stressed we had to pry his beak open to feed him and then he just brought the food up. After seeking advice from vets (useless) and forum members (positive) we decided that from the next day would offer him many things.

Friday 03 June 2016:
We offered him fresh chop, whole grain penne and water. We left some in his cages and also on my work desk and in the kitchen. He ran it through his beak but didn't eat. Made all the yummy noises and all. He just stared at me as if I should have been able to know what he needed. He just followed me around and whimpered but no begging for food. In the late evening my wife was eating yogurt and offered him some warmed to 108 f. He ate just under 1 ml. At this point he had been hungry all day, about 12 hrs.

Saturday 04 June 2016:
Around 24 - 30hrs of not eating. Woke up early and cooked some gloop (bananas, broccoli, carrots, corn, lentils, oats, quinoa) for him. Cooled some and put in a bowl and I started eating it (with 'yummy' noises of course!). He came over to investigate what all this fuss was about and took the spoon from me making a mess. He ate 2 tablespoons of it and wanted no more. I was so relieved he ate so I didn't force him. An hour later the wife and I kissed him up and he begged for food again. I decided to make some Harrison's formula and offer him the syringe and see if he would like it. He didn't open up and my heart sank. But I opened his beak gently and he gave a feeding response and ate the entire 60 ml of formula. We cried with joy. He too was happy. At lunch he ate another 60 ml with no feeding response but he willingly ate the entire 60 ml but he took his time. At night my wife suggested that I puree the gloop. So we went to the appliance store and bought a NutriBullet. That thing is super amazing. It made all the ingredients into a thick liquid. Left the banana out as it is very perishable. So the broccoli, carrots, corn, lentils, oats and quinoa became so smooth. Poured out 60 ml, warmed it to 110f and put it at his beak. Upon squirt some in his mouth, it disappeared. In 20 secs the syringe was empty. He ate it all! We were so happy. During this day the wife and I completed his outside cage.
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Sunday 05 June 2016:
He ate gloop puree all day. 90 ml servings went down his beak instantly at each feeding of the 3 feedings. His feeding response was so strong I could hardly hold the syringe. He also started slowing raising and lowering his head (slowly bobbing motion) AND honking with wing flips. He called for us all day long.
I came up with some feeding schedules to mix things up for the coming days.

Monday 06 - Thursday 09 June 2016 (4 days):
We fed him,
First feeding will be formula + carrot puree + bananas
Second feeding will be formula + carrot puree + papaya
Third feeding will be formula + carrot puree + broccoli
All my gloop ingredients for depleted. His food bowls had Water and Chop (changed 2 times a day). he had his formula cocktails 3 times a day and in between meals he actually went straight to the chop bowl and 'ate' some. Right after feeding, once his bowls were available, he would 'eat' (read play) some chop, then drink some water.
Towards the end of this 4 day period, Robert has become very playful, more obedient, he has started stepping up and seem so full of energy. Even more than his normal self. He doesn't even fuss to go into his cage anymore. We moved all his toys to his new cage and moved his food bowls. He begs for food 3 times a day and eats 60 - 90 ml without us forcing him. He simply opens his mouth once I pick up the syringe and swallows like he hasn't eaten in days.
Robert lay on his back for the first time tonight. I fed him and he came to me and threw himself down.
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A month from now, when all his Harrison's formula is finished:
We plan to start giving him pureed gloop for 1st meal (by spoon) and puree Harrison's High Potency pellets for his last meal (by spoon). During the day in his bowls he will have gloop (NOT pureed) and dry Harrison's pellets. This way he will be eating the same thing fed by spoon and in his bowls. And a little closer to weaning.

[PlaxMacaws]

Wow! Congratulations, Chad :D. All things considered, how can Robert miss with such determination and doting care from you and your wife? It truly sounds like you're over the hump and in store for a far easier and less stressful experience with him now. I'm very glad to hear your progress :pinkgrin:. And it certainly IS amazing progress!! Thanks for the update :)

[Lady]

REALLY :giggle: am I dreaming??? This is such super wonderful news :party:. I am so very happy for all of you!!! WOW, this is great :happy-feet:. I pray all of you will continue to have much success.

This made my day :th_yah::thanks4sharingthumb

[chad84]

Hi guys, been awhile.
Robert is 21 weeks old. He eats about 180 - 240 ml a day. He began sometimes refusing his 12pm meal. But once he misses it, he is super hungry and eats over 120 ml for the next feeding. He seems to be in the very best of health. Begs for food, gives feeding response sometimes but always eats all his food very hungrily. Sometimes he eats all in 3 secs sometimes he eats it in 30 secs.
Robert has become more loving and seeks attention all day long, constantly going between my wife and I.

Below are some videos for your viewing pleasure.

This is how he looks before eating:
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This is how he looks after eating:
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Was wondering why he still makes noises after he eats. They are different, but he is still very vocal after his meal.

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

Hi guys, been awhile.
... Robert has become more loving and seeks attention all day long, constantly going between my wife and I.
...

Casper does this as well, he loves to supervise what we are doing, we offer him opportunities to go on his cage to poop and if he wants to he does, if he doesn't feel the need he just walks around the back of our head to the other shoulder. We have perches for him in the rooms we most use (except the kitchen) so he doesn't get left on his own unless he decides he doesn't want to step up. That's cool, we just pop our head around the door every now and then to make sure he is behaving.

[PlaxMacaws]

Was wondering why he still makes noises after he eats. They are different, but he is still very vocal after his meal.Hello Chad... many years ago over here there used to be a television commercial for Alka-Seltzer antacid in which the main actor portrayed someone who had just overindulged by consuming a huge meal and was thus feeling somewhat uncomfortable. He would utter in a groaning voice: "I can't believe I ate that whole thing!" <- That may be similar to the way Robert feels after each of his large meals ;)


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I'm delighted to hear about Robert's health and behavior. You and he have certainly weathered the storm and I couldn't be happier for both of you :D. By the way, how's his weight doing of late?

[chad84]

I enjoyed that Nostalgic ad. Thanks!

I guess he is just full. Lol. He comes to play after a few mins of those noises. Love the Robs so much. The stress is finally over. Now he can commence weaning. He still isn't eating solid food yet. But he gets excited to see food, and then he just breaks it down to tiny pieces without actually swallowing any of it. XD

He currently weighs 902g at 21 weeks old. He is a little up from the 860 when we last spoke.

I certainly feel less stressed now. Just need to figure out this weaning process and need to see if he is ready too.

[PlaxMacaws]

I enjoyed that Nostalgic ad. Thanks!

I guess he is just full. Lol. He comes to play after a few mins of those noises. Love the Robs so much. The stress is finally over. Now he can commence weaning. He still isn't eating solid food yet. But he gets excited to see food, and then he just breaks it down to tiny pieces without actually swallowing any of it. XD

He currently weighs 902g at 21 weeks old. He is a little up from the 860 when we last spoke.

I certainly feel less stressed now. Just need to figure out this weaning process and need to see if he is ready too.As long as you keep offering him solid foods (in small enough pieces), I'm sure he'll let you know when he's ready to try swallowing them. Once he learns to do that it should be relatively smooth sailing from then on :)

[chad84]

Hey guys. Tuesday (21 June) night I will be making a new batch of gloop. Can you tell me if the below ingredients are ok? It's all I have available. I need to also find out the portions of each food group that I need to use.

Banana
Apple
Almonds
Oats
Green peas
Green beans
Carrot
Pumpkin
Corn
Brown rice
Broccoli
Spinach
Lentils
Quinoa
Chickpea
Flax
Chia
Coconut oil/Coconut

[PlaxMacaws]

Hi Chad. Your ingredients all look good to me. However, make sure that no apple seeds are ground into the mix. Apple seeds contain small levels of cyanide. Overall, I think your list includes some great nutrition for Robert :)

[chad84]

Hi friends. This is going to be long.
2 things are bothering me as of this morning (Tuesday 21 June 2016)

As of this morning Robert has been very grumpy and complaining from the time he woke (6am). Anytime we left the room he would whine and call for us. We thought he was hungry so we fed him. He continued his whiney behaviour even after being fed.

This is not the norm. Upon waking he would leave our bedroom (where he sleeps on a perch) and fly constantly for about 10 mins before settling down and begging to be fed.

We decided to cuddle him a bit but he exclaimed loudly several times during the cuddling, petting, kissing and scratching. It scared us to death because it was loud, sudden and sounded very painful. The strange thing is he continued coming to us to be cuddled but we didn't know how to touch him. he kept screaming with pain.
We were running late and left him in his cage and he didn't come to the end of the cage to see us off, he seemed very upset. As I was at work I could not concentrate with how we left him.

Left work lunchtime and went home. Decided I was gonna get to the bottom of this behavior. I carefully went through every single part of his body checking to see what's wrong. I figured Robert didn't know either.

Observation #1

I found pin feather cover his entire body. I realise 4 days ago he shed alot of tiny feathers. And these pins are the reason.

Head missing a good bit of feathers
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Everyday for the last 4 days, these feathers are all over the house. Just lightly touching him releases them!
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Whenever I approach him this is what he does
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Pin feathers on head
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Pin feathers on wings
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Pin feathers on back (neck to tail)
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Pin feathers on chest and abdomen
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Pin feathers on leg
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[chad84]

Observation #2

I found the part of him that's really paining. it's the very tip of his upper beak (the needle like tip). I pressure tested his entire beak by pressing it gently but firmly. He shrieked in pain when I reached the upper tip. He jumped on me and started licking me, scratching me with his claws and bowing his head. I touched the area a few more times to be sure. He allowed the touching but still screamed. I brought his favourite toy for him to play with and from the time he touched with his beak he screamed and got into a fight with it and they scrambled on the ground for 10 secs. I then give him my cell phone (2nd favourite toy) and when he nibbled it he screamed and grabbed it aggressively and would not stop attacking it. Tried my hand again and he held my hand with his foot and brought it to the painful part of the beak slowly so I could touch it and he cried out (as if he was showing me where hurt).

Gave him a grape (which he loves cold), and when he bit into it, he cried out and flung it across my desk.

Right side of beak
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Left side of beak
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Front view of beak
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For the entire afternoon that I have been home with him, I can't leave a room without him following me and quarrelling. He keeps lying down on my stomach and fluffy his head. When I rub his head, if I get to close to the tip of his beak, he growls.
I am really lost as to what could have possibly happened to his beak. Maybe he crashed into something hard or fell from a height or hurt it somehow?
Right now he doesn't wanna leave my side. Usually he is independent looking to do mischief all over the house. But as of this morning, he is closely supervising all I do and is brushed up against me to make sure i don't move of leave him.

[PlaxMacaws]

First of all, Chad, I'm sorry to hear about Robert's discomfort.


Maybe he crashed into something hard or fell from a height or hurt it somehow?I think that's a possibility. Especially since Robert is an avid aviator around your home. He may have experienced a hard landing and thus sustained a hairline impact fracture near the tip of his upper beak. In fact, I see diagonal lines on both sides of his beak tip that wrap around the front to meet one another. That's either a surface scaling demarcation or a fracture line - I can't quite tell which from your photos. If it's a fracture line, it's no wonder Robert is in significant pain. I hope that's not what it is.

The upper beak tip is normally very sensitive. However, normal contact shouldn't produce any pain for a bird. If Robert's beak is fractured, he is going to favor the tip and it will eventually break off. It will be best to help him try and protect it for a while in that case. If it's not a fracture, though, I can't think of what may be causing his beak pain and would thus recommend a visit to your avian vet (one of them) for assessment. If it's merely a fracture, it's probably not necessary to have Robert see a vet... it will eventually grow out and heal on its own.

While the pin feathers you've photographed and described are likely not very comfortable for Robert, they are normal replenishment for a bird.

Let us know what you learn further and how things go.

[kendrafitz]

Poor Robert! I would check with a vet about his beak. It is horrible that he is in so much pain.

The pin feathers are normal. It looks like they are just breaking through, which is really uncomfortable for them. As they grow in you will be able to help him preen them which is a nice bonding activity.

I hope Robert feels better soon!

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[PlaxMacaws]

How is Robert doing today, Chad?

[chad84]

I can touch the tip of his beak without him crying out today. Doesn't seem as sore. Thank God. All he does is retract a bit but no crying out. I also noticed he started back licking me and nibbling my fingers. But he is extremely cautious. He isn't flying into me or jumping on me or tumbling around all over me.

[Lady]

Aww, I hope by today's behavior he is beginning to feel some relief from his pain.

[PlaxMacaws]

I can touch the tip of his beak without him crying out today. Doesn't seem as sore. Thank God. All he does is retract a bit but no crying out. I also noticed he started back licking me and nibbling my fingers. But he is extremely cautious. He isn't flying into me or jumping on me or tumbling around all over me.I'm glad to hear this. The upper beak tip has embedded nerve endings and is quite a sensitive place. I'm happy to know that he's desensitizing to whatever was causing the issue :)

[chad84]

Hey guys it's been 2 weeks.

Weight: 922g
Age: 24 weeks

Robert's beak stopped hurting much after 3 days and completely after 1 week. ! week after that, the very tiny needle-like tip eventually broke off.

Robert has been so loving for the last few weeks. I wake at 5am and then wake him around 6am so he gets 12hrs sleep. Every morning for the last few mornings, he wakes just before me and flying down from his perch to my bed and wakes me up around 5am.
Recently when I start kissing him, he puts his claws on the side of his head. What does that mean?

Like this...
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As you know I have been trying to get Robert to eat for the longest time now. He simply 'plays' with his chop. He would break into tiny pieces but never swallow. My last bag of formula is 3/4 empty and I was running out of options.
I sat down with the bowl of fruits for me and started eating the stuff and he will come over. He came over to investigate and snatched a grape from my hand and ate it slowly. He then came back over and took 1 from my plate and ate it rather quickly.
This is a video I just took of him taking a grape being offered.

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Is this the same Robert that doesn't swallow anything? That night he ate 8 (seedless black) grapes and 2in of (a medium) banana. I was blown away. He then politely picked up his feeding syringe and brought it to me. I fed him a mix of 40% formula and 60% chop pureed into a very thick mixture. He ate 60 ml, then begged for more and ate 100 ml total.

Newest batch of chop/gloop

Gabanzo, lentils, green peas, green beans
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Almonds, oats, corn, brown rice, quinoa, flax seed & chia seed (ground up by me)
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Broccoli, spinach, carrots, pumpkin
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Full view
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Made bite size
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Mixed
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Close up
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Bagged and frozen
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[chad84]

Took robert to the beach yesterday. Its a private beach. You have to drive 14 km along the very edge of Trinidad's tallest mountain to get there. You need a vehicle with 4 x 4 drive to climb it. The road was so steep. And it was made of loose dirt! They cut the side of the mountain to access the beach. The mountain is so tall that at the very top we were literally in the clouds! Robert loved the cold moist cloudy atmosphere.

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[The Pinkertons]

Just beautiful

[The Pinkertons]

WOW ! what a smart Robert. He is one fortunate Macaw. I wish all were loved and cared for as you have been with Robert.

:breeders:

what Robert won't eat of your recipes, by the looks of it you certainly could :th_smile:

[Dragonlady2]

Chad, your pictures at the beach look like postcards. Robert is so lucky to be able to get out in the fresh air like that.

Your chop looks mighty tasty too. My birds always want what I eat so it was a good idea to start eating in front of him to get him interested.

When you kiss Robert do you kiss his beak or his head?

[PlaxMacaws]

Hey Chad... thanks for the update and the wonderful photos!

It's great that Robert is actually beginning to eat a few things on his own! That's a welcome surprise :D

I agree with Suzanne and Helena... Robert certainly IS a lucky bird! He's got a terrific, loving family who provides him the best of care. And he gets to live in one of the most beautiful areas on the planet! Yes, I would say that in many ways he's indeed a fortunate macaw :)

Keep those 'Robert Reports' coming !

[chad84]

Chad, your pictures at the beach look like postcards. Robert is so lucky to be able to get out in the fresh air like that.

Your chop looks mighty tasty too. My birds always want what I eat so it was a good idea to start eating in front of him to get him interested.

When you kiss Robert do you kiss his beak or his head?

I kiss him all over his body except inside his mouth and anywhere his beak meets. Kiss him on top his foot, under his foot, head, neck, crop, chest, tail, wings, under wings, chin and his cheek.

[chad84]

Hey Chad... thanks for the update and the wonderful photos!

It's great that Robert is actually beginning to eat a few things on his own! That's a welcome surprise :D

I agree with Suzanne and Helena... Robert certainly IS a lucky bird! He's got a terrific, loving family who provides him the best of care. And he gets to live in one of the most beautiful areas on the planet! Yes, I would say that in many ways he's indeed a fortunate macaw :)

Keep those 'Robert Reports' coming !

Will keep posting updates. This thread will be alive for a long time to come!
I am really happy with his progress. A GW macaw is so much work. We spend 4hrs of quality time with him a day minimum and 8hrs on the weekends. His food is prepared very sanitary and all his utensils are cleaned right after use.

[Dragonlady2]

I wondered if the kisses, especially if they are smoochie ones, tickle his ears?

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

Chad, I reckon you and your lady are a couple of the luckiest people in the world - having Robert living with you on paradise island. Don't tell me about the downsides, I don't want to know. :)

[chad84]

Hi guys.
So much has happened since I last updated you all. And boy do I have quite the long story for you. Buckle up, it's gonna be a long one. Exams are done and now I have a few days off from university.

I moved into a new apartment about 3 weeks ago. The previous landlady's son suddenly decided that my Robert is not a suitable pet for a tenant! Even though she gave me permission to have him. So after caring for my Robby for over 4 months (who has been extremely quiet), the landlady's son started making trouble. He soaked my birdie and his cage down with a pressure (power) washer claiming he was just washing his car next to my cage which is in the porch. And various other acts of mischief. Mind you this is a grown man.

On a more cheerful note, Robert has been eating reduced amounts of Harrison's hand feeding formula and has taken an interest in the food I put in his cage daily. He eats between 30 ml - 45 ml 2 times a day. He misses his morning feed sometimes too. He can't wait for get out of the house and into his cage right after feeding. He sleeps on a perch in our bedroom from about 6 pm or 7 pm until 5 am. One we wake, he also wakes and flies unto our bed and begs for cuddling by bending down with his foot on his head and looking at us constantly. We give him all the cuddling he wants before we feed him and put him in his cage.

Last week a friend of mine (whom we only met once when they got their macaw 3 months ago) who has a scarlet macaw (Zayn) a little younger than Robert, flew away. Zayn's wing had been cut but still gained enough lift to fly away. It was a Friday evening he left. The live about 60 km (1 hr drive) away. Saturday morning ( a few hours later) as soon as the dawn hit, we drove down to see them and assist in recovering the macaw. Entire family was sad. We drove and drove looking for Zayn and finally found him. They were so happy. We used Robert to find him.

Below is a few pictures and a video of Robert as of a week ago.

Playing with Robert
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Supervising while I work.
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Sometimes he just day dreams out of that window and I don't know why
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My ladder is his play gym. he likes it so much.
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This is what he has everyday between his morning and evening feeding
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After he eats, he goes to work (play)
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This is Zayn and Robert after we recovered Zayn (when he flew away)
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[Blancaej]

So glad to hear all is going well now. Sorry you had to move because of your landladies son. :( But maybe it was for the best and hopefully your new place is even better! ;) Also glad your friend got his bird back. What a relief!

[Dragonlady2]

Wonderful update. I am so happy to see Robert doing well. He sure does love his scratches!

[PlaxMacaws]

Hello Chad...

I'm sorry to hear of the disturbing situation involving your ex-landlord's son. I hope Robert likes, and has fully settled into your new home. And I'm happy to know that you, your friend and Robert were able to recover Zayn in good health! It was a great idea to employ Robert to help out :)

Some great photos... as usual. Thanks for sharing! And keep those Robert reports comeing :D

[lolsavannahh]

wow glad those two are doing okay! I have been quiet with my responses on this thread but have been following every step! Robert sounds like such a sweet bird, and I am so glad he has you! He could not be luckier!

[Lady]

That update wasn't so long, it was quite the nail biter at first. We know you are quite aware of how bad your friend and his family were feeling when they lost their bird. So happy everything is good now.
I too agree that your move must of been for the best and I'm sure everyone is happier for it. It is always a pleasure to read and see the pics you share about your relationship with Robert. You guys sure sound like a wonderful flock. Looking forward to the next update!

[Dragonlady2]

I just thought I would add an observation. You have done a wonderful job with Robert in having him allow you to touch him all over. This will definitely make it easier to harness him, give him medications if required and just generally be able to move him around if needed. However, when you stroke him all over his body and under the wings, as a baby he may enjoy this, but when he gets older he will view this as sexualized behaviour. This might lead to biting or aggressive behaviour as he becomes hormonal. Do this cautiously and watch his body language so that you will know when it may be time to reduce or stop that specific stroking. You can always scratch his head and play with his beak.

[chad84]

Good morning friends! How are you guys? Sorry for not updating in a while. School has me so busy.
(warning long post)

STATS

Age: 7 months

Weight: 930g (he is getting much thicker and looks more like an adult but no weight gain, just less fatty and more muscular girth)

Plumage: Molt began 1 month ago, feathers dropping all day and hundreds of pins growing, no tail or wing feathers dropped yet

Illnesses: None

Appetite: Huge

Wean: Started 2 months ago, eats formula and solid food

Formula: Harrison's juvenile Morning and evening, 30ml each meal

Food: Harrison's High Potency Pellets, 2 bowls of fruit, 1 bowl of vegges, 1 bowl of sunflower seeds (his favourite), 1 bowl of water, 1 bowl of assorted nuts (1 macadamia, 1 Brazilian, 10 pine)

VIDEO
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A DAY IN THE LIFE OF PRINCE ROBERT
by Chad

The alarm wakes my wife and I at 5 am. As the lights go on, Prince Robert becomes vocal (no speech yet, just sparse words), takes a massive dump, then flies down from his perch unto our bed. He pulls the covers from over us and cuddles up begging for playtime. Sometime we pretend to be still asleep and he flies to the curtains above our bed and flaps his powerful wings in our face while screaming loudly. We are forced to 'wake up' as he may wake the neighbours at 5 am. We pray and then play with him for about 30 mins. As I exit the bed, he follows me and then stops at the edge of bed quarreling with 1 foot reaching up as he begs to come along. One would think he can't fly right? Once he is picked up, he flies off to all the areas of the house. He flies and flies until he reaches the kitchen. That's when it all starts.

We then prepare his food as detailed above in stats. His food takes about 30 mins to prepare every morning. During that time makes mischief with everything in the kitchen. And If you stop him he will protest and quarrel, then 2 mins later, he is back to mischief. We love Robert so much...eh hem... Prince Robert! His food is then placed in his cage and we begin making his formula. My wife prepares the cage while I prepare his food. Teamwork! As soon as I pick up the cup his formula is made in, he quickly jumps to my shoulder and silently looks on. This makes me nervous like when a manager comes looking over your shoulder. I guess he wants to ensure I don't forget any steps. Lol.

Up until 5 weeks ago, Robert was drinking 90 ml of formula x3 times a day. That is a decrease from 120 ml x4 times a day just 2 months ago, just before he became interested in solid food. He started refusing his morning 90 ml. He would literally take his foot and push away the syringe and protest. Most lunch times I cannot leave work/clients to come feed him. So I dropped his lunch time meal and after 2 days he decided he wants his morning meal as lunch time is no longer on the table. 1 week ago, he decided he only wanted 30 ml of formula morning and evening. Most days he would watch me make it and then refuse to eat it. Mind you, his formula is only made when he asks for it. So I make it, he watches the entire process then runs away as it hits the syringe. So at that point I turn to the sink to empty the syringe and wash up his utensils, and guess what? He jumps into the sink and opens his mouth with a feeding response! I feed him and he then begs to go to his cage so he can eat his 'real' food. These games he plays. Beg for formula, watch me make it, runs from me, refuses to eat, then begs as I proceed to throw it away.
It seems he doesn't really want formula again but just wants the security that he can get it whenever he needs it. He maybe wants to know that I didn't forget about that aspect of our relationship. Because he begs for formula at the strangest time sometimes. Then when I make it, he eats 1 ml (yes 1) and then laughs and begs for playtime again.

By the time we reach home on evenings, he is protesting to come out of the cage. He paces up and down the cage silently. When he is inside, he screams and screams for 1 min as if upset we came home so late. We give him some solid food when he devours and then he begs for formula by doing the head bob on my shoulder and crying in my ear. He doesn't play with night time feeding. No games at night. He sits silently on his perch in the kitchen and anxiously waits. The food disappears at the back of his throat. He then starts crunching his beak and begs for play. After 5 mins of play, he rudely interrupts, jumps down from his perch and goes to our bedroom. I put his perch in there and he slowly drifts off to dreamland.

Sometimes he hunts in the room for something to run through his beak, destroys it then falls asleep. He sleeps with a fan on him all night. Is that okay? Also he like the AC on at 26 deg Celsius.

Enjoy the 2 pictures below.

After the hunt, he destroys his prey
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Sleepy time
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[Casper's 2nd best friend]

Lovely pic of Robert and the coathanger. So glad he is developing well and well done to Robert for helping get Zayn home safely.

[Lady]

He surely is a sweetie and training you guys well, lol. I love hearing about the prince and how he is growing and developing his personality. How blessed the three of you are to have each other! Love the video too. Such a cuddly guy.

[PlaxMacaws]

Hi Chad... Great update! Prince Robert is clearly an adorable guy :D. It's easy to tell he has plenty of control among the household as well as some wonderful human parents! He's a lucky and beautiful bird and it's always fun to read about his routine and his antics :th_biggrin:

Thanks for the update and the pics! Keep 'em coming!!

[chad84]

Hi guys. Been about 3 months since we last communicated. Robert is almost 11 months old and he is 3 months into his first molt. Its progressing nicely. His colour look great.
Robert is doing well. He loves Harrison's High Potency! He gets fruits and vegetables, also some nuts. My time is slim these days.

Here are some videos and pictures from when he turn 9 months.

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[Dragonlady2]

Robert sure likes his playtime with you. He is beautiful.

[rebeccaldaniels]

Wow. What a great journey you are having with Robert. He is a beautiful guy!

[Quakerella]

Welcome back Chad. What a beautiful, playful bird Robert is. Thanks for sharing the videos, I loved all of them. My favourite would be him rolling on the bed.

[PlaxMacaws]

Hi Chad. I'm happy to know Robert is doing well. He's looking happy and wonderful! Thanks for the update and the clips :D

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

Love the video of him playing on the bed, he is so gentle. Casper gets quite boisterous when we play like that.
The photos are also great, he is a lovely bird and has a super personality, thanks for sharing.

[Mare]

Love the videos! Such a beautiful bird and wonderful job you've done raising him :)

[Lady]

Hey Chad,

It's great to hear from you. The videos are wonderful. Robert is such a sweetheart. What a pleasure to watch you guys together.

[chad84]

Got some bad news.
Robert flew away again.
last night around 7pm. He sleeps in our bedroom as you know. As I opened the cage to bring him inside he got startled by fireworks and flew off into the night. I ran inside to get the electronic gate key and when I came back out, I could not find him in the darkness.
We searched for him this morning at dawn and we are going back out to search for him now (9:45am).
I have cried and cried.
Can't find my prince Robert anywhere.

[PlaxMacaws]

Got some bad news.
Robert flew away again.
last night around 7pm. He sleeps in our bedroom as you know. As I opened the cage to bring him inside he got startled by fireworks and flew off into the night. I ran inside to get the electronic gate key and when I came back out, I could not find him in the darkness.
We searched for him this morning at dawn and we are going back out to search for him now (9:45am).
I have cried and cried.
Can't find my prince Robert anywhere.That's terrible news! I'm so sorry, Chad :(. Perhaps he didn't travel very far in the darkness. Macaws are noted for their amazing geographic memories, so it's possible he is visiting the same areas he visited during his first escape. Although since you relocated your residence, which I remember reading about, it may add some confusion to Robert's bearings. But lets hope not.

It's a shame there may be more fireworks randomly going off to further startle and confuse poor Robert :(. Please keep us posted on the status of your search efforts. My thoughts will be with him and with you.

[Dragonlady2]

Oh my goodness! You must be worried sick. I hope you are able to find him quickly. Are you able to get others to help in your search?

[Quakerella]

Oh no Chad, I hope you find him soon. As Helena asked, are there other people around that will help you look? Is there some way you can get the word out to people via facebook, twitter, or try parrot alert. Good luck Chad, keep us updated.

[kendrafitz]

Sending you lots of good thoughts. I hope you find your baby soon.


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[Lady]

Oh my, this is very sad to hear. I sure hope you find Robert quickly and unharmed. Our thoughts and prayers will be with you.

[Lady]

Goodness, still no word about finding Robert :'(

COME HOME ROBERT WE ARE ALL SO WORRIED!!!

[PlaxMacaws]

Goodness, still no word about finding Robert :'(

COME HOME ROBERT WE ARE ALL SO WORRIED!!!I so hope we receive some wonderful news. And soon! :(

[Lady]

I'm getting more worried as the days pass. They look like such a wonderful family it would be awful if things don't work out for them.

[PlaxMacaws]

I'm getting more worried as the days pass. They look like such a wonderful family it would be awful if things don't work out for them.You and me both, Alice. Robert, Chad and his wife have been on my mind each day. No news is terribly concerning :(

[Quakerella]

I was thinking about this as well. I hope we hear something good soon.

[Lady]

:( still no word... My Mom use to say no news is good news, I hope that's right in this case.

[PlaxMacaws]

:( still no word... My Mom use to say no news is good news, I hope that's right in this case.As do i :(

[Lady]

If I recall correctly they have a you tube account.... wonder if they have a twitter one :th_idea:. Maybe we could find out somehow and send them our support?

[Quakerella]

Not sure how to do that but it is a good idea.

[PlaxMacaws]

Alice: I'm unsure about locating a twitter account for Chad. The potential for anonymity on twitter may preclude that possibility if such an account even exists. But Chad does have an FB account. I've checked it and there have been no public posts there since July of 2016.

However, we can easily email Chad. Out of respect for his privacy, I've not done so yet. Sadly, I must admit that I can't help but worry since I think Chad would have shared the good news if there were any to be shared :(

[Lady]

Alice: I'm unsure about locating a twitter account for Chad. The potential for anonymity on twitter may preclude that possibility if such an account even exists. But Chad does have an FB account. I've checked it and there have been no public posts there since July of 2016.

However, we can easily email Chad. Out of respect for his privacy, I've not done so yet. Sadly, I must admit that I can't help but worry since I think Chad would have shared the good news if there were any to be shared :(

I'm sure your right. Guess I just want to hear good news.

[chad84]

Good morning guys. Prince Robert is back. I type this with tears in my eyes. I don't have much time this morning so I will summarize and elaborate later.

He flew away 30 December 2016 because of fireworks.
Someone had him and didn't wanna give him back on 22 February 2017.
He flew away from them because he wouldn't let them cut his wings on 11 September 2017.
On 5 October 2017 he returned home... weak, scrawny and scared.
Today, he looks so much better.

Thanks to my wife with put fresh Harrison's High Potency pellets, fruits, veggies, nuts and water every single day for 278 days. Most days I felt sad as I felt he wouldn't come back. When the other person had him and didn't wanna release him, I was devastated. Felt sorta relieved when he flew away from them.

He back...

The prodigal son has returned!

Welcome back Prince Robert!!

[Dragonlady2]

Oh my goodness!!! What fantastic news. :woohoo-dancing-banaI am so happy that you were able to get him back. Looking forward to the update.

[PlaxMacaws]

Chad, that's absolutely amazing news! I am incredibly happy for you and Prince Robert!! Ten months is a very long time to have been apart from him.

I'm curious as to how you learned the other person possessed Prince Robert - my guess is that someone informed you where he was being kept? How near to your home was this location? If my understanding is correct, your wife brought nutritious food and water to him on a daily basis while he was captive at the other home. Is that accurate? And once he escaped from there, did he actually fly to your home? Or did someone report his whereabouts to you?

I apologize for all of the questions. I'm simply hoping to hear more about what happened when you have some time to share additional details. I'm quite overjoyed to learn of your reunion with Prince Robert :th_biggrin:. And I'm so hoping his health/fitness will fully recover.

Thanks for the great news! Please update us further when you can.

[Quakerella]

Wow, what a great end to an amazing story.

I am so happy for you. It sure does sound like the place Prince Robert wants to be is with you and your wife.
I hope his health did not deteriorate too much; I am sure you will get him back to normal quickly.

Looking forward to hearing more information and updates.

[kendrafitz]

I’m so happy to hear that he is back with you. I know how much you and your wife love him.


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[Casper's 2nd best friend]

Hooray Hooray so glad he remembered his way home.
Hopefully he has learned his lesson that not everyone is as kind and loving as your family and he will think twice before taking to the skies again.

[Lady]

This is a miracle and a true blessing. Fireworks are truly scary and dangerous even to humans. I can only imagine what the noise and sparks in the sky felt like to him.
Now that he is home and healthy I would think this would be a excellent time to figure out how you can be sure if anything like this should happen again what you can do to prove that he belongs to you and your wife. Another band......with your information, DNA profiling, photos with him and known markings he may have that are his alone....
I've also read about a Parrot Passport which you can read about here as well as download the information. [Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]

I too am very very happy for all of you and look forward to seeing some new pics when you find some time.

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

Excellent information for all of us Alice :)

[chad84]

Hi guys,
Good morning,

Pictures will be coming soon as he looks a little better. He is being pampered with every food you can imagine.
We had an idea of the area he was but couldn't pinpoint the actual house. But seeing that Robert was well known, many rumours about who had him emerged. People said there was a home that recently got a large red Macaw and they were trying to cut his wings and he won't let them. It's illegal to go to other people's homes and accuse them or stand in their driveway even if they have no fence or gate is open.

He doesn't wanna leave our side.
He came back mumbling all sorts of new things. He sounded a little like a wild macaw.
Every lunchtime another macaw comes and sits on his cage and they mumble together. I invited this stranger inside many times for a treat, but he wouldn't cross the front door.

[chad84]

Chad, that's absolutely amazing news! I am incredibly happy for you and Prince Robert!! Ten months is a very long time to have been apart from him.

I'm curious as to how you learned the other person possessed Prince Robert - my guess is that someone informed you where he was being kept? How near to your home was this location? If my understanding is correct, your wife brought nutritious food and water to him on a daily basis while he was captive at the other home. Is that accurate? And once he escaped from there, did he actually fly to your home? Or did someone report his whereabouts to you?

I apologize for all of the questions. I'm simply hoping to hear more about what happened when you have some time to share additional details. I'm quite overjoyed to learn of your reunion with Prince Robert :th_biggrin:. And I'm so hoping his health/fitness will fully recover.

Thanks for the great news! Please update us further when you can.

There was alot of chatter in the neighbourhood within a 10 mile radius about people that recently acquired big red birds. There so much whispering and activity it wrecked our nerves. We hardly slept... Sleep? What's that?
We couldn't confirm whether it was all true or not. We never found the actual location as it's illegal to parade around people's houses or driveways here.
About the food and water... It was all placed in his cage everyday at OUR property. I begged my wife to stop doing that, but so glad she didn't listen. He found his cage and gobbled down his freshly prepared meal and started calling for us before we left for work that morning.

Feel free to ask all you like.
Love you guys for your support.

[PlaxMacaws]

There was alot of chatter in the neighbourhood within a 10 mile radius about people that recently acquired big red birds. There so much whispering and activity it wrecked our nerves. We hardly slept... Sleep? What's that?
We couldn't confirm whether it was all true or not. We never found the actual location as it's illegal to parade around people's houses or driveways here.
About the food and water... It was all placed in his cage everyday at OUR property. I begged my wife to stop doing that, but so glad she didn't listen. He found his cage and gobbled down his freshly prepared meal and started calling for us before we left for work that morning.Wow! That's remarkable. He was away a bit over 9 months and his memory of your love enabled him to find his way back home. And if I remember correctly, you had recently moved and thus hadn't lived where you currently are for very long at all. Is that correct?

So what's the story on the other macaw that comes to visit? Are there many wild macaws living in your area? Is the visiting macaw also a green-wing?


Love you guys for your support.Likewise. We love you, your wife and Robert - and we love hearing about him. We're so glad he's home!

[Dragonlady2]

What an awesome story! I can't wait to see some pics of Robert. Is he as tame as he was before? Maybe his new friend is responding to Robert's new noises.