vomiting Eclectus

Question
QUESTION: hi,I have a male eclectus who likes to vomit and eat his own vomit about 4yrs ago he just eat without vomiting. he seems health,playful and talkative i changed his food to pellets but he doesn't seem to like it,doesn't eat it. What could i do about his vomiting it makes a mess all over his cage and I'm worried about him. Can you please help me? :(

ANSWER:  When he 'vomits' is this a side to side shaking of his head and throwing vomitus up and out all over the place?  It would be sticky, sometimes clear, liquidy substance.

Or are you seeing him bob his head slightly up and down and then deposit a lump of what looks like food on a surface or object?

Vomiting is a violent looking event that may upset the bird; regurgitation is purposeful and not really distressful.  The bird will quite often re-engage the regurgitation, whereas they rarely eat the vomit.

Also, is he getting fresh foods?  Is he getting any seeds at all?

Take a look at my bird page for more immediate help, but get back to me and let me know about the questions I've asked here ok?

 www.4AnimalCare.org  (click on the bird tab)



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thank you for replying to me. An i do believe he is regurgitating, he gets fresh food everyday and i was giving him seeds. But, now for the pass 2 days I've been giving him pellets, but like i mention earlier he just doesn't eat it.  So I have been giving him apple so he eats something. He seems to enjoy the apple and doesn't regurgitate it,but I'm concern about his pellet eating, i heard that pellets come in different shapes and taste, should i try another kind of pellet food?  

Answer
I'm glad you're trying to give him a better diet.

Yes, you can try different pellets and any kind that he'll eat is a good kind.

Also, don't withdraw the seeds completely.  A healthy diet will include about 20% seed, but omit the sunflower seeds (they are not good for birds).

You can  also try offering him 1/2 teaspoon of natural, preferably organic baby food too.  My girls love sweet potatoes, squash, mixed vegetables and sometimes peas or green beans, but sticking with the 'orange' colored foods is better for them.

Applesauce (no more than 1 teaspoon a day) is fine if there's "no added sugar" and none of that artificial sugar - or anything artificial in it.

Sometimes, once you get the bird used to a little spoon of these good foods you can add a few mashed up pellets to it.  Then, over time, decrease the applesauce or baby food by just a little while increasing the pellets and pretty soon you'll see the bird eating the pellets out of their separate dish.  You can continue the 1/2 teaspoon of the other foods every day too.

I've got more on pellet conversion at my site

 www.4AnimalCare.org  just click the bird tab and see the section about foods