PARROT NOT EATING FOOD

Question
Hi Chrys,

Thanks for reply.  Unfortunately, the few vet doctors here are not exotic bird vet. So whatever, medicine the vet prescribed, I have stopped them after a week.  We are feeding him liquid diet that is cerelac.  cerelac is a human diet for babies avaiable in different configrations. I am giving him two types which contains mixture of rice and vitamins and wheat with vitamins.  We are using a syringe without needle and with a soft rubber feeding tube.  He is also eating biscuits.  All other simptom are normal. I will also bring the suppliment you recommended. We are taking all care while feeding him.  

My question now is for how long we have to feed him like this? When he will start eating himself?

Regards

MUNAWAR


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Followup To
Question -
Hi,
My daughter has one green parrot same as grey.  I brought it when he was about a week old.  It is now about one month and three week old. Initially we fed him cerelac with the help of feeding tube. Later we also started giving him boiled corn and baked bean, vegitables and which he was eating without any problem.  his dropping were also normal i.e. transparent base with white and green. But for last one week he is not eating at all except cerelac.  However, he is vomiting some of it back. His dropping have also changed with more of transparent base and very less other.  I took him to a vet, who has informed that he is suffering from somekind of disorder in his breathing system.  He gave him some mdicine which we are giving him but I see  no improvement.  All other things are normal.   
Answer -
Hi, Munawar.  Thanks for posting.  I'm sorry to hear your parrot is ill.  If the medicine the avian vet gave for your bird's illness isn't working (isn't making the baby better), you need to inform the vet immediately so he can perhaps give you different medication.  Also, be sure you are going to a bird vet (exotic animal vet), a cat/dog vet doesn't know much about birds.  You must realize that at 7 weeks of age, a baby parrot hasn't built up enough immunities in his body to fight off illness/disease, so it's 50/50 chance at the baby getting better.  You MUST get nutrition into this baby quickly, particularly liquids, to keep the baby from dehydrating.  I do not know what cerelac is.  You should be handfeeding this baby a baby bird formula while it is sick, using a handfeeding syringe (a syringe without the needle), in order to get the food into his crop.  These are available at pet shops or on the internet (or your bird vet should be able to help you out with these).  You say you were/are using a feeding tube to feed this baby...this is good as long as you know what you are doing.  If you don't, you could be causing more harm than good.  Something else you can use in order to get nutrition into this baby is human liquid nutritional supplements, such as Slim Fast, Ensure, Boost...these supplements come in many different brand names.  If you can't find these where you live, a substitute could be human baby formula.  Sometimes when a baby parrot is sick, it can't keep solid food down, so the liquid nutritional supplements should help.  I would not try feeding boiled corn, baked beans, vegetables....his system may not be developed enough to process these foods, especially these type foods while it is ill.  If the baby is now vomiting, this is not good.  It may mean his crop is starting to shut down and/or otherwise not able to process food.  Therefore, you need to feed him something a little easier on his system that he can digest (such as the baby bird formula).  Another option would be honey mixed with some warm water.  Whatever you feed him should also be warm, not cold.  Also, it is better to feed a little bit at a time several times per day than to feed a lot a couple times per day (when they are sick).  This might help to keep the bird from vomiting what you are feeding it.  Even if you only get a few drops down his throat at a time, several times daily, this should help.    

Respiratory problems in birds, especially baby birds, is often hard to cure.  This baby needs to be kept warm (about 80 degrees F), fed, and on the right medication if it is to get better.  For respiratory problems, I use a vaporizer in the room to help the bird breathe easier (place near the cage, but no steam directly on the bird).  A nebulizer with medication is even better to use.

Also, be sure to thoroughly wash your hands before handling the baby and sterlize/disinfect any equipment (anything that would touch the baby inside or out) you use before using with the baby.  You need to keep as many germs away from the baby as possible so he doesn't get secondary infections.  There may be more than one problem going on with this bird at the same time.  Hopefully, your bird vet ran some tests after taking a mouth swab and a swab from the baby's rear (cloaca and choana swabs) in order to determine what might be wrong with the baby before prescribing the medication.

I hope the above helps and I hope the baby gets better.  If you need more information, please come back.

Chrys  

Answer
Hi, Munawar.  If the baby parrot is still having breathing problems, a good medicine for respiratory problems in birds is doxycycline.  Here is a link where you can get this medicine over the internet without a prescription (scroll down to almost the bottom of the page).  I buy bird medicine from here all the time for my pigeons and parrots so I know they are reliable.  Follow the instructions of mixing in water and then use the water when mixing formula for the baby and/or feed the water to the baby by dropper/tube/syringe:
http://www.globalpigeon.com/gps.php?action=showprod&id=20050111&catalogno=1010-1.   
This company can get this medicine to you very quickly by mail if you call them or order from the internet.  You will have to use a credit card to order by phone or the internet or send them money by mail.

You will have to continue handfeeding this baby parrot until he is able to eat on his own.  I do not know how long this will take.  It depends on how quickly he gets better.  If he is eating biscuits on his own, it should not be much longer.  You have to ensure he has enough nutrition every day, as well as medicine, or he will not get better.  You are doing a good job with him if he is now eating biscuits on his own...this is a good sign that he must be feeling better.  When he starts eating on his own again, be sure to give him foods that will digest easily and that he can eat easily because it will take him awhile to get all of his strength back (feed him soft foods).  If he has to work too hard to eat his good, he may give up.  Feed him anything that he will eat and keep an eye on him to ensure he is eating a sufficient amount of food every day.

Tube feeding is stressful on a bird, so the sooner he starts eating on his own, the better.

I hope the baby gets better soon.  Keep in touch and let me know how he is doing.  

Chrys