Vet Visit
Just got back from the vet with Kiwi and the cockatoo. Got caught in a major Beltway backup on the way home and the 35-40 min drive took 2 hours. :P Ugh.
Vet thinks that Kiwi may have a reproductive issue that would press on her siatic nerve and cause the "seisures." So I may indeed find out if Kiwi is truely girl or no. :) Vet drew blood and Kiwi took everything like a real trooper. She doesn't think there's any likelyhood of heavy metal poisoning, whew. She wants Kiwi to eat more broccoli and also califlower. We talked about strategies and she's totally hip to Kiwi eating Indian-spiced dishes. No more soy beans (haven't been giving them to her for prolly 6-8 months), but she said if she will drink some carrot juice, do it. Liquid is Kiwi's forte.
Cockatoo also got blood drawn and may need periodic shots to help with her hormonal issues. The vet thinks that the home she's going to go to may also help her, because it will have multiple people plus another healthy, well-adjusted cockatoo for her to "flock bond" with instead of latching onto one person as her "mate." I'm really happy to hear that!!
In the mean time, I'm supposed to make finding her favourite foods into a game... something that will occupy her for hours! (Wow, that's a challenge.) I made her a pinata today before the vet visit, and the doc said that's the right idea. She also says that the bird needs to play the "magic shell" game. Put the peanut (or whatever) under one cup and have a whole bunch of other cups without a treat... even put things on top of the cups so they are hard to turn over. She recommended the toy that I bought JoJo at the store 3 days ago, that's good.
She told me about the bird's old diet... oh, how horrible. Hotdogs and cheese and those prepackaged peanutbutter cheese cracker sandwiches. :P No wonder she has issues. So, the vet was very pleased to hear that she is eating pellets now instead of junk food. And that she will even try things like banannas and the like.
To mitigate the hormone issues (especially since I am the bee's knees!) I'm supposed to make feeding her as perfunctory as possible (so she doesn't see me as her "mate" returning from the jungle with the choicest bits of food with which to woo her). I liked what the vet said: To a cockatoo, food is a diamond engagement ring. LOL So, no more treats or foods from my hands. And when she does her hormone things, I have to just walk away from her and at least not make eye contact, but, maybe also dissapear from her sight.
Okay, fed all the birdies but, I'm starved. Didn't expect this to be such a loooong experience.
Vet thinks that Kiwi may have a reproductive issue that would press on her siatic nerve and cause the "seisures." So I may indeed find out if Kiwi is truely girl or no. :) Vet drew blood and Kiwi took everything like a real trooper. She doesn't think there's any likelyhood of heavy metal poisoning, whew. She wants Kiwi to eat more broccoli and also califlower. We talked about strategies and she's totally hip to Kiwi eating Indian-spiced dishes. No more soy beans (haven't been giving them to her for prolly 6-8 months), but she said if she will drink some carrot juice, do it. Liquid is Kiwi's forte.
Cockatoo also got blood drawn and may need periodic shots to help with her hormonal issues. The vet thinks that the home she's going to go to may also help her, because it will have multiple people plus another healthy, well-adjusted cockatoo for her to "flock bond" with instead of latching onto one person as her "mate." I'm really happy to hear that!!
In the mean time, I'm supposed to make finding her favourite foods into a game... something that will occupy her for hours! (Wow, that's a challenge.) I made her a pinata today before the vet visit, and the doc said that's the right idea. She also says that the bird needs to play the "magic shell" game. Put the peanut (or whatever) under one cup and have a whole bunch of other cups without a treat... even put things on top of the cups so they are hard to turn over. She recommended the toy that I bought JoJo at the store 3 days ago, that's good.
She told me about the bird's old diet... oh, how horrible. Hotdogs and cheese and those prepackaged peanutbutter cheese cracker sandwiches. :P No wonder she has issues. So, the vet was very pleased to hear that she is eating pellets now instead of junk food. And that she will even try things like banannas and the like.
To mitigate the hormone issues (especially since I am the bee's knees!) I'm supposed to make feeding her as perfunctory as possible (so she doesn't see me as her "mate" returning from the jungle with the choicest bits of food with which to woo her). I liked what the vet said: To a cockatoo, food is a diamond engagement ring. LOL So, no more treats or foods from my hands. And when she does her hormone things, I have to just walk away from her and at least not make eye contact, but, maybe also dissapear from her sight.
Okay, fed all the birdies but, I'm starved. Didn't expect this to be such a loooong experience.