Accepted Answer

Hi,

Thanks for the added info.

As you know, hypocalcemia is a possibility for the seizures. Unfortunately his diet is not adequate and it is most likely in other things also besides calcium. We know that seeds are high in fat and deficient in many nutrients. The number one thing you can do to keep him healthy is too improve his diet!! At age 14, he is still young but if we don't correct his diet, there is a very high likelihood he will die young. Seed diets (high fat) can predispose birds to atherosclerosis, fatty liver disease and other serious health risks. In some cases, a poor diet can also be a cause of the feather issues.

Diet changes can take weeks to months to happen so don't give up. Ideally we will convert him to a high quality pelleted diet with lots of healthy veggies and seeds etc will eventually be the treats.   Never 'cold turkey' him to a diet, we don't want to starve him into changing. For some helpful info see:
http://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/ourfoods/index.html

http://lafebervet.com/downloads/education/Dietary_conversion.pdf

Right now, to try and increase the calcium try offering some dark green leafy items like kale, collards or mustard greens.   He may not eat them but it is worth a try. You can also give him some dairy like a little bit of cheese or cottage cheese. Overall, I don't like to give dairy products to birds as they really don't the enzymes to break down the proteins. Give a few almonds also as they calcium.   You can crush and sprinkle a bit of a "tums' tablet over his food, but since his food is dry (seeds), this may not work as well. If he likes anything 'wet' like a bit of cooked pasta, some fruit, the "tums' is more likely to stick to that so he can ingest it.

The other issue with the possibility of low calcium is the lack of exposure to the sun. Just like in people, with need sun exposure to convert Vit D to an active form in our body. VIt D is very important in calcium metabolism. Obviously this time of year in MI, you can't take him outside for sun due to the temp, but I would work on that in the future. Just a few minutes (30 min or so) a couple of times a week is all he would need. You can buy 'full spectrum' lights and have above him, but they need to be fairly close to him and it takes hours under these to get the same effect as sun. If it is, being by a closed window will not help, but being by an open window with a screen will help some also.

http://www.exoticpetvet.net/avian/seizures.html

There are certainly other causes of seizures like infection, toxins, tumors so I would highly recommend a vet visit to make sure there are no other underlying issues. I would also want to check his calcium level (in addition to other blood chemistries) with an ionized calcium level. There is a good clinic in the Detroit area that does a
lot of exotics. It is: http://www.parkway-animal-hospital.com/

Make sure there is no old metal (lead or zinc) objects that he is exposed to also. We can see heavy metal poisoning in birds.

Try to make sure that his cage is safe for him in case he were to have another seizure - lower perches, make sure something soft is on the bottom. I would also make sure that you know of a place that will handle bird emergencies (especially since it is the weekend). In case he seizes again, he may need immediate medical attention. I'm not sure if the above hospital sees emergencies, but I would call and ask or check with local emergency clinics. If it happens again, you may not have a lot of time to waste trying to get him seen.

This is a big topic and hard to cover in depth, so if you have any more questions, please let me know.

Dr. G

Expert:	Dr. G
Pos. Feedback:	100.0 %
Accepts:
Answered:	1/17/2009

Bird Veterinarian

ABVP Avian Diplomate (inactive status), bird/exotic animal practice 15 years