My pet cockatiel, Bugsy is 15 years old and started having…

are you located?if you try the Harrison's, it needs to be fresh as there are no preservatives and it will go stale.

He needs to be off seeds if they are not digesting. He may have Borna Virus/PDD; high fiber and good nutrients will help.

You might try cornbread mix with a cooked yam mixed in; you can add chopped greens and pellets as well. Most birds will really go for this, and it is good if there are appetite and digestive problems.

Pollen is not good.

Where are you located? You might call around to the local vets and see where they refer. Or call the hospital at the closest vet school, they may take the samples or know a local referral.

Here is some basic care info:


Dietary Notes: You really mean no seeds?

Seeds as a sole diet are deficient in essential amino acids, calcium and vitamins. Reduced levels of vitamin A, a common problem with all-seed diets, alter the immune system and make a bird susceptible to severe bacterial, viral or fungal infections. Remember: seeds are the storage units for baby plants. Plants make their own nutrients. Seeds are very high in fat and low in almost every other nutrient. Think of seeds as rocket fuel: in the wild, extra fat has positive survival value.

To alleviate the problem, you can feed your companion bird vegetables and pellets. Vegetables high in vitamin A include carrots, sweet potatoes, yams, dark leafy greens, and winter squash.

A quick note about dietary protein: most pet birds are herbivores or granivores. Their digestive system is very efficient at extracting amino acids and proteins from plant material. Their liver and kidneys use a different method of processing proteinaceous material than the mammalian system. Animal proteins are especially harmful (egg, meat, fish products).Overloading with protein, especially animal protein, will lead to severe kidney dysfunction, gout, calcium/phosphorus imbalance, reproductive disorders, feather-picking, and death. Pet birds should be offered a minimum amount of legumes (never give tofu), sprouts, or other high-protein plant material.

Conversion
Dietary conversion is a very stressful time. It is up caretakers to observe EVERY bird and make sure there is poop and food consumption. No poop = no food intake. It may take 2 days or 2 months. It can be very frustrating and stressful for all concerned; however, I have never failed to see a psittacine convert to pellets. Canaries and finches generally dive right in.


Conversion Diet for Pet Birds
YAM BREAD (cornbread mix+cooked yam)
1' cube per bird daily



RICE MIX (cooked short-grain brown rice plus fresh veg)
1/4 cup per bird daily


PELLETS (we recommend Harrison's and T.O.P.)




VEGETABLES

Entire leaves of greens poked through the cage wires or on branches

Corn wheels

Cooked yams or squash

Whole carrots, tops included

Half of apple and whole (opened but not peeled) banana poked on sticks (in the aviaries)

Grapes, citrus, pomegranate, persimmon, etc. One small slice per bird. Put on twigs etc.




Weekly Maintenance
Clean the cage weekly. Wash the cage and perches with soap and rinse with water to remove organic matter.





Daily Observations to Keep Your Bird Healthy
Keeping your feathered friend healthy requires that you watch out for any problems and any changes from normal, including any changes in normal behavior. Be alert for any discharges, including those from nostrils, eyes, beak. Monitor the appearance of he droppings for changes in color or consistency. The vent should be clean with no matting of the feathers. The bottom of the feet should not have any wear points or sores. Watch for changes in the amount of food and water consumed. Observe the rate, rhythm and depth of several respirations and check to make sure there is no open-mouth breathing. If you observe any changes, consult your avian veterinarian immediately.

Be alert for environmental stressors, as they can easily affect a bird’s health. If your bird becomes ill or has bouts of infection, consider whether any of the following apply.

overcrowding: A cage full of birds may seem pleasing, but if the birds are fighting, picking each others’ feathers or falling ill, there could be too many. Reduce the number of birds if these conditions are present.

being hunted: A bird could be stressed if subjected to constant observation (staring). Companion birds are preyed upon by raptors and other animals and are sensitive to extended periods of a watchful gaze. They may also panic when a hawk flies by, especially if their cage sits directly in front of a window. Large objects like balloons or an overhead lamp above their cage can have the same stressful, frightening affect.

poor nutrition: Birds need clean water to drink and a balanced diet with fresh vegetables, especially those rich in vitamin A or beta carotene. When a bird is molting, it may also need additional calcium-rich foods.

dirty environment: Birds are susceptible to molds and bacteria. Maintain a clean cage and cage items in a clean room.

over-stimulation: Birds need some "down time" to nap and preen. They shouldn’t live in the busiest hallway or room all of the time. A sleeping cage in a quiet room may be helpful.

Bathing
You may spray your bird in its cage or at the sink. A plant mister-type sprayer filled with tepid water works well. Spray a mist onto your bird to simulate rain. Special perches and gadgets can be used or you can put them up on the shower bar after bathing. However, caution should be used to make sure that the bird only comes in contact with water and not with soaps, shampoos or sharp objects. 

A shallow bowl of water may also be offered for bathing. Make sure it is heavy enough to not tip over when the bird perches on it.

Cages

Having a nice place to live is important for your companion bird. A well-designed and well-maintained cage sets the stage for a healthy environment and makes cleanup easier. You may want to consider one cage for daytime use and one sleeping cage at night in a quiet, darkened room.

When choosing a cage, they should be longer than they are tall because birds fly from side to side, not up and down. Canaries and finches particularly like to fly back and forth from perch to perch.

Make sure the bar spacing is the appropriate width so your bird cannot squeeze its head between the bars to cause serious injury or even death. With larger birds, it is important for the bars to be strong enough so that they cannot bend them with their beaks.
Avoid cages made with dipped galvanized metal as birds may peck at and ingest residual beads of metal, causing zinc or lead poisoning. Decorative cages made of wicker or basket materials cannot be sanitized properly and psittacine birds can chew out of them easily and escape.

Line the cage bottom with sheets of papers (newspaper, butcher paper or computer paper) and remove individual layers daily (or more frequently, if needed). Look at the bird’s droppings when cleaning the cage to make sure they are normal!
If grates are used (allowing droppings and food to fall out of a bird’s reach), clean the tray at least weekly, but remember to change paper layers daily. Do not use shredded paper as a cage liner. Avoid nugget materials like corncob bedding, walnut shells, etc. Birds can ingest these, resulting in impaction. Some of these materials are highly toxic, and have heavy loads of bacterial and fungal spores.Finally, they hinder inspection of droppings, which is important in monitoring daily health.

Placement and Perch Types
Rope perches or cleaned, natural branches are best for perches.

Select a size appropriate for your bird. Their nails should reach about half around the perch and never all the way around. Inappropriate perches can harm foot health and lead to severe foot infections.

When positioning perches, be sure that droppings will not fall into food and water dishes. Make sure they are placed in a comfortable location for your bird to perch high but allow them to be able to get to their food and water dishes.