Strange illness in parrot

Question
Hi Lara,

I work at a wildlife sanctuary that currently houses a very sick female cockatoo, Sparky. We don't know what's wrong, and neither do the vets who we've sent her to.

The most obvious sign is her lack of balance. She's fine when she clutches onto something vertical (like the side of a cage) but on a horizontal perch, she'll sway and sometimes tip over. Even worse, when she's on a flat surface with nothing to grab on to, she would panic and   
stumble around, unable to fly.

Sparky is still quite alert, and will respond to different people by approaching them or moving away. I think her appetite is fine except she can't seem to eat anything but sunflower seeds; the problem is, she picks up the other items and puts them on her wing, then drops them (is she just playing with her food?).

Lately, her condition has gotten worse. Her head is a bit tilted, she shivers even when standing under the heat lamp, and she appears to be more lethargic overall. Everyone thinks she should be seen by a specialist, but the organization simply cannot afford the costs. We've put her through blood tests and x-rays and still cannot determine what's wrong. If you can provide any insight to this strange condition, we would be very grateful. Thank you.  

Answer
Hello,

I apologize for the slow response, I've been too busy to sit down at the computer the last few days.  Unfortunately, I can't tell you much.  Neurological symptoms such as you describe can be caused by a number of things.  Metal toxicity comes to mind, but that probably would have showed in x-rays.  Tumors can cause those symptoms.  So can PDD, or "macaw wasting disease."  PDD is difficult to diagnose, and is fatal.  Other infections can cause loss of coordination, etc., too.  I don't know enough myself about these problems to be able to help you diagnose one or another.

Has the sanctuary considered placing her with another organization who might have the funds to bring her to a specialist?  I know many just can't take in an obviously ill bird, but there are some parrot rescues and sanctuaries that do have the resources to do so.  It may be worth at least contacting any in your area to ask.  If you put your state and the words "parrot rescue" into Google, you should come up with at least one or two.

I wouldn't be surprised if her diet is to blame for her illness, at least in part.  Sunflower seeds are far from a complete diet.  Anything you can do to improve her diet should help her health too, although changes should be gradual to avoid stress.  Here's an article worth reading:
http://www.companionparrot.com/articles/betterdiet.html

One of the first new items I'd try is sprouts.  They're healthier than dry seed but most "seed junkies" will accept them.
http://naturallyhealthypet.com/sproutedseeds.htm

Her odd behavior with foods other than sunflower seeds sounds like she's "anting."  I've had several cockatoos that went through the motions of this behavior and don't have a clue why they do it.  Wild birds do it with real ants, and though the reasons are unknown, there are speculations that the ants emit an acid that helps get rid of parasites, or possibly just feels good.  The mysteries of why captive birds would mimic this behavior, sans ants, are even greater!

Anyway, I truly wish I could have helped more.  I hope you keep seeking information even if you can't consult a specialist.  Did you try asking one of the vets here at AllExperts?  I don't think any of them are avian vets, so their knowledge may be limited in that area, but they might be able to tell you more than I'm able to.  I hope everything goes well for you and Sparky both!

- Lara
psitta@yahoo.com