# hello everyone from me and my old boy!



## marylou (Dec 19, 2011)

Hello everyone and to all the cute tiels have spotted on here

I am Mary from London and I have owned my Cockatiel Louie since I was around 6yrs old...making him around 18yrs old! Most of his days now are spent throwing seed at me, sitting with his toy bell on his head, telling me off for waking him up and a lot of snoozing! He is truly a grumpy old man these days who takes things in his stride and his happy for a little chit chat with you before another snooze! apart from a touch of arthritis and looking a little rough these days he is a happy boy! I was talking on another forum about him and they said he was an unusual colour..i have never really noticed as I have just seen him as Louie! anything special about him?

This is my old boy, looking scruffy these days but at his age i figure he is allowed to have a few feathers out of place!









cant wait to get to know all of you and your feathered ones!


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## stevechurch2222 (Sep 25, 2011)

Welcome to the forum,glad to have you here.Louie looks just fine for his age.


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

Welcome aboard! Great crew here! Awww.. look at that distinguished bird!  He is handsome. I agree.. his coloring does look quite unique. Maybe he is olive/emerald mutation? Hmmm..


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## JaimeS (Nov 28, 2011)

Welcome, Louie is a gorgeous bird!


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## marylou (Dec 19, 2011)

thankyou everyone  glad you think louie is looking good for an older bird! he is currently snoozing his his favorite spot after telling me off for putting my drink far to close to his cage for his liking haha! still as cheeky as ever!


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

Welcome to the forum! Louie is lovely! I have never seen coloring like his before. It's very striking.


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Welcome to the forum... Im sure there is something wrong with him
im sure its liver disease but hopefully someone more experience can tell you


*Im going to put this in the health section but if im wrong i will move it back


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## xoxsarahxox (Dec 13, 2010)

Welcome to the forum Louie is very handsome!

Unfortunately yellowing of the feathers like that can be an indication of liver disease, you may want to see a vet if louie hasnt seen one before or in a while.


* since lindsey moved the thread hopefully someone who is better in the health related issues will help *


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

yellowing of the feathers (jaundice) is an indication of liver disease. best have a vet take a look. liver disease can be reversed and fixed with diet and the vets instructions


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## marylou (Dec 19, 2011)

omg really? it has been like this for a while..as far back as me and my mum can remember! he has seen many vets too over the years for check ups, nail clippings and more recently for a lump on his foot.


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

i would ask them to check his liver function. yellowing feathers like that can be an indication of liver disease.

but as i said, it can easily be fixed 

we're talking about the yellow on his wings, chest and grey feathers (not the face, the face is supposed to be yellow)


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## marylou (Dec 19, 2011)

oh okay..how do they check him for that? (stupid question sorry!) they have been really funny with me bringing him in as he is so old and they dont want to "Stress him out"


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

most likely blood work.


what do you feed him? the biggest factor in liver problems is diet. which can be changed and reversed.


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## marylou (Dec 19, 2011)

just a regluar bag of mixed seed..i have been trying for years to get him to eat more fruit and veg but he so set in ways  even if we buy his seed from somewhere else then our normal shop he will refuse to eat it!


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

wow, he is stubborn.

can you try a mash? its a mix of veggies, seed, pellets all mashed up in a blender and fed to him (must be removed after a half hour to prevent spoiling).


you dont give vitamins in his water do you? if you do, i would stop. too much vitamins may cause liver problems, its easy to overdose them on vitamins


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## morla (Aug 15, 2011)

Hi! Welcome to the forum! I hope you like it here!


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## marylou (Dec 19, 2011)

DallyTsuka said:


> wow, he is stubborn.
> 
> can you try a mash? its a mix of veggies, seed, pellets all mashed up in a blender and fed to him (must be removed after a half hour to prevent spoiling).
> 
> ...


if it will help i can try a mash! like you said he is stubborn..with everything! cant give him treats or new toys as he will either ignore them, attack them or stop eating! we even had to move my budgies because he stopped eating because they were too close to his cage!







morla said:


> Hi! Welcome to the forum! I hope you like it here!


hello! thankyou for the welcome!


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

Will he hand feed from you? That's about the only way I can get my tiel to try something new. (He's 15 and also quite set in his ways.) But I can usually get him to at least take a bite of something if I feed it to him. Also, sometimes if he sees me eating something he will want to try it.


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## marylou (Dec 19, 2011)

rarely he will hand feed from me...he has his rare moments when he will though...mostly i get hisses though


oh and no he isnt getting an extra vitamins in his water or anything


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

ok, so i think if you can get him eating more veggies in his diet, then i think he will improve. 

add more seed to the mash at first to see if he will eat it. my tiels wont touch mash, but my lovebirds love it, but i know someone who's tiels LOVE mash. so it is worth a try with him


also i would suggest garlic powder for him. not garlic salt, but *garlic powder*. it can be sprinkled on his seed. its good for the liver. in small amounts, just sprinkle a bit on his seed. its best we can get until you get him eating some veggies


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## marylou (Dec 19, 2011)

thankyou! i will give it a try!  spoke to my vets this morning as i was down there with one of my other animals and they would prefer not to do anything too stressful with him anymore because of his age...time to find a new vet i think!

tried him again with veg today..he carefully ate the seed around the veg! however he did move some bits with his break which means he touched the veggie bits which is the first time in a while

he is a more recent photo of him this afternoon looking smug with himself after avoiding his veggies again! (you can see the lump on his foot which the vets said not to worry about...but i do worry  )


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

i would definately find a second opinion. i mean, liver damage can be reversed easily. if left, it can be fatal... usually diet will help reverse it.

i dont know about the foot, did they say anything about the lump at all?


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

The foot could be from uric acid build up. If there's liver damage, there could also be kidney damage.

I would definitely get a second opinion. Eighteen is NOT that old, and there's no reason he should look that scruffy at his age. To me it looks like he doesn't feel well. See if you can find a vet who will do bloodwork and help you get him on the proper diet and meds. I think if the vet is using the "too stressful" excuse, the vet doesn't want to see him for some reason. Think about it -- Is it more stressful to have a scary vet visit once, or to live for months/years not feeling well from chronic health problems?

Here's what my eighteen year old looks like, for reference:


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## marylou (Dec 19, 2011)

right that picture has done it for me.. i get paid next week and i got some christmas money today he is going to a vets the other side of london (the type you have to take a loan out to go to which is why i cant take my animals there regularly.. I take my reptiles there in emergencies )...i feel like SUCH a terrible owner  I am going to sort out arrangements for transport and everything this week (as i dont drive)..its a pain that christmas is so close!

i feel like such an idiot that I have fallen for my stupid vets excuses   my poor boy what have i done to him! i have never had a problem taking him to the vets..in my opinion he is fine going! he loves the car rides and chirps away...i even leave him in his own cage and carry the whole thing there so he feels secure and it seems to work. but the vets seemed determined that i was doing more harm then good! they said that lump was to do with arthritis  I am SO mad at the vets and myself right now that i am rambling...


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

it is not your fault, dont beat yourself up  how were you supposed to know? vets are human and make mistakes, you are human and can only do so much.

see what the other vet says, who knows, it could be something else. but yellowing of the feathers is indicative of liver problems, so its always good to have that looked into. 

the lump could be swelling from arthritis, it could be something else, it could be a growth. it can be lots of things. i dont know about the foot, as i do not have much experience with swelling like that. second opinion from another vet would be a good idea, but please, its not your fault


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

marylou said:


> right that picture has done it for me.. i get paid next week and i got some christmas money today he is going to a vets the other side of london (the type you have to take a loan out to go to which is why i cant take my animals there regularly.. I take my reptiles there in emergencies )...i feel like SUCH a terrible owner  I am going to sort out arrangements for transport and everything this week (as i dont drive)..its a pain that christmas is so close!
> 
> i feel like such an idiot that I have fallen for my stupid vets excuses   my poor boy what have i done to him! i have never had a problem taking him to the vets..in my opinion he is fine going! he loves the car rides and chirps away...i even leave him in his own cage and carry the whole thing there so he feels secure and it seems to work. but the vets seemed determined that i was doing more harm then good! they said that lump was to do with arthritis  I am SO mad at the vets and myself right now that i am rambling...


You are NOT a bad owner, and you obviously love him and want what's best. You had no reason to doubt your vet, but they gave you bad information. You did the best thing possible by coming here to learn and get advice. I think once you get the right tests run and the proper diet/medication adjustments, you'll be looking at a whole new bird. Who knows, they can live to be 30! Just try not to be too hard on yourself. We all make mistakes -- the important thing is what we do with the information once we know we've made them.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

You had mentioned that he had the yellow wash when he was younger. This could also be from his genetic background rather than a health issue. 1st pix (click for a larger view) 

If there is suspected liver issues there are a few things you can physically look for on the bird (2nd pix)

As to the lump on the foot, if it was gout or arthritis the ankle would be swollen and if the problem was getting bad he would start pluckung the feathers out on his lower back (pix 3 and 4)

If he does have a renal/kidney problem below is some things I have done in the past.
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Renal problems are not exclusive to diet or genetics. A simple accident where the tiel get wedged somewhere with the wings up...even for a couple of minutes can cause a chill to the kidneys...thus crystalization of the urates, and if not caught soon enough and the bird Sub-Q hydrated it can go into renal failure and die. Quick action of Sub-Q therapy can actually reverse the renal failure and save a bird. 

Clipped birds that have a draft going upwards can also suffer the same fate. Over the years I lost several birds this way (verified by necropsy's) 

Excess protein in the diet can contribute to to renal problems and failure. A breeder friend of mine added powdered protein to her handfeeding formula to beef up her babies. Within 24 hours 11 out of 12 babies went into renal failure. 

Pesticides or toxins can cause renal failure. 

Typical indications of serious renal problems: The bird acts lethagic. The muscles feel bunched and tight. The eyes are slitted from excruciating pain. There is either blood (pinkish discoloration) in the urine, or the urates will be thin, gritty, and chalky looking. 

Initial treatment would be a medication called *allopurinol*. 
Usually you will see a dramatic improvement with the bird within a day. 

Other helpful things are adding a small amount of cranberry or cherry juice to the drinking water. This helps to break down some of the crystals formed from the uric acid. 

Hulled oats (oat groats) helps to reduce uric acid levels. 

Celery greens and seeds are good for renal problems and act as an antiseptic to disinfect the urinary tubules. 

The silk from ear corn (organically grown or a herbal extract) will sooth the damaged urinary tract, and improve urine flow. Plus corn silk is a source of potassium, Vitamin C and K. 

Plain grass, roots and all (no joke, cats/dogs will eat this if they have urinary problems) will benefit both the liver and kidneys. Dandilion greens helps with the liver, but it also aids the kidneys by stimulating them to remove toxins in the urine. 

The above is a few simple things to help those with renal/kidney problems. I've personally used many of the above things to help the bird and not lose it. 


*Celery:*
Celery is an excellent food that digests well with almost anything else. It contains the necessary mineral sodium, which is present in a ratio that can be easily accessed by the body. Sodium is critical, along with the mineral potassium, in managing the body's electrolyte balance. 
Electrolytes create electric osmotic pressure which helps the body to move fluids through the cell's membranes. It can be eaten with any other fruit or vegetable.


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## marylou (Dec 19, 2011)

thanks for all the nice replies..i just feel so terrible if there has been something wrong with him for a while and i havent picked up on it! i must of sounded so dramatic in my post but i just feel so guilty. once the money hits my bank account next week I will be making the appointment for him..get them to check everything over with him. my family think i am mad and that i am just being over dramatic but I would rather be over dramatic and him be fine then not get him seen too.

srtiels- thankyou for all the wonderful information! one of the birds in the first picture looks SO much like louie. my mum said to me this morning that one of the reasons that my grandparents bought louie was because of the odd tinge of yellow on his wings..but how much yellow i dont know. looking over them photos I can tell you his poop seems fine..i dont really handle him but i have seen no change in his abdomen but i guess he could be hiding anything under his feathers eh? he doesnt seem in pain at all..his eyes are open and bright. he isnt clipped at all and his cage has a cover around the back of it all day now as we live in a drafty house. I have some celery being delivered tomorrow to try and tempt him with..he may have a crazy moment and nibble at it 

in regards to his foot...it doesnt bother him in the slightest..uses it normally and hasnt been plucking any feathers at all. it swells up now and then if it gets knocked or something but i check it morning and night and it doesnt change much really. the lump is on the top of his foot just below the ankle..it just appeared one day! 

i think it was the contrast of how louie looks to another 18yr old bird.. I was just shocked that i had let him get in to such a state


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## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

It's okay! You are not a bad owner in the least, you obviously care lots about and him and are going out of your way to see him well. I commend you.  we wish you luck, and please keep us updated.


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

Please don't feel bad. You obviously love your bird. I think all of us have questioned or second guessed decisions we've made with our tiels. We just try to do what we think is best at the time. You were taking him to the vet and giving him good care. That's what a good owner does. Hopefully, this new vet will be able to sort things out. We'll be sending you and Louie positive thoughts!


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

It sounds like his color may be due to genetics. Being he is an older bird some info I'm posting below may be helpful to help keep his liver strong.

Given his age he could have calcium deposits building up on his toe joints. The info in the previous posting can be supportive of this.
----------------------------------

Under normal circumstances a bird mfg. and synthesizes vitamin C in the body. When it is sick the body’s ability to do this is hindered, thus supplementing is needed. This is especially so when you have suspected hepatic (liver) problems or damage. Vitamin C is a great supplement when sick and to aid the body when there are liver problems. A liver is regenerative, but it needs to be given the *tools* to help heal itself.

Some of the tools are: Vitamin C (while sick), lactulose, natural exposure to sunlight or full spectrum lighting close to the caging, and a changing of caging, such as a flight cage that encourages more movement and exercise, or some flight time daily. 

When there are liver problems the function of the liver is hindered. This also can effect vitamin A which is formed in the liver from beta carotene, thus supplementing of beta-carotene is needed. An increase of the water soluble nutrients to the body. Brewers Yeast is an excellent source for these.

Milk thistle can be given for liver problems. Dandelion can also be given to detoxify and act as a stimulant to the liver. 1 drop of each (in extract form) to each 1/2 ounce of lactulose (some info below) can be mixed up and the bird given a drop 2 times a day. These 2 herbal extracts can also be added to the drinking water at a ratio of 1 drop to 3 ounces of water, and changed 2 times a day.

I've found that everything has a cause and effect to other body functions in our feathered friends. To help them many times we have to get to the root of the problem. Such as why your bird does have liver problem. Also how does this effect the other organs, and go from there. Many times giving the body the needed supplements and nutritional support (tools) can do more healing than any medication.

Lactulose (Cephulac)

Lactulose acts as an osmosis retardant to the absorption of potential toxins from the GI tract. Used as a treatment with liver disease to decrease the load of metabolites that must be processed through the liver. What this does is reduce toxic potential of the blood ammonia due to liver dysfunction. 

It also acts as an appetite stimulant. 

It acidifies the intestinal contents.

It is also be effective in establishing a gastrointestinal environment that favors the growth of intestinal flora. This eliminates the need for lactobacillus supplementing. Lactulose can be used daily for weeks. If diarrhea is noted reduce the dosage.

NOTE: This can be prescribed by a vet or there is an Over The Counter (OTC) dilution that can be found at a drugstore.


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## marylou (Dec 19, 2011)

thankyou for all the positive thoughts, comments and all the information! louie and I are so thankful! i am reading and rereading it and taking it all in! To give him more exercise i was going to get him a bigger cage..last time i did this though he freaked out and stopped eating and all sorts  took me forever to get him back to "normal". he also suffers with nightfrights..he has a little nightlight on which helps him most of the time and they have the tv left on all night (have a canary and two budgies who also have nightfrights now and then) so i didnt want to get louie too big of a cage as he has further to fall  i tried getting him different and more interesting branches to sit/climb on...he sat the bottom of the cage and wouldnt move. After a long argument and me getting bitten he will come out his cage and wander about for a while but he is usually back to his cage within 10mins. he is truly a stubborn old man! (it stems back from him loving my grandad to bits and when we lost my grandad louie fell in to a depression and just turned in to an old man over night  he was plucking his feathers and all sorts back then) so exercise wise i am unsure what to do any ideas? 

i actually have some spare full spectrum lighting bulbs about (my lil dragon has them) so i could work it he gets some extra rays on him from them...hmmm! 

veggie wise i have been trying to tempt him over the past few days..he moved some broccoli and carrot out of the way to get to his seed yesterday and today he is yelling at me because there is a big chunk of broccoli perched on the edge of his food dish...he is unimpressed! he actually turned his back on me! good news is i chucked some broccoli in for my budgies as i was giving louie his and one of them actually took a nibble for the first time..so some good is coming out of me harassing louie with veggies!


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

You have the right idea with getting him a bigger cage and more time out, you just may need to adjust the way you go about it so that he doesn't get so anxious. For example, if you get him a new cage, you can put him into it for a little while at a time to start with, while still letting him live in his old cage. That way he'll get used to the new one gradually, without it being a big shock of being put permanently in somewhere new all at once. If you're worried about him falling, you can take the grate out and pad the bottom with towels so he won't get hurt. I have one bird who will probably always have a padded bottom because she came to me with severe muscle atrophy due to her previous owner never given her any perches. You can also put him in a separate, smaller cage to sleep if night frights are the issue. 

As far as the issues with coming out, it sounds like he may be protective of his cage. Are there any treats he likes (like spray millet) that you can use to coax him out? It would probably be best if you can get him to come out, then take him to another room where he can't see the cage and try to get back to it immediately. Try working with him like this to teach him that out of cage time is fun, not scary.  There's also some great resources in the taming/training forum here that you might check out for trust exercises.


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

My tiel lost his prior owner too and it does take them a little while to adjust. I also have to introduce things to Sunny very slowly. As enigma suggested, try putting him in a new cage for short periods of time. I did this with Sunny's travel cage and gradually got him used to it. Now, we're going on our first trip this weekend. (Wish us luck!)

As for veggies, it took me quite awhile to get Sunny to try them too. (And when I hung broccoli in his cage it freaked him out.) He only likes his veggies cut in tiny pieces. Try sprinkling some of his favorite seeds on top of them. I also started making bird bread with chopped up vegetables and crushed pellets in it. 

Any time I put anything new in Sunny's cage, I have to let it sit outside of his cage for about a week and let him see it and walk around it outside before I can put it in. It sounds like Louie is like Sunny in that they're not big on change but you can coax them into it!


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

> i actually have some spare full spectrum lighting bulbs about (my lil dragon has them) so i could work it he gets some extra rays on him from them...hmmm!


Be careful with reptile bulbs because some are too strong for birds and can burn their eyes. A bulb with a "5" UVB rating is OK. "10" is good for reptiles but shouldn't be used with birds.


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## marylou (Dec 19, 2011)

enigma731 said:


> pad the bottom with towels
> 
> As far as the issues with coming out, it sounds like he may be protective of his cage. There's also some great resources in the taming/training forum here that you might check out for trust exercises.


hadnt thought about padding the bottom of the cage!!! duh! he had a nasty night fright last night actually..then on his way back up his millet spooked him and he crashed back down again  the first crash woke my dogs up who woke me up so i could thankfully come in and talk to him and calm him down..lost a few feathers but he is okay..he never used to have nightfrights but they have been getting worse over the past few years..not sure what more i can do for him though

yes he is very protective of his cage..if i put my drink next to it he hisses at my drink then runs and shoves his head under his bell! i am going to head over to the training/taming forum and do some reading..as he used to be silly tame when he was a baby so i know he has it in him to be like that..just getting that trust back!



sunnysmom said:


> Try sprinkling some of his favorite seeds on top of them. I also started making bird bread with chopped up vegetables and crushed pellets in it.
> 
> Any time I put anything new in Sunny's cage, I have to let it sit outside of his cage for about a week and let him see it and walk around it outside before I can put it in. It sounds like Louie is like Sunny in that they're not big on change but you can coax them into it!


sounds like Sunny and Louie would get on, they sound very alike! good luck on your trip how exciting!
think i might have to get my chefs hat on and make some bird bread! sunflower seeds used to be his favorite treat so maybe i can use them in some way!
i did try and hang one of his new toys outside his cage..he freaked out and just sat the the bottom of the cage away from it for ages! haha that was a while ago so i may have to try again! he defo isnt big on change!



tielfan said:


> Be careful with reptile bulbs because some are too strong for birds and can burn their eyes. A bulb with a "5" UVB rating is OK. "10" is good for reptiles but shouldn't be used with birds.


thankyou! i may have a 5 lurking about..in the summer he gets to sit in the sun but groggy london isnt really getting much sun at the moment! 

so i gave Louie a good misting yesterday and I am not sure if i am just paranoid but i thought i saw some sort of lump under his feathers on his chest. this could be me now looking for things to be wrong though, but its freaking me out. my family think i am mad and that he is just an "old bird" and i am overreacting...they have agreed to "put my mind at rest" though and take me to the vets after new years (pain to get to them before then) I suggested a new cage for him and they said it would be a waste of money with him being old


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## Kelly86 (Aug 30, 2011)

Hi Marylou 

You'll find loads of great tips and info on this site! I've been a member for a while now but don't post as I'm STILL waiting for my 1st tiel baby, but I do visit most days to prepare for her arrival! She's finally coming home on the 28th now when she'll be almost 12 weeks old. She has been a nightmare to wean but is doing well now and is ready now but her breeder lives too far away for me to get there til after Christmas 

Your post really made me want to reply as I felt so sorry for you when you came on here to show off your lovely bird and was hit with all that news (even though it is obviously good that you've been made aware of possible problems.) It does sound possible that the colour is genetic, although maybe if the yellow has deepened it could still be an indicator of illness? I'm clearly no expert so it's good you are getting him seen to. It's also good that you are getting him seen by someone who possibly may know what they're talking about! 

Whereabouts in London are you from? I'm from Essex myself and have heard of a good avian vet near me. I only ask as I live on the borders of East London so this vet might not be too far from you!

With regards to the bigger cage, there are plenty of second hand cages on ebay, preloved etc which, as long as they are thoroughly cleaned, will be a cheaper option. I totally sympathise with you about your family thinking you're mad... this country isn't really a nation of bird lovers! I don't know anyone personally with a pet bird and I don't think the majority of people over here class them as 'important' as dogs, cats etc 

Good luck with your vet visit and hope it's nothing too serious.


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

Does Louie have a night light? I cover Sunny up at night but leave a small area uncovered and keep a night light on. That may help with Louie's night frights.

My tiel is 15. I've only had him for four months though. I initially thought of him as old too but I've learned from this site (and from enigma ) that he's really not that old and can have many years ahead of him (which I hope he does). 

My family thinks I'm a little crazy over my bird but like Kelly said, I don't think a lot of people understand about birds. I didn't until I actually had one. I'm hoping your vet visit goes well and I think you're trying to do everything right for Louie. I think things are going to turn around for him and he'll be less old manish.  And if they met, I think Sunny and Louie would be great friends.  (Of course it would probably take both of them 2 weeks to even acknowledge that the other existed. )


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## marylou (Dec 19, 2011)

Kelly86 said:


> Hi Marylou
> 
> You'll find loads of great tips and info on this site! I've been a member for a while now but don't post as I'm STILL waiting for my 1st tiel baby, but I do visit most days to prepare for her arrival! She's finally coming home on the 28th now when she'll be almost 12 weeks old. She has been a nightmare to wean but is doing well now and is ready now but her breeder lives too far away for me to get there til after Christmas
> 
> ...


hello, your message made me smile  Firstly you must be SO excited for your new baby! such a shame you cant go get her yet.. things always happen when its around christmas time and christmas "gets in the way"! i had to do the waiting game with one of my lizards and had to go to kent to get her..you get SO super excited! (shame it turned out the breeder was useless and messed my poor baby up..long story!) what a lovely late christmas present you are going to have though when you finally get her!

ah yes,thats exactly what i am thinking..he has had a yellow tinge to him for so long that i havent noticed the change! 

i live west londonish..down the road from heathrow airport. The vets i am saving up to take him too is C J Hall vets in East Sheen (i had no idea where that was..thank god for satnavs!) 


yeaaah my mum loves louie but shes scared of birds so she doesnt understand as much as she could about him. i did try and talk to her about it again today..slowly convincing her. i showed her photos on here and she kinda agreed he looked different..but she is still adamant its his age :blink: indeed a lot of people dont see them like they do dogs and cats..i have spent tons of money on the lizard i mentioned earlier to find out what damage the breeder has done..people think i am mad for doing that though as she is "just a lizard" 

thankyou for the luck, keeping my fingers crossed he isnt as bad that my mind is making out!



sunnysmom said:


> Does Louie have a night light? I cover Sunny up at night but leave a small area uncovered and keep a night light on. That may help with Louie's night frights.
> 
> My tiel is 15. I've only had him for four months though. I initially thought of him as old too but I've learned from this site (and from enigma ) that he's really not that old and can have many years ahead of him (which I hope he does).
> 
> My family thinks I'm a little crazy over my bird but like Kelly said, I don't think a lot of people understand about birds. I didn't until I actually had one. I'm hoping your vet visit goes well and I think you're trying to do everything right for Louie. I think things are going to turn around for him and he'll be less old manish.  And if they met, I think Sunny and Louie would be great friends.  (Of course it would probably take both of them 2 weeks to even acknowledge that the other existed. )


yup louie has a light on and noise from either the tv or radio on..so it isnt too quiet downstairs for him. we leave a corner of his cage uncovered...he lets me know if he is too covered up dont worry haha!

aw yes i am learning now that louie isnt as old as we thought! i really do hope the vet visit isnt too bad  that we can deal with whatever is going on! i do also hope that i get that bouncy happy boy back that i remember when i was younger!

yeah i would give it least a month before louie would even say hello to sunny!


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

marylou said:


> yeah i would give it least a month before louie would even say hello to sunny!


Well, unless I threw Roo in there. Then they'd be forced to band together to avoid her advances. 

I hope you get good news from the vet when you do get to go. I'll be thinking about you and Louie.


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## marylou (Dec 19, 2011)

thankyou  soon as anything happens i will let you all know!

haha i am sure Roo would give louie a shock to his system...as much as he hisses at things he runs away the first chance he gets!! so I can see him running away!


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## Kelly86 (Aug 30, 2011)

marylou said:


> hello, your message made me smile  Firstly you must be SO excited for your new baby! such a shame you cant go get her yet.. things always happen when its around christmas time and christmas "gets in the way"! i had to do the waiting game with one of my lizards and had to go to kent to get her..you get SO super excited! (shame it turned out the breeder was useless and messed my poor baby up..long story!) what a lovely late christmas present you are going to have though when you finally get her!
> 
> ah yes,thats exactly what i am thinking..he has had a yellow tinge to him for so long that i havent noticed the change!
> 
> ...


I am beyond excited!!! It's all been a bit of a to-do from the start really! I first got in touch with the breeder months ago, before any of her birds had even mated! So then I was counting down til there were eggs, then til they hatched, then til they were DNA'd (I only wanted a girl!). There were 2 girls out of 3 chicks from 2 clutches, but by then I found out there was a possibility of a cinnamon pearl hatching soon so I ended up deciding to wait even longer! However as it turned out, 1 person pulled out of the sale of 1 of the girls and it was 1 I had a connection to as I'd visited and held her while I was waiting for my pearl and she was very late developing feathers so I nicknamed her Baldy and always asked after her. So I caved and decided to have her after all  Then it was back to counting down til she came home, when all the weaning problems happened  Plus she would scream whenever she was put in a cage alone. 2 weeks ago my breeder even suggested I think about taking a different bird  Then all of a sudden she came on in leaps and bounds! She wouldn't touch seed at first, not even millet but took to pellets (I could find NOTHING on the net about birds like this, only ones that wouldn't touch pellets ) Now she is in a cage on her own, munching away on pellets, seed and sprouts 

Sorry, I didn't mean to take over your thread with my bird story!!! Nobody in my family is really interested in my ramblings though!

I've never heard of East Sheen either!!! Hope they turn out to be a decent vets though.

With regards to getting Louie to eat veg... from his age and attitude I really think you have your work cut out! But all you can do is try. Sprouting seeds might be an option - I've heard few birds can resist them! I bought a sprouter from Ebay, although you can just use a normal jar. It's fairly simple you just have to be sure to keep rinsing them thoroughly so no bacteria forms. Which is why I bought the sprouter as apparently it cuts down on the rinsing, as I'm lazy  The sprouted seeds are much more nutritious than regular seeds as they keep the goodness but a lot of the fat content is lost during the sprouting.

Once again, good luck and don't forget to update us on the outcome!


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## marylou (Dec 19, 2011)

aww noooo ramble away! nobody is usually interested in my animal ramblings so i know how you feel! sounds like you have a character on your hands already and she isnt even home yet!! all this is SO going to be worth it though..cant wait to see photos and hear stories of your new little one 

i took one of my geckos to that vets and they were wonderful..they also had to deal with me bawling my eyes out a few days later when my little one passed and i took him there to make sure (as they can go in deep comas) they were lovely and even sent me a sympathy card even though i had only visited them a few times! its fun sitting in their waiting room too as all sorts of creatures come through there..i had a chat with a beautiful parrot when i first went!

oooooh i havent heard about sprouting seeds! think i need to do some googling on that! i will try anything! I put celery in his cage yesterday and he was acting like i was trying to kill him with it!


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

Here's a "how to sprout" thread: http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=9019


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## marylou (Dec 19, 2011)

thankyou! i think i might give it a go! will look out for jars and things when i am out shopping next!

edit: just wanted to ask something..not sure if its health related or just louie being strange! He seems to perk up at night. he naps for a lot of the day (which could be just him/illness/laziness) but as soon as it hits like 9/10pm and he gets covered up he really wakes up..starts chirping away! last night i popped back downstairs to get a drink and could hear him munching on millet and tapping his bell! I try and give him a good 12 hours or so covered up like the rest of the birds but unlike the others louie takes this as a sign to wake up and play! is there a reason or just him being strange?


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

I think that's just his personality. Roo is a weird little owl who refuses to sleep until about 11pm. I once tried to cover her earlier, but she does most of her eating at night, so that didn't go very well. My guys nap during the day a lot, too. Sounds like a normal bird thing.


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## marylou (Dec 19, 2011)

phew thankyou..very paranoid now! can you tell? lol! one of my dogs is ill so i am up and about in the night more at the moment and i could hear him battering his bell at about 3am...as you do!


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