The good, the bad, and the microchipping

[zandperl]

1) Good: Beak condition is normal - y'all were right, it was nothing to worry about. (PBFD is very unlikely, vet saw no reason to test for it.) He says beaks grow from the inside so outer layers flake off normally. It's not a sign of poor diet or anything.

2) Room for improvement: Diet. Her feather condition is a bit off as others mentioned

Comments

[troubleagain]

Still can't get Sunshine to eat pellets. ::sigh::

[zandperl]

I was lucky with Kappa that she was weaned onto veggies and pellets. How long have you been trying to get Sunshine to convert? How many different ways have you tried? How long did you stick with each attempt? I've converted two 'tiels, and the first took 3 months and the second took 9, so it's not something yo ucan do quickly or easily. I suggest make a new post about everything you've tried, and we can give you more ideas. :)

[kynekh_amagire]

Yay for "normal"!

I forgot to mention on your previous post, but I have been supplementing my birds with organic red palm oil once a week for the past two months. None of them have shown noticeable improvement in the quality of their new feathers (well, except Ninja, but his diet before I got him was seeds, apples, peanuts and corn. If his feathers DIDN'T look vastly better, it would be a surprise), but it does have the simple mechanical effect of concealing the cracks and flakes in dark beaks and making them shiny.

I wouldn't be comfortable microchipping a bird as small as Kappa. A microchip is not so "micro" when it's stuck in the breast muscle of something that only weighs 100g, which is why a lot of vets have that lower weight limit. If your vet feels it's safe, I'm not contradicting him or telling you to disregard his advice; just sharing a personal opinion. (I've also never heard of anesthesia for microchipping; my vet does it without.)

[shadowrabbit]

I second this about the microchipping.

It would not be worth the risk to me to put a bird under for that.

[zandperl]

I made the appt, but I'm second guessing myself, see a more recent post. I have until Thurs to back out.

[zandperl]

I made the appt, but I'm second guessing myself, see a more recent post. I have until Thurs to back out.

[thedarkcrystal]

They should just be able to towel a bird for a microchip. I've never heard of them putting a bird out for that. Given the extra risks for a bird under anasthesia, I agree that it might not be worth the risk.