Emaciation

Jaye wrote:

Second rescued pigeon this season I am treating who, despite a lotta food intake and meds - is just not gaining weight back. This can be another thread about trying to suss out what illness he may have...but after wormers and antibiotics....I am just wondering.

My avian vet once told me, in passing, that birds can become emaciated to a point where they actually just cannot return to a healthy or sustaining weight.

Thoughts ...comments ?

I do agree to a point. Once I had a Pigeon came to me that had been trapped behind some debree for at least several days. When found, he was very dehydrated...so much so that he looked squished. he was given fluids SQ and he did come around...ate, acted OK and seemed to enjoy his life. he lived another 5 years but never put on weight...his keel bone was always prominent. His life was cut short by a hawk.
and then there is my Sun Conure...

The one bird I've had that could not put on weight finally did so quite a long time after being treated for coccidia. He had been treated for other things prior. I made sure he had lots of extra sunflower seeds and peanuts. It did take a long time though.

Raw chopped peanuts, shelled raw sunflower seeds, dried peas, dried lentil, uncooked organic brown rice [small amounts]...

Do you have Pigeon seed mix available down there?...with..17% or higher protein content would be good.

Matilda wrote:

Raw chopped peanuts, shelled raw sunflower seeds, dried peas, dried lentil, uncooked organic brown rice [small amounts]...

Do you have Pigeon seed mix available down there?...with..17% or higher protein content would be good.

Barley would be something you could add to that mix.
Sending positive thoughts that all goes well with the little rescue.

Good idea, Cindy.

Somehow I screwed up my post.

There we go! That's better. :That\\\'s so f

Looked fine to me, Cindy.

Matilda wrote:

Looked fine to me, Cindy.

I had your quote all messed up. It would have driven me crazy to leave it like that.
So had to go back quickly and correct it. :That\\\'s so f

Jaye, I think the vet said that because illness causes dehydration and malnourishment, which in turn cause more disease or aggravate the existing one.
But fortunately this is not always the case. If your bird is in good health, a diet such as was suggested above will not fail to help him/her gain weight, even if it takes some time.

Feeding baby cereal like milk pudding with fruit with a relatively high fat percentage. Easy to digest and gives lots of calories. Has worked on all my pijjies! But it is important to rather start with smaller quantities like 10 ml at one meal - up to 5 times a day. When they get used to it I fed 3 x 20 ml for a couple of days. Don't worry that the poop is getting a bit loose - it will firm up again with peas etc.