# Molting



## Schubird (Jun 12, 2015)

*Molting and Heavy Polyuria*

Oh man guys, Schubert is just a huge problem bird lately.

So I posted the thread about Schubert's watery droppings, about how we got antibiotics, etc.

Well, it stopped, then continued. So we went to a different vet this time exactly a week ago now who did a gram stain and blood test on the Schub. The gram stain came back showing gram positive bacteria in slightly higher numbers, but otherwise good, and the blood test came back great with white blood cells at a normal count and everything good as well. He said Schubert's wet poop is probably from the stress of a very heavy molt he's going through at the moment.

But I've noticed that the amount of feathers at the bottom of his cage have dwindled over the last few days (with a huge amount of pin feathers on his head), but his droppings are still pretty watery and I don't really hear him sing on his own anymore. He'll sing if I bring him up to the bathroom mirror, or if he catches his reflection in his food dish he'll wolf whistle at it. He plays with his toys, eats, and drinks normally. Does it take a bit to "recover" from a molt? If a gram stain and blood test are showing good results, he can't be sick, right? My boyfriend says my worrying isn't helping Schubert at all, but of course I'm worried! 

It's probably good to note we brought my pet rabbit back home with us last week and while she lives in a completely different room from Schubert and they don't interact, I'm wondering if he's grumpy that we're sharing attention now?

I have Brewers Yeast, but will it really help Schubert with his watery poo and lack of singing? I want my little buddy back =(


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Birds go through changes as they age. Is this Shubert's first ever molt? Boys get weird during their first molt. They go through a bratty teenage phase and can be jerks although not all of them do. Brewer's yeast will help if there is an imbalance of bacteria.


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## Schubird (Jun 12, 2015)

I think technically this is his second big molt? He's about a year and 3 months now, and last fall/winter he went through his first and lost most of his barred feathers and his face became solid yellow.


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## Schubird (Jun 12, 2015)

Anybody else experience this? Advice?


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## TamaMoo (Jan 12, 2014)

Joey went through his first bigish molt about 9 months of age. His second big molt, he was about a year and two or three months, a crabby brat through the whole thing, and was politely reminded a couple times a day he could be nice or go out and play with the neighbor's cats. 

That one seemed to be the worst for being temperamental. He still gets a bit cranky when he molts, but I would too if I was itchy and falling apart.


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## Schubird (Jun 12, 2015)

But is it normal for such watery poops after a gram stain and blood test came back healthy?

And believe me, his grump factor is through the roof. He screams loudly while sitting on the TV, then bites if I come over to pick him up. And bites if I go to take him out of his cage.... and bites when I take him anywhere, really, lol!


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

I really don't think there's anything abnormal, based on the poop pics in your last thread. Some of it may also be hormonal development. He's kind of in an adolescent period.


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## Schubird (Jun 12, 2015)

enigma731 said:


> I really don't think there's anything abnormal, based on the poop pics in your last thread. Some of it may also be hormonal development. He's kind of in an adolescent period.


This is helping me calm down, thank you. I just feel like I'm doing something wrong since it's gone on so long. Some times his poop is normal, most times it's watery. Then go goes to eat like normal, and drinks more than usually which I'm not sure is a cause or a symptom of how watery his poop is at this point. I put a pinch of Brewer's Yeast over his food daily, and it looks like his molting is slowing down, so I really hope this watery business will be on it's way out, too =(


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## Kimchee2016 (Jul 11, 2016)

As for the poop, if it has only been watery for a little bit don't worry. Kimchees poop has been watery before especially if they eat something like iceberg lettuce. Every time he bites put him in the cage so soon he will get the point. It shouldn't last long. Also a tip if the biting hurts, when you go to pick him up don't use your finger. Make a fist and Have him step onto your fist he can't bite a fist his beak doesn't work like that. For the screeching, leave the room every time she screeches. (Make sure you can still see him but he can't see you. Cockatiels can get in trouble!)


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## Schubird (Jun 12, 2015)

That's just it, though... Schubert has now had watery poop on and off for a month now, with it being watery more times than not. His feces are always nicely formed, but all that urine! And he's taking a good 3 or 4 sips of water when he used to take two. 

Today he's had no normal poop. Two weeks ago his gram stain and blood test came back good. What's going on here?! Are hormones really to blame for a month of watery droppings? The only hormone related info i can find is on behavior- nothing on runny poop.

I'm so upset, it's harder to clean up this water so i don't let him out of the cage as often. It's so frustrating and i want to cry so bad because i don't know what i can do for him!! I have him on pellets and seeds, lessened the seeds, brewers yeast, that round of antibiotics last month, blood test, gram stain, new toys, more exercise, less exercise, less veggies to take out water intake.... i don't know what i can do for him anymore!

He still plays, chews, eats, chirps (but rarely sings), screams, greets my boyfriend and i when we come home, but his droppings are pure liquid with a string of feces!!


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Have you called the vet back to let them know the watery poop is still going on? It may be that the antibiotics they gave didn't work. Or that he needs the brewer's yeast a little longer. Antibiotics can cause diarrhea in dogs and cats so that may not have helped the situation. The vet is probably gonna have better ideas than we will.


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## Schubird (Jun 12, 2015)

I haven't been able to get ahold of him, but I sent him an email with a picture of his stool. The antibiotics were about a month ago now, so I don't think that is the case. This is all just breaking my heart...


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## Wulvena (Jun 9, 2016)

Are you feeding him any supplements such as greens, fruit, veggies, etc? They can really make the feces soft, green and/or runny. In any event, I have my birds on a regular schedule of a probiotic such as AviBios or Nekton, because I do feed greens and veggies and it's good to get the most benefit out of the food rather than have it shoot straight through them. I also notice that you mention having a rabbit in the house as well - even if they don't interact, it's possible to pass parasites and other diseases between the two of them on your hands, clothes, shoes, etc. Did you tell your vet you have a rabbit in the house as well as the bird? He might want to test for something other than the usual bird diseases in that event. Also, given the symptoms, did the vet do a urinalysis or a blood glucose (for diabetes)? I'm sure its nothing serious, but it's always better to be positive. I know, I'm a worrier too.


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## Schubird (Jun 12, 2015)

^ All good stuff to think about. I'm not giving him any supplements daily, though I know I should. His favorite is broccoli and we'll give it to him when we can, but often times we go a while between having greens in the house because of how fast they spoil. I try to stay away from fruits because of the sugar content in them - I'm afraid to get him too addicted to fruit and not wanting to eat veggies.

And I've been washing my hands each time I handle the bunny, but I'm not sure if it could be a spread of disease being the issue because he's had polyuria for about 3 weeks before ever bringing her here. The vet is aware that I have them both now, though, but he isn't too concerned other than having them up close and personal with each other.

I'm not sure if he tested the blood sample he took for glucose levels though. And true to Schubert's nature the poop was completely normal on the way too the vet and while there, so the sample the vet got of his feces was normally formed and showed good results in a gram stain. I actually tried calling this morning about the possibility of diabetes because it was something Schubert's breeder brought up, too (she suggested the possibility of diabetes as well as a behavioral quirk like a cockatoo she's previously owned, among other possibilities). But contact with the vet has been spotty because of their office hours vs my work hours lining up poorly (lots of phone tag going on). 

Today he had much more normal stools than the previous few days, and I've noticed that exercise seems to improve it. If he's been sitting in his cage all day it's pure water, but if he's out of the cage they seems to firm up to normal until nearer his bedtime.


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