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gedoena
Flutterer
Joined: 24 Jul 2006
Posts: 114
Location: Bloomington, Indiana, USA |
| Fat Budgies |
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Our two budgies are getting really overweight.
We weigh them every couple of days (postal scale comes in handy!!).
We believe Kiwi's ideal weight should be around 40 g and Sugar's around 33 g, based on their previous patterns and comments by the vet.
Kiwi is now 50 g (he was higher a week ago) and Sugar was up around 43, now down to 39. But they seem to be leveling off at those weights and I think they are still overweight. Kiwi especially is visibly overweight.
We have been reducing the amount of food, and locking them out of their cage during play-time (they often still have a little dish with vegetables and other fresh foods, and a toy which has a few pellets or seeds in it). In their dish we give them a mixture of Harrison's pellets, and a seed mixture which contains many kinds of seeds along with dried fruits and vegetables (they don't appear to eat the dried fruits and vegetables).
However, Kiwi especially will just not stop eating. He is constantly trying to get at the food. If there is nothing but husks left, he will try to eat the husks (but not the dried fruits and veggies *sighs*). If he can't get in the cage he will keep climbing down to where the food door is, or poking around looking for tidbits.
They also fight over the food (posturing and making noise). They have always done this. However, Sugar used to always "win" these squabbles. Recently, Kiwi has pulled the fact that he is taller then her and has been winning.
They are free-flighted and I try to chase them around more. They have been getting more sedentary then usual, but don't seem to be sick. Kiwi spends lots of time singing happily.
Tonight, Kiwi landed on the floor and seemed not to be able to lift himself up more then a few inches!!! I got scared and put him on the cage. But later, he was flying around as usual.
If it were just Kiwi gaining weight I would think it is a health problem. But both of them have been gaining. Just the last month or so.
Any suggestions or ideas about this sudden weight gain in two birds?
Thanks
Marisa |
Thursday September 21, 2006 12:43 am |
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Cathy
Kamikaze pilot
Joined: 02 Apr 2005
Posts: 6673
Location: Omaha, NE USA |
I'm not sure Marisa. I don't live with any budgies myself & I'm certainly no expert on diets.
If it were me, I guess I would try measuring the seeds you are giving them, with a gram scale, or measuring spoons, & cut back on the amt you are offering them.If they eat pellets OK, I would keep a bowl of only pellets available at all times for them, supplemented with veggies, & offer them seeds & fruit as a treat only, AFTER discarding any sun flower seeds.
Even try cutting the servings of seeds down to 1 or 2 teaspoons just once or twice a day, taking them away after a short amount of time - don't keep the seeds available all day.
It sounds like they're getting plenty of excercise. |
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Thursday September 21, 2006 12:06 pm |
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gedoena
Flutterer
Joined: 24 Jul 2006
Posts: 114
Location: Bloomington, Indiana, USA |
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quote:
Originally posted by Cathy
I'm not sure Marisa. I don't live with any budgies myself & I'm certainly no expert on diets.
If it were me, I guess I would try measuring the seeds you are giving them, with a gram scale, or measuring spoons, & cut back on the amt you are offering them.If they eat pellets OK, I would keep a bowl of only pellets available at all times for them, supplemented with veggies, & offer them seeds & fruit as a treat only, AFTER discarding any sun flower seeds.
Even try cutting the servings of seeds down to 1 or 2 teaspoons just once or twice a day, taking them away after a short amount of time - don't keep the seeds available all day.
It sounds like they're getting plenty of excercise.
:/ they are already down to 1/3 of a tablespoon of pellets + seeds two times a day (plus little bits of fresh food...lately it has been VERY small bits of apple, which they mostly fling around but probably get something out of, some vegetables, whcih they mostly ignore, and a black bean or two, whcih they also mostly ignore)
Maybe I just need to give htem more time...after all, if I lost the equivalent of a gram or two in a week I'd probably be extatic. But in the past when they got a little overweight it seemed like they could loose weight much faster. Also, the thing with him on the floor really creeped me out. But who knows, maybe he was just forraging in some wierd way... when they start getting hungry they look around for poops to eat (yuck, why?)
We will probably take them to the vet as soon as we can get an appointment, just in case. But I guess this doesn't warrent begging an emergency appointment, since as you say, they are active.
marisa |
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Thursday September 21, 2006 4:14 pm |
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gedoena
Flutterer
Joined: 24 Jul 2006
Posts: 114
Location: Bloomington, Indiana, USA |
quote:
Originally posted by Cathy
I'm not sure Marisa. I don't live with any budgies myself & I'm certainly no expert on diets.
If it were me, I guess I would try measuring the seeds you are giving them, with a gram scale, or measuring spoons, & cut back on the amt you are offering them.If they eat pellets OK, I would keep a bowl of only pellets available at all times for them, supplemented with veggies, & offer them seeds & fruit as a treat only, AFTER discarding any sun flower seeds.
Even try cutting the servings of seeds down to 1 or 2 teaspoons just once or twice a day, taking them away after a short amount of time - don't keep the seeds available all day.
It sounds like they're getting plenty of excercise.
If we just feed them for short amounts of time, is it very important that it is a tthe same time every day? We are concerned because somethines I am not back until late in the evening, and my husband works afternoon/evening.
marisa |
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Thursday September 21, 2006 4:16 pm |
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meg832
Fledgeling
Joined: 16 Jun 2006
Posts: 365
Location: Ohio |
Two observations, for what it's worth:
Dogs eat poop when they are deficient in a vitamin or mineral. Are you sure they try to eat it and are not just moving it out of the way?
Chemicals in the environment (fragrances from any source, even from detergents, body care products, fabric softeners as well as new carpeting or other building supplies, glues, paints, etc., and food additives) can act as estrogens in the body, but can't be excreted, so they can really mess up a lot of functions-- including thyroid, liver, etc. I don't want to instill panic in you, but because both birds got fat and because you do limit their seeds, it could be worthwhile to double check your environment. |
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Saturday September 23, 2006 2:30 am |
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gedoena
Flutterer
Joined: 24 Jul 2006
Posts: 114
Location: Bloomington, Indiana, USA |
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quote:
Originally posted by meg832
Two observations, for what it's worth:
Dogs eat poop when they are deficient in a vitamin or mineral. Are you sure they try to eat it and are not just moving it out of the way?
To be honest, I don't think they are really eating it... I think they just kind of like to pick it up and throw it or crack it if it is dry. They (especially Sugar) started doing this when we put them on a meal plan about a year ago to get them to eat pellets. They currently do it when we close them out of their cage (and access to food) for a while. I guess they do it when they feel hungry/like picking at things. If there are other things to "forage" they will prefer that.
quote:
Chemicals in the environment (fragrances from any source, even from detergents, body care products, fabric softeners as well as new carpeting or other building supplies, glues, paints, etc., and food additives) can act as estrogens in the body, but can't be excreted, so they can really mess up a lot of functions-- including thyroid, liver, etc. I don't want to instill panic in you, but because both birds got fat and because you do limit their seeds, it could be worthwhile to double check your environment.
Sugar has started loosing weight (now down to 37 g... I got worried that she was loosing too fast, so Max brought Kiwi into the living room and gave sugar access to more pellets). Kiwi doesn't seem to be.
We plan to bring them into the vet next week if possible.
In the mean time I will once again start wracking my brain for environmental changes we might have caused. (Dewey's mysterious sneezing went away and now we have to worry again *sighs*)
The supposed construction on our house hasn't gotten very far yet so it probably isn't that...
Thanks again for the thoughts and ideas....
Marisa |
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Saturday September 23, 2006 2:39 am |
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gedoena
Flutterer
Joined: 24 Jul 2006
Posts: 114
Location: Bloomington, Indiana, USA |
| Good News |
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Max took both budgies to the vet on Wednesday.
The vet found that Sugar is sitting pretty at 34.5 grams (and he made her even more pretty by trimming her beak... ever since we adopted her with a bad infestation of beak mites, her beak grows crooked and needs to be trimmed periodically, though luckily she needs it less and less frequently now).
Kiwi is still overweight... 46 at the vet, today down to 45. The vet suggested that we keep them on the restricted diet, and to add more egg white to Kiwi's diet so that he gets more protean and, I guess, pig out less on pellets and seeds. He doesn't think Kiwi has a thyroid problem and said that the tests often are not conclusive and the medication can cause other problems...so we should try diet first. Considering he's come down from 51 grams in the last couple weeks, I guess the diet is working.
Meanwhile, you can see that Sugar is ...well, not necessarily eating her vegetables... but... well, here's Sugie Salad: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mexter/263252903/ ...I guess she'll get hte nutrients when she preens  |
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Saturday October 7, 2006 10:53 pm |
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Yupra
Flying tumbler
Joined: 05 Feb 2006
Posts: 2206
Location: CA |
Lol, how cute  I'm glad your little one is losing weight Good luck with the diet! |
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Sunday October 8, 2006 4:42 pm |
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Cathy
Kamikaze pilot
Joined: 02 Apr 2005
Posts: 6673
Location: Omaha, NE USA |
Boy, Sugar & Kiwi sure are beautiful budgies!!
Good luck with their weights! Sounds like you're doing a great job with it ,considering Kiwis wt has come down so much already! |
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Monday October 9, 2006 3:36 am |
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gedoena
Flutterer
Joined: 24 Jul 2006
Posts: 114
Location: Bloomington, Indiana, USA |
Update: Kiwi is down to 44 grams. Like me, I think he feels better now that he is loosing weight - he is flying around even more! Sugar gained a little back but hopefully she will loose again, and at least she is safely in the 35-ish region which is much better!
Both of them were in a super good mood today, singing up a storm.
Too bad Dewey is in a bad, pin-headed mood! The budgies can preen each-other but Dewey has to put up with me, and based on the shrieking and biting I obviously am a little clumsy at it (not having nails doesn't help).
marisa |
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Friday October 13, 2006 1:03 am |
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Yupra
Flying tumbler
Joined: 05 Feb 2006
Posts: 2206
Location: CA |
Ah, congrats on little Kiwi and his diet Glad to hear he is starting to exercise too! Poor little Dewey, I'm sure he'll get over his pin-feathers and start feeling better soon.. my little one doesn't allow me to touch him, so I can't help out with his pinfeathers at all  |
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Friday October 13, 2006 6:32 pm |
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gedoena
Flutterer
Joined: 24 Jul 2006
Posts: 114
Location: Bloomington, Indiana, USA |
Yeah, I hope Dewey stops getting new pins soon... I thought they were almost all gone and now he is loosing more feathers and I see a new group of pins! It seems like the last round was just a few months ago... I guess it was poor baby.
However, the budgies look much funnier when they are multing, since they loose one or more chin-spots, and look lop-sided. |
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Friday October 13, 2006 7:45 pm |
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